The Advertising Standards Authority is investigating whether an advertisement placed by the Kirk Session of the Sandown Free Presbyterian Church in a Northern Ireland newspaper ahead of the Gay Pride Parade last week breached advertising codes.
The 540-word advertisement, which described homosexuality as an abomination, defined homosexuals as perverts and called on religious followers to maintain a very public stance against the gay community despite recent violent homophobic attacks, was placed in the News Letter on Friday, August 1, the day before the annual event.
In the advertisement, the church — led by the Rev David McIlveen — justifies its hostility towards the gay community by ‘quoting’ from the Bible and lambasts the need for a parade which celebrates a “profitable lifestyle”.
...