Can politicians have strong religious views?
A caller to Morning Extra last week who said atheists are "damned to hell" and gays are "very sad people" has been exposed as a Borders councillor.
'Ken from Selkirk,' as he described himself, called me to criticise the Glasgow exhibition which encouraged gays and other marginalised groups to write their stories in the margins of a Bible. The Bible eventually had to be enclosed in a glass case after some visitors were found to be writing obscene messages.
Ken was one of many who called me on last Thursday's programme to say this was sacrilege. As well saying "non-believers are damned to hell" he went on to say:
"We have got so-called gays who are really very sad people and we have non-believers and heathens, you know, running the country and running down Christianity."
You can hear the full extract here.
It was only when a journalist identified our caller as SNP councillor Kenneth Gunn that a stushie was kicked up in . Linda Jackson, who we heard on today's programme, has launched an official complaint with Scottish Borders Council. She's chair of Scottish Borders Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Forum and, as a constituent of Councillor Gunn's, thinks he should be representing all his constituents, including those in minority groups.
Opposition politicians have also condemned his comments. Liberal Democrat MSP for Tweedale, Ettrick and Lauderdale Jeremy Purvis said: "It's utterly unacceptable that the offensive comments from an SNP constituency association chairman will not be retracted." And Green MSP Patrick Harvie, a leading gay rights campaigner, branded the affair a "disgrace".
So is a councillor entitled to his private religious beliefs, or is he not fit to represent his constituents?
While initially happy to come on the programme, upon taking "advice from others" Councillor Gunn declined our request for an interview. Instead he emailed me this statement:
"As a Christian I was upset and angry by the content of the art exhibition being discussed in last week's phone in and wished to express my views on that as an individual. In doing so I said things which I regret. As a Christian I believe that we should all work together for a better society in which acceptance, mutual respect and understanding are key - regardless of belief or sexuality. I understand the offence my statements have caused and apologise for that."
Links
(Pink News, 7 Aug)
(Selkirk Weekend Advertiser, 7 Aug)
(Selkirk Weekend Advertiser, 7 Aug)
(Scotsman, 6 Aug)
(Southern Reporter, 6 Aug)
(Southern Reporter, 6 Aug)
(Southern Reporter, 6 Aug)
(Selkirk Weekend Advertiser, 31 Jul)
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