UKIP leader Nigel Farage has spoken out against what he says is the “prejudice” and “abuse” directed at UKIP members by parts of the LGBT community.
Writing in his Express column this week, Mr Farage – who has previously told the BBC that he “couldn’t care less” if he saw two gay men kissing in public – attacked the political elements of the LGBT lobby that have “banned” or “outlawed” gay UKIP activists from taking part in London’s pride parade.
He wrote:
When a Baptist Minister who was a mere local UKIP town councillor in Henley said last January that floods were caused by gay marriage, it was a national story.
This man’s personal views ran on the BBC and pretty much everywhere else too as some sort of representation of UKIP as a whole.
This follows 20 years where he had been a member of the Conservative Party and had been saying the same things.
As a Conservative however, his comments never even touched the radar screen.
This gentleman’s individual views were used by the media purely as another justification to scapegoat UKIP as being somehow extreme.
Well, I’ve got some bad news for the metropolitan elite.
I’m very sorry not to confirm their prejudices, but UKIP has many gay members.
We’ve just confirmed our new Deputy Mayor of Ramsgate who is transgender.
Our Scottish MEP David Coburn is openly gay.
The party also has an established LGBT group headed by Flo Lewis, who I shared a drink or two with after she spoke at UKIP’s South East Conference in Eastbourne just last weekend.
Mr Farage blames the prejudice aimed against UKIP at certain, politically motivated part of the LGBT community. He cited the case of former supporter Kellie Maloney, who received “abuse”, according to the UKIP leader, for her support for the party.
“There remains bigotry and sometimes even racism against people in Britain today that is simply unacceptable,” he said. “Sadly, some of this is being suffered by ordinary decent folk simply for supporting UKIP.”
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