The Anglican Bishop of Hereford, who lost a controversial discrimination case involving a gay church youth worker earlier this year, has been dubbed 'bigot of the year' by a leading lesbian and gay human rights organisation.The Rt Rev Anthony Priddis, who is the 104th bishop in his diocese, was named winner of the 'bigot of the year award' by Stonewall in a ceremony in London earlier this week.
He was not present to collect the prize.
Other awards went to groups and individuals who Stonewall said had had made major contributions in the struggle for fairness and against discrimination.
In April 2007 an employment tribunal in Cardiff, Wales, heard how youth worker John Reaney, aged 42, was left feeling humiliated after a two-hour interview during which the bishop grilled him about a previous gay relationship.
The tribunal decided that Mr Reaney had been a victim of unfair dismissal and awarded damages against the Church of England.
The bishop's award stands in contrast to one recently awarded to the Rev Richard Kirker, chief executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) in the UK.
He was singled out by the Gay Police Association for his long standing work against homophobia in the churches and in society at large.
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