Desmond Tutu’s Daughter Leaves Ministry For Refusal to Recognize Her Same-Sex Marriage

Tutu’s daughter forced out of South African clergy for same-sex marriage.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has long been one of the biggest figures in Christianity on the world stage, but now it’s his daughter who is hitting the headlines. Mpho Tutu Van-Furth, formerly an Anglican minister, has announced she is leaving the church after marrying her female partner.

Desmond Tutu’s Daughter Leaves Ministry For Refusal to Recognize Her Same-Sex Marriage[/tweetthis]

Tutu Van-Furth’s partner is a Dutch academic, Marceline Furth, and they were married in a low-key ceremony in her home country of the Netherlands. While Tutu Van-Furth has campaigned against homophobia and racism in South Africa since her youth, she became an Anglican minister in 2004, giving herself more of a platform to speak about these issues, as well as the chance to follow in her father’s footsteps.

South Africa has had a strong LGBT rights record for many years now, being one of the first countries to allow same-sex marriage way back in 2006. However, the Anglican church, a dominant force in South Africa, has consistently refused to recognize such marriages, leading to something of a split in the church’s membership over the issue.

Tutu Van-Furth said that her decision to leave the church was motivated by its failure to recognize the validity of her marriage. When she was informed that the church planned to strip her of her membership, she made the decision to beat them to the punch, and announced her resignation.

However, one person who will support her decision is her father. Desmond Tutu has long spoken in favor of gay rights, alongside his more famous work battling racism, and is therefore sure to side with his daughter on this matter.

Resources

Follow the Conversation on Twitter