UKIP leadership candidate: Personally I want to ban same-sex marriage

A UKIP leadership candidate has said that he personally supports a change in the law to outlaw same-sex marriage in England and Wales.

The comment comes from John Rees-Evans, who is one of the eleven candidates who have put their name forward to replace Paul Nuttall as head of the pro-Brexit UK Independence Party.

Answering a survey from a group of ultra-conservative UKIP supporters known as ‘Support 4 the Family’, Mr Rees-Evans said he “personally” wants to ban equal marriage.

The decision would have a chilling effect on the thousands of same-sex couples who have already tied the knot in the country since the first weddings were allowed in 2014.

Asked about re-banning same-sex marriage, Mr Rees-Evans said: “We first need to make the argument to our membership and seek their consent for this stance. I would press for this personally, but S4TF need to assist in the work of presenting compelling evidence to our members.”

Mr Rees-Evans also called for sex education in schools to be “limited to the biology involved in reproduction”, effectively outlawing gay-inclusive sex ed lessons.

He said: “Sexual health should be taught in the context of lessons about human health and disease. Further, that chastity, fidelity in relationships and marriage are all as a matter of undisputed fact, preservatives against the spread of STV’s [sic] and unwanted pregnancies.”

He added: “The Schools Inspectorate should have an ethos of respect for Christian, Jewish and Muslim Faith Schools if they have a traditional sexual ethics syllabus.”

Meanwhile, the candidate insisted that he “rejects the notion sexual orientation is fixed at birth”.

He said: “LGBT campaigns ought to be cautious about professing ‘gender-fluidity’ while at the same time professing sexuality is absolutely fixed, as this is clearly a contradiction in terms.”

The candidate described homosexuality as “a lifestyle which I may consider contrary to my understanding of God’s perfect standards”, but insisted, “as an old fashioned Anglican I believe the whole Bible and that God hates all sins, including those that I commit.”

Mr Rees-Evans is best known for claiming that a “homosexual donkey” tried to rape his horse.

The outspoken activist made the claim in 2014, when he was challenged to condemn UKIP Oxford chair Dr Julia Gasper’s claims that homosexuals prefer sex with animals.

Mr Rees-Evans insisted: “Actually I’ve witnessed that. I was personally quite amazed.

“I’ve got a horse, it was in the fields, and a donkey came up – my horse is a stallion.

“A donkey came up which is male, and I’m afraid tried to rape my horse.

“My horse bit the side of the donkey, and I had to give my horse a slap to protect the donkey.”

Rees-Evans ran for UKIP leader during the last election, nine months ago.

He came last with just 2775 votes.

During the race, Mr Rees-Evans insisted that homophobic views should be “entirely acceptable” within UKIP.

Speaking about UKIP candidate Alan Craig, who has attacked the “Nazi expansionist ambitions” of the “gay-rights storm troopers” and compared same-sex adoption to “child trafficking”, Mr Rees-Evans insisted his views were not unacceptable.

He said: “It is entirely acceptable for a UKIP candidate to have any views that he likes.

“He’s not homophobic, what he’s saying is that the LGBT militant wing, not people who happen to be gay or lesbian, but people who go and protest against Christians’ rights, these people are militants.”

He added: “It’s interesting, because my campaign manager, who happens to identify himself as gay, would say pretty much the same thing. He very much opposes this militant attitude that a lot of the LGBT, you know…”

Asked if racist views would be accepted, Mr Rees-Evans continued: “I’d need you to define what you mean by racist.”

PinkNews broke the news last week that David Kurten, an elected member of the London Assembly and a candidate for UKIP leader, had made comments linking homosexuality to childhood sexual abuse.

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