Devon MP Sir Nick Harvey condemns ‘gays will destroy society’ columnist

Lib Dem MP Sir Nick Harvey has condemned an “offensive” article which claimed gays will cause the collapse of civilisation.

The remarks were made this month in the South Molton News, by an anonymous columnist known as ‘Grave Turner’.

In the column, he claimed that homosexuality is an “aberration”, and that it is “worth recalling” that homosexuality used to be criminalised.

Former Defence Minister Sir Nick Harvey – the MP for the North Devon constituency which South Molton is part of – condemned the “offensive” remarks.

He told PinkNews: “We can’t stop people from having these sorts of views, but they ought to be brave enough to put their name to it.

“It’s probably true that these views are held by a section of society, but [the columnist] need to understand it’s not acceptable.

“I understand the police have been in contact with the editor of the publication. and I hope the matter is dealt with effectively.”

South Molton News editor Paul Henderson said of the article’s mysterious author: “It is common practice for local, regional and national papers to run columnist under a ‘nom de plume’.

“The writer is of advancing years and is extremely well educated, has been known to me for close to twenty years and is not from this area.”

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