A gay Ugandan Christian has been denied a visa to enter Britain in order to attend a meeting at the invitation of the Anglican church next week because there is a warrant for his arrest in his home country where homosexuality is punishable by life imprisonment.
Chris Stentaza, a head teacher at a church school who was dismissed from his job and forced into hiding after speaking at a conference of gay Christians in England 15 months ago, has been rejected for a visa by the British high commission in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, apparently because of his sexuality.
He had been invited to join a delegation due to meet Canon Gregory Cameron, the secretary to the church's commission responsible for last October's Windsor report, investigating ways of keeping the worldwide Anglican communion together after the row over the promotion of gay clergy.
The primates of the church are meeting to discuss the report in Northern Ireland in three weeks, and Canon Cameron is taking soundings from different church groups before they do so.
He is expecting to meet a delegation of British and American gay organizations on Tuesday.
Stentaza's views could be important for a church which says it wants to listen to gay people, because Anglican African leaders have been outspoken in their opposition to any accommodation with homosexuals.
Some have even denied that there was such a thing in their countries, and Anglican leaders in Uganda have been particularly hostile. The Most Reverend Henry Orombi, the Archbishop of Uganda, who was educated in Britain, has called on US Episcopalians to "repent of their unbiblical behavior and teaching" for electing Gene Robinson, the gay bishop of New Hampshire.
The Reverend Colin Coward, the director of the Church of England gay pressure group Changing Attitudes, which was sponsoring Stentaza's trip and had paid for his ticket, criticized the move.
He said: "This is appalling because it compromises the church's ability to seek responses to its policy apart from those in the five or six provinces of the Anglican communion where homosexuality is not a crime.
"The British government is failing to recognize that there are people applying for visas who need support and encouragement to enable them to take part in the church's consultation processes. It was important for Chris' voice to be heard."
Stentaza applied for a visa at the British high commission on Jan. 13 but was told he needed a police clearance certificate, which he could not obtain without the threat of arrest. He then reapplied, making no reference to the purpose of his visit, with a letter of support from the secretary of his diocese in Namirembe.
He was told he could have a visa if he came to the office with his return airline ticket, but when he did so earlier this week he was informed that he could not be seen because the visa section was busy.
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