A United Methodist minister
convicted of breaking church law by officiating at the same-sex wedding of his
son in the US said on Tuesday he is unrepentant, declaring he has been called
by God to be an advocate for the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and
transgender people.
The Reverend Frank Schaefer,
testifying at the penalty phase of his church trial, again refused to promise
he wouldn't perform another same-sex union. Three of his four children are gay.
The church “needs to stop judging people based on their
sexual orientation”, he said.
“We have to stop the hate speech. We have to stop treating them as
second-class Christians,” he told a jury of fellow United Methodist
pastors.