UK Priest: Tattoo sodomy warnings on gays

A Church of England priest is under fire after calling for gays to be forcibly tattooed with a sodomy warning.

The Rev. Peter Mullen, who is chaplain to the London Stock Exchange, made that remark and other incendiary homophobic comments on his internet blog.

Mullen said the forced tattoos would be similar to warning placed on packages of cigarettes. “Let us make it obligatory for homosexuals to have their backsides tattooed with the slogan ‘Sodomy can seriously damage your health,’ their chins with ‘Fellatio kills.’

In another posting, the 66-year old Mullen calls for gay pride parades - which he called “obscene” - to be outlawed.

In yet another, he blasted another Church of England priest, the Rev. Martin Dudley, for blessing the civil partnership of two fellow clerics. “The Bishop of London is in a high huff, Because Dr Dudley has married a puff; And not just one puff - he’s married another: Two priests, two puffs and either to other.”

Bishop of London the Rt Rev Richard Chartres has criticized Dudley for conducting the ceremony, but chastised Mullen for the blog postings. “While clergy are entitled to their own personal views, we recognize that the content of this text is highly offensive and is in no way reflective of the views of the Diocese of London,” Chartres said in a statement to The Evening Standard newspaper.

The paper also reported that Mullen is under investigation and may face a disciplinary inquiry over his comments.

Mullen dismisses the criticism, calling his postings “satire.” “I wrote some satirical things on my blog and anybody with an ounce of sense of humor or any understanding of the tradition of English satire would immediately assume that they’re light-hearted jokes,” he told the paper. “I certainly have nothing against homosexuals. Many of my dear friends have been and are of that persuasion. What I have got against them is the militant preaching of homosexuality.”