A man from Northern Ireland is planning to take legal action
against London Mayor Boris Johnson - because he blocked an 'ex-gay'
bus campaign.
As reported on PinkPaper.com, Johnson personally thwarted
the ad - booked on behalf of the Core Issues Trust and Anglican
Mainstream - which promoted the idea that conversion therapy was
effective in making people heterosexual.
The advert was a parody of the Stonewall posters 'Some People
Are Gay. Get Over It!', which currently appear on public transport
vehicles across the capital.
Featuring the same colour-scheme and font, the advert was due to
say: "Not gay! Post-gay, ex-gay and proud. Get over it!"
At the time, Johnson told The Guardian: "London is one of the
most tolerant cities in the world and intolerant of intolerance. It
is clearly offensive to suggest that being gay is an illness that
someone recovers from and I am not prepared to have that suggestion
driven
around London on our buses."
But now Dr Mike Davidson, who runs Core Issues, has
confirmed that he and Anglican Mainstream will pursue the matter
through the courts.
"We have decided we will be taking legal action," he told the
Belfast Newsletter. "We believe our freedom of speech has been
interfered with and there was a contract in place which appears to
have been broken. We have chosen our legal team and are looking at
our strategy.
"The adverts were intended to reflect my own journey out of
homosexuality. I am very disappointed that Boris Johnson did not
have a broader vision for diversity in the nation. Sexuality is
much more nuanced than simply dividing people up into gay and
straight.
"Gay men and women need to be valued and respected for who they
are. But the same respect also needs to be given to those of us who
have chosen other directions."
Dr Davidson, who told his life story in an in-depth interview
with the Sunday Telegraph at the weekend, claims he taught himself
to become straight.
He is now married to a woman.
Dr Davidson added: "Not even the gay community is agreed that
homosexuality is innate and immutable."
