Gay Police Association (GPA) was the most controversial advertisement of the year 2006. It was a national press advertisement, which depicted a Bible and a claim from the GPA of a link between religious motivation and homophobic attacks. It pictured a bible next to a pool of blood with the title “in the name of the father” and the text –

“In the last twelve months, The Gay Police Association has recorded a 75% increase in homophobic incidents, where the sole or primary motivating factor was the religious beliefs of the perpetrator.Verbal abuse and physical assault against gay men and women is a criminal offence and should always be reported to the police. Discrimination against gay people in the workplace is also unlawful and should be reported to employers, who have a duty of care to prevent it. Homophobia can never be justified and must never be tolerated.”

Many Christian’s groups complained about the advert, saying it was discriminatory in tone and offensive to them. Other groups also wrote to the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) saying that the image implied the Christianity and teachings of the Bible were condoned and responsible for violence against homosexuals.

The advertisement was banned after GPA was found guilty of making forged claims that Christians were responsible for a sharp rise in attacks on homosexual. ASA also said the GPA breached codes covering offence, accuracy and truthfulness. They also told them to ensure that the imagery did not send misleading messages to viewers in their future campaigns, and also to ensure that they are not presented in a way that could cause undue offense.