Homophobic Bus Advert Blocked

In another fine example of the Church spreading ''Gods love'', TFL (Transport for London) have pulled an advert that was due to run from Monday and is clearly homophobic. It read "Not gay! Ex-gay, post-gay and proud. Get over it!"

The advert by 'Core issues Trust' whose leader, Mike Davidson believes "homoerotic behavior is sinful" and 'Anglican Mainstream' whose supporters have linked homosexuality with alcoholism, had booked it to run for two weeks on five different London bus routes, with vehicles passing through Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.

The campaign was a reworking of a similar advert that was run by Stonewall (the LGBT rights group) in 2007 that read ''Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!" The Christian groups used the same colour scheme as Stonewall and accuses Stonewall of promoting the "false idea that there is indisputable scientific evidence that people are born gay."

'Core issues Trust' fund "reparative therapy" for homosexuals that want to be cured. Mike Davidson, the trust's co-director said;

''I did not realise censorship was in place. We went through the correct channels and we were encouraged by the bus company to go through their procedures. They okayed it and now it has been pulled."

The Rev Lynda Rose, a spokesperson for the UK branch of Anglican Mainstream said;

''Homosexuals are not being fully the people God intended us to be." and "Reparative therapy works to help men, who want to change their sexual orientation, naturally dissipate their homoerotic feelings and maximise their heterosexual potential,"

TFL said the adverts did not reflect a "tolerant and inclusive" London. But its a shame they didn't realise that when they ''okayed'' the advert initially.

Stonewall's spokesman Andy Wasley said: "It is fantastic that no adverts will be promoting voodoo, gay-cure therapy in London." The charities chief executive said the adverts were clearly homophobic and added;

"The only reason some gay people might want to stop being gay is because of the prejudice of the people who are publishing the ad.''

Mayor of London Boris Johnson also commented on the situation;

"It is clearly offensive to suggest that being gay is an illness that someone recovers from and I am not prepared to have that suggestion driven around London on our buses."

Its amazing that in 2012, church groups still insist on provoking a reaction in this way. They must know the offense the advert will cause and how little it will actually help the ''cause'' they so blindly believe in. The Advertising Standards Authority's code that governs all advertising in the UK states ''an advertisement must not contain content that is likely to cause serious or widespread offense. Particular care must be taken to avoid causing offense on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age" So that means that if they received any complaints about the advert, they would have had grounds to pull it anyway. Its bewildering that TFL didn't see that when they were first approached by the church groups.