No homophobia

Neil Barber (Letters, 22 July) displays his wilful misrepresentation of Tim Farron’s position as “condemning someone’s very identity as a gay person”, “lacking belief in gay equality”, and being “homophobic”.

None of this is true. Christians do not hate gay people; on the contrary they believe that every person has equal value and is to be respected.

Our equality legislation was surely intended to reinforce this belief.

However, the application of the law by the Equality Commission and the courts has favoured the gay community at the expense of religious belief and principle in spite of both groups being specifically protected. In this it has proved not only ineffective but also, ironically, discriminatory.

Tim Farron does not deserve to be abused for being honest and displaying integrity.

GEOFF MILLER Glebe Cottage, Newtyle