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Ann Widdecombe sparks fury with ‘gay cure’ claim that ‘science may produce answer’ to homosexuality
ANN Widdecombe sparked major fury after saying “science may produce an answer” to homosexuality. The new Brexit Party MEP – a veteran campaigner against LGBT rights – has been labelled “a relic” after making the controversial remarks. She said: “The fact that we think it is now quite impossible for people to switch sexuality doesn’t […]
ANN Widdecombe sparked major fury after saying “science may produce an answer” to homosexuality.
The new Brexit Party MEP – a veteran campaigner against LGBT rights – has been labelled “a relic” after making the controversial remarks.
She said: “The fact that we think it is now quite impossible for people to switch sexuality doesn’t mean that science might not be able to produce an answer at some stage.”
Widdecombe has been labelled “vile” and accused of running a “sick” anti-LGBT campaign by Labour’s Luke Pollard.
He tweeted: “Utterly ashamed to be represented by this vile woman. Being gay isn’t a disease to be cured. Ann Widdecombe is continuing her sick anti-#LGBT campaign.”
Widdecombe was asked about previous comments she had made regarding gay conversion therapy during an interview on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday.
She said: “I also pointed out that there was a time when we thought it was quite impossible for men to become women and vice versa.
“The fact that we now think it is quite impossible for people to switch sexuality doesn’t mean that science may not be able to produce an answer at some stage.”
The fact that we think it is now quite impossible for people to switch sexuality doesn’t mean that science might not be able to produce an answer at some stage
Ann Widdecombe
In 2012, she made similar remarks, saying: “The unhappy homosexual should, according to gay activists, be denied any chance whatever to investigate any possibility of seeing if he can be helped to become heterosexual.”
Asked if she was suggesting there was a possibility that science could find a way to change sexuality, Widdecombe replied: “I don’t know, I don’t know any more other than people once knew whether it was impossible for men to become women.
“I don’t know and I’ve never claimed – and this is where I am misrepresented quite often – I’ve never claimed that such science already exists, I’ve never claimed that.
“I’ve merely said that if you simply rule out the possibility of it, you are denying people who are confused about their sexuality or discontented with it, the chances that you do give to people who want to change gender.
“Now that’s all I’ve said. I do not imagine for one moment that the Brexit Party will be putting forward a policy on gay sex changes in its manifesto.”
FURIOUS BACKLASH
Gay Labour MP Wes Streeting said: “Ann Widdecombe is a relic from a bygone era, whose petty prejudices are out of touch with the vast majority in Britain.
“It’s only a shame that science can’t cure Ann Widdecombe.”
Former Tory MP Nick Boles, now an independent, tweeted: “If only science could produce an answer to the blight of poisonous bigotry that is Ann Widdecombe.”
Labour MP Angela Eagle tweeted: “FGS Back to the future with this pro section 28 relic”.
It’s only a shame that science can’t cure Ann Widdecombe
Wes Streeting MP
Her Labour colleague Jess Phillips added: “Yeah maybe science will pause trying to stop killer diseases, pandemics, climate crisis and changing face of work and robotics to try and solve something that isn’t a problem.
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“Maybe science could try and come up with a cure for bigotry, it would help the world.”
Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle said: “Many people who voted Brexit Party will be rightly disgusted at this latest digging down on homophobia.
“It raises serious questions on Ann Widdecombe’s fitness for office and the vetting the Brexit Party has done on its candidates.”
