The director of Glasgow’s museums has accused protesters against a controversial Bible exhibition of being motivated by an opposition to homosexuality.

Mark O’Neill, head of art and museums at Culture and Sport Glasgow, said some of those who objected to the exhibition, which invited audience members to write on pages of the Bible, were concerned principally about the sexuality of the artist rather than any offence to their faith.

Made in God’s Image, an exhibition at the city’s Gallery of Modern Art, is part of the Sh(out) project, which aims to celebrate and raise awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

The work, by the Rev Jane Clarke, urged the public to “write themselves in” to the Bible if they felt excluded.

The exhibition provoked a backlash from church leaders and protests by more than 100 Christians. The Bible was placed under a glass cover after it was daubed with offensive messages.

O’Neill said he felt some protesters were motivated by homophobia and had tried to divert attention from the issue that the artwork aims to highlight: how religion marginalises homosexuals.

“If they want to condemn homosexuals, that’s up to them but using the Gallery of Modern Art as a vehicle for that condemnation, I don’t think is legitimate,” he said.

“The key exhibits are a debate within Christianity about the status of homosexuals, and the artist’s work raised that issue. People then blamed the gallery, or blamed the artwork, when in fact the focus should be on the issue.

“Not all Christians are taking offence. I think the issue is whether people are objecting because homosexuals exist and claim to be Christians, or objecting to the work of art.”

• Full story at the Sunday Times.

• Filed under Arts, Glasgow, West + Ayrshire, Scottish Christian News Monitor, Sexuality.