Rights campaigner sceptical over Pope's comments on gays Pope Francis reached out to gays on Monday, declaring that it is not his place to judge them -- while also condemning the Vatican's reported gay lobby as a "serious problem". Peter Tatchell, director of human rights organisation the Peter Tatchell Foundation, said that while the Pope "has offered a change of tone in Vatican pronouncements on gay people," there is no "change in substance". Images and soundbites.