Tory candidate defends ties to gay ‘cure’ group
A Tory candidate says she āstands byā her decision to accept an intern from a Christian group that advocates gay ācureā therapy.
Caroline Ansel was elected MP for Eastbourne in 2015 and is currently fighting for re-election.
The candidate came under scrutiny this week after a report on Buzzfeed exposed her ties to Christian Action Research and Education (CARE), an anti-LGBT evangelical organisation which has advocated for āgay cureā therapy.
Though other senior Conservatives have previously disavowed their ties to CARE, Ms Ansell accepted an intern from the group as recently as September 2016.
The candidate insists she does not believe in gay ācuresā, but is equally defensive of her ties to CARE.
Taking to her Facebook, Ms Ansell branded the reports āfake newsā.
She wrote: āI do not think gay people can be cured and never have. I am tolerant of everyone and their beliefs, sexual orientation, colour and creed.
āThe article is fake news, it tries to link me to CARE for political reasons.
āI have a CARE intern because she was the best candidate after I interviewed.
āTo have not given her a job because she is religious is discrimination and I stand by my decision.ā
She added: āPlease note, this so-called article offers no evidence I believe gay people can be cured or I have taken part in such activities and thatās because there isnāt any.ā
Challenged by local residents, she said: āI would never vote to directly disadvantage the LGBT community. I would not vote to repeal any legislation.
āCARE has no influence over my work in Parliament. I do not receive favour or benefit from them.
āI have already given you my reasons for employing my intern.ā
In 2012, CARE attracted protests over a London conference geared at religious ways to cure people āstruggling with unwanted SSA (same-sex attraction)ā.
According to the organisers, the conference was āideal for clergy, rabbis, psychologists, therapists, educators and others concerned about the plethora of sexual issues confronting us in todayās society, including mentoring the sexually brokenā.
CARE had ties to Joseph Nicolosi PhD of the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) an infamous US-based gay cure group.
Just last month a Tory MP was forced out on the Isle of Wight after allegedly telling school kids that being gay is ādangerous to societyā.
