Transport for London defies UK’s High Court, run pro-gay ads with the Mayor’s approval

Transport for London (TfL), which operates London Underground and the capital’s famous red buses, has defied an order from the UK’s High Court banning the display of advertising by the militant pro-gay group Stonewall.

The gay-lobby originally ran an ad. on London buses that said “Some people are gay, get over it!” To this two groups, Core Issues Trust (CIT) and Anglican Mainstream responded with their own ad. which said “Not Gay! Ex-gay, post-gay and proud. Get over it.” CIT is a group that works with ex-gays. Mayor Boris Johnson, approaching re-election in May 2012, ordered the latter ads. pulled despite their having been approved by the Committee for Advertising Standards and the Advertising Standards Authority. Boris Johnson stated that "London is one of the most tolerant cities in the world and intolerant of intolerance. It is clearly offensive to suggest being gay is an illness someone recovers from and I am not prepared to have that suggestion driven around London on our buses." But Christian groups fought back with CIT, backed by the Christian Legal Centre, taking the matter into the court system. Mrs. Justice Lang said TfL’s decision to allow one advertisement but not the other was “inconsistent and partial”, but the matter is now under appeal as the judge felt the matter was sufficiently important to warrant review.

---

Subsequently the case is being appealed, but before the outcome is known TfL have once again allowed the Stonewall ads to run. A TfL spokesman said “These ads are in line with our advertising policy,” even though they are not in line with the High Court ruling. Apparently the Mayor, who chairs the TfL committee, has been taking lessons from President Obama and has just decided to disregard what the courts say. In the meantime, leftists and anti-Christians at the British Psychodrama Association (BPA) have removed former homosexual Dr Mike Davidson, the head of CIT, from the psychotherapists trainee membership list. Davidson specialises in counselling those who consider themselves troubled by feelings of same-sex attraction as he himself has been in the past. He has counselled without professional objection for six years. The action began following two BBC radio interviews in January 2012, in which he carefully explained his evidence-backed opinions,

The role of Boris Johnson is also very worrying

Meanwhile The Core Issues Trust v Transport for London case will go before the Master of the Rolls on 9 and/or 10 December 2013. Andrea Minichiello Williams, Director the Christian Legal Centre, in reaction to the initial judgment in March 2013 had said:

“According to the judgment, adverts placed by Stonewall and the British Humanist Association were in breach of TfL’s own guidelines. Yet they were allowed to run, even though they proved to be highly controversial at the time. Then, as soon as a Christian group responded to Stonewall’s provocation and dared to challenge the reigning political orthodoxy, the message was banned by the Mayor's Transport Authority. This case vividly exposes the huge asymmetry and censorship that characterises public debate at the moment, especially around sexual ethics. The message that some people are ‘Ex-Gay’ should not be considered offensive or controversial. Some people choose not to act on same-sex attraction. They should not be ostracised for doing so but helped. Mike Davidson and Core Issues Trust simply want to offer such help to those who experience same-sex attraction but would prefer to change that. The role of Boris Johnson is also very worrying. If further evidence comes to light that he was not only abusing his position in light of the Mayoral election but also seeking to cover it up, then the political implications could be huge.”

However more recently Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, responded: “It does seem a tragedy that these people who make so much noise about being Christian don’t spend a little more of their money on tackling polio or Third World poverty but a lot of money on slightly frivolous legal actions.” Which is of course the typical snarky comment you expect from radical lefties, I wonder how much money he sends to the third world or if he just believes in taxing the wealthy to do it. So battle lines are drawn for December. One thing is for certain and that is that Stonewall and the militant gay-lobby are not backing down. They have already indicated their willingness to move in the highest levels of government to influence policy in the direction they choose. Stonewall employs 60 people and raises £4 million a year with 25% of that coming from American sources. The organization has been shown to use aggressive surveying to manipulate public opinion and has demonstrated its willingness to bend the truth and exaggerate situations. Defeat in court for Stonewall in December will be used as a catalyst for fundraising to take on the ‘evil’ Christians (there’s an oxymoron). If they receive a favourable ruling this time around it is conceivable they will move to de-legitimize their legal opponents in the arena of public opinion. There is no interest in radical leftists from winning the debate, only in silencing those that disagree with them..