Waterstone's defend decision to cancel gay author event
By Tony Grew • November 13, 2008 -

A leading bookseller has said that it was "unwise" to go ahead with the launch of a gay poet's new book at a Cardiff store because of the threat of disruption from fundamentalist Christians.
A spokesperson for Waterstone's told PinkNews.co.uk that Patrick Jones' new collection of poems, Darkness is Where the Stars Are, is still on sale in the Cardiff store despite hundreds of demands that it be withdrawn.
Some of the poems explore issues of faith, though Christianity is not singled out.

Fundamentalist group Christian Voice claim the poems are blasphemous.
Their concerted campaign against Waterstone's led to the cancellation of yesterday's launch as "it was unwise to go ahead with a potentially disruptive event."
Stephen Green, the leader of Christian Voice who is notorious for his homophobic views, was triumphant.
"The Lord had not even showed me what we should do at Waterstone's, only that it should be Christlike," he told the BBC.
"Just the knowledge that we were on our way has put the fear of God into the opposition."

Read the full report here.