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Further to my letter of 18 July, I regret that I must withdraw my acceptance of your invitation to speak on Thomas Cram-ner as the 1999 annual lecture to the Friends of Lambeth Palace Library. I cannot give a lecture which is to be chaired by Archbishop Carey, in view of his mischievous part in the House of Lords' wrecking of the legislation equalising the age of consent for gay and heterosexual people. Had the Archbishop's homophobic efforts been as ineffectual as is normally the case with the moral pronouncements of Anglican bishops, I would have been prepared to overlook his actions. But in view of the part which he has now played in blighting the lives of so many people, I am certainly not willing to give a lecture as his guest, My decision of course in no way reflects on the excellent work of your library, Yours Sincerely,
cc. the Archbishop of Canterbury |