How many of the Church of England’s clergy are homosexual? It appears that we may find out:

A national survey is set to take place to reveal the number of gay clergy within the Church of England, the Guardian newspaper has reported.

The survey is being backed by the Inclusive Church network, which aims to prove that homosexuals perform an important role in the regular running of the Church body.

Canon Giles Goddard, Chair of the Inclusive Church told the Guardian: “It’s very early days but we need realistic information on how many LGBT clergy there are. It’s about demonstrating to people that we’re here and we need to be respected and recognised. We want to play our full role in the life of the church.

What will be even more interesting is what the ratio of homosexuals to heterosexuals in the clergy is. If it is considerably higher than in the general population – and I have a suspicion that it is – it would go a long way to explain why the Anglican church leadership is so determined to legitimise gay sexual activity and allow – even encourage – more senior homosexual ordinations: they have an axe to grind.