Lesbians Forced to Leave English Church

A lesbian couple in England claim they were forced out of their church after they were seen holding hands during a service.

Kersten Pegden and Nina Lawrence said other members of the St. Nicholas Anglican Church in Corfe Mullen, a village in Dorset, England, thought their behavior was sexual.

Pegden attended the church for many years, separated from her husband in September, and is in the process of a divorce.

"The vicar, who is a woman, wanted to know the details about my divorce, how long it was going to be and the fact it had dragged on too long," Pegden said. "She said members of the congregation said that during hymns we were dishonoring God because they said we were singing the hymns to each other, and that we were overtly sexual with each other."

The couple said other couples held hands, and it was their sexual orientation that fueled complaints, The Daily Mail reported.

Pegden claims church officials said the couple must not associate with each other while at church.

"St. Nicholas welcomes people from a variety of backgrounds and gives private pastoral care to those in need," a spokesman for the church said in a statement. "Issues have arisen with members of the congregation which are being addressed compassionately."

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