OUR LATEST ISSUE
Gay news: 'What I believe in' includes Section 28 and that homosexuality is 'wrong'
Philip Lardner: gay people are "not normal"
Cameron sacks candidate who said gay people are 'not normal'
David Cameron has suspended a general election candidate who described gay people as "not normal".
Philip Lardner, who is contesting the North Ayrshire and Arran seat, made the comments in a section of his campaign website titled "What I believe in". They were later described by the Scottish Conservative party as "deeply offensive and unacceptable".
The section, which was removed from the website yesterday, said: "I will always support the rights of homosexuals to be treated within concepts of (common-sense) equality and respect, and defend their rights to choose to live the way they want in private, but I will not accept that their behaviour is 'normal' or encourage children to indulge in it."
Lardner added that he had been in agreement with Section 28, whereby the Thatcher government banned local authorities from portraying homosexuality in a positive light.
He continued: "Why should Christian churches be forced by the Government to employ homosexuals as 'ministers' against all that the Bible teaches? They are being forced by the Government to betray their mission - would the Equality and Human Rights Commission be fined for refusing a job to Nick Griffin?
"Christians (and most of the population) believe homosexuality to be somewhere between 'unfortunate' and simply 'wrong' and they should not be penalised for politely saying so - good manners count too, of course. The current 'law' is wrong and must be overturned in the interests of freedom as well as Christian values."
North Ayrshire and Arran is a Labour stronghold, where Katy Clark was returned with a majority of more than 11,000 at the last general election.
