Ida Auken faces criticism over LGBT discrimination in Danish churches

Minister Ida Auken, Denmark’s church minister, has been criticised for not advancing reforms to the 2012 law that permits clergy in the Folkekirken to refuse to marry same‑sex couples. Critics argue the legislation, introduced 14 years ago alongside gender‑neutral marriage, still allows overt discrimination and that Auken’s passive stance—waiting for bishops to become “mature” before acting—fails to protect LGBT rights.

In a separate but related development, Baptist priest Ulrik Refsager Dam publicly apologized at Holbæk Pride for his former belief that homosexuals were condemned to hell. He pledged to help build a more inclusive church, acknowledging past “structural sin” and urging greater acceptance of LGBT people within religious communities.