The Church of England Synod voted Thursday to extend pension rights to same-sex partners of clergy.

Supporters of the extension called the church’s vote a first step to end it’s long reputation of homophobia.

“The injustice of the current arrangement is obvious,” said Rev. Mark Batton, while moving the motion. “The benefit to the reputation of the church in remedying this injustice will be great and … inversely proportional to the small cost to the pension scheme involved.”

No record of how many how many members of clergy are in same-sex civil partnerships.

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