Catholic Cardinal Awarded “Bigot of the Year” at Gay Rights Ceremony

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, a head of the Scottish Catholic Church, was dubbed “Bigot of the Year” by gay rights activists at Stonewall group, during a ceremony at the Victoria & Albert Museum, last night.

Awards are given each year to those who impact the British gay community, and the cardinal certainly made a splash when he described gay marriage as a “grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right,” the Guardian mentions.

Queerty relays the cardinal's statement earlier this year, as he expresses his “deep disappointment” on the issue of gay marriage legalization in Scotland.

“The Church’s teaching on marriage is unequivocal, it is uniquely, the union of a man and a woman and it is wrong that Governments, politicians or Parliaments should seek to alter or destroy that reality. [...] We promise to continue to do everything we can to convince them that redefining marriage would be wrong for society,” he stated.

Stonewall have received harsh criticism for their use of the term “bigot,” with at least one recipient of an award from the non-profit outraged by the distinction.

“It is simply wrong. The case for equality is far better made by demonstrating the sort of generosity, tolerance and love we would wish to see more of in this world,” Scottish Conservative Party leader Ruth Davidson and title holder for Politician of the Year said.

Sponsors Barclays and Coutts are threatening to pull the plug on all donations to the group, should the distinction exist in the ceremony next year. Stonewall has many financers, including the Scottish government, and they're not happy.

Ironically, the Catholic Church is among the accusers, also claiming the gay rights organization has displayed a lack of tolerance towards the cardinal.

“Stonewall and others have promoted terms like 'bigot' and 'homophobe' relentlessly, in order to intimidate and vilify anyone who dares oppose their agenda,” a spokesman said.