The UK's Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement were deeply offended by the Pope’s remarks and Vladimir Luxuria, who is a transgender former Italian MP, described the Catholic spiritual leader’s comments as "hurtful".
Pope Benedict XVI had stated that it was not "out-of-date metaphysics" to "speak of human nature as 'man' or woman'", and he warned that ignoring the divine plan "would mean self-destruction for humans".
The Pope added that "Rain forests deserve, yes, our protection but the human being... does not deserve it less."
Rev Sharon Ferguson of the UK's Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement has said that what the Pope had said amounted to "gay bashing".
