Exclusive Brethren Deny Being Anti-Gay Despite Internal Documents Showing Anti-LGBTI Stance

The Exclusive Brethren, a separatist religious group known for its secretive nature and political donations, has denied being “resolutely anti-gay,” despite internal documents suggesting otherwise. The group, which has long been linked to the Liberal Party, has faced allegations of holding virulently anti-LGBTI views, with evidence pointing to a history of campaigns against the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has stated he has no criticisms of the group, emphasizing that all organizations are free to make political contributions. However, Fairfax Media has obtained internal documents that contradict the Brethren’s claims of not being anti-gay. These documents reveal the group’s leadership has expressed strong opposition to homosexuality, with one leader, Bruce D. Hales, stating in 2006 that homosexuality was “unnatural against the anatomy.”

In a meeting with a young girl who had been sexually abused by the man she was staying with, Hales discouraged her from leaving the church to live with her gay father. He told her, “God created man for the woman and the woman for man, not man for man and woman for woman,” according to notes from another Brethren member present. Hales also asked, “How many homosexuals get a place in the world?” This statement reflects the group’s stance on homosexuality as incompatible with its teachings.

Hales, regarded as the “Man of God” by the Brethren, has also been linked to instances of mistreatment of LGBTQ+ members. In 2009, he sent a gay 18-year-old member, Craig Hoyle, to a Brethren-affiliated doctor. Hoyle later reported that Hales told him to “never accept myself for who I was, and to always battle against my sexuality.” The doctor, Mark Craddock, was later cited in a complaint regarding his treatment of Hoyle.

The Exclusive Brethren’s leadership has consistently denied allegations of anti-LGBTI sentiment, with their public relations representative, Benjamin Haslem, stating, “The Church has never campaigned against LGBTI individuals or communities.” However, the evidence gathered by Fairfax Media suggests a more complex and troubling narrative, one that raises serious concerns about the group’s treatment of its members and its public stance on sexuality.

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