LGBT members of the Scottish Labor Party expressed concern after a lobbyist from a conversion therapy organization was nominated to the party in May city council elections.
Kieran Turner is the head of the Scottish public leadership and defense of the Evangelical Alliance, which he describes as “the oldest and largest evangelical unity movement in the UK”.
They have a “traditional orthodox biblical understanding” when it comes to LGBT issues.
“A permanent marriage between a man and a woman is the only relationship that can honor the sacred nature of sexual activity,” they say.
On transgender issues, they say, “transgender identity is a concern as it disrupts the creative order of men and women.”
They also recently published a resource for member churches that talks about “therapeutic interventions” for transgender people. This will be a priority “to help reconcile patients with gender dysphoria, where possible, with their sex of birth.”
Furthermore, the Church affirms, “by seeking the support of those struggling with gender dysphoria, we can resist and oppose forms of transgender ideology that offer alternative and radically secular ideas about what it means to be human.”
LGBT + Labor, the official lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender arm of the Scottish Labor Party, said it expected Turner to support the party’s political positions.
The spokesperson said: “The Scottish Labor Party is an equality party that repeals paragraph 28, introduces civil union and has made clear commitments in its manifesto to reform the law on gender recognition.
“There should be no room for anti-LGBT + discrimination in the Labor Party and we expect all candidates to abide by the party’s code of conduct and rules.”
Former Labor candidate Heather Herbert said she was “sad but not surprised” by the election.
Herbert, who is trans and recently joined the Scottish Green Party, said: “The Labor Party has a tough fighting policy, opposes any form of conversion therapy and supports LGBT + people, and the current MSP’s harvest is outstanding. More supportive than the last group. However, if the party does not have a culture of support for LGBT +, politics is just a discourse on paper ”.
A Scottish Labor MP said: “Every Scottish Labor candidate must remain true to our values, especially in the face of prejudice or hatred.
“The Scottish Labor Party will act on evidence that any candidate does not meet these standards.”
The Evangelical Alliance has offices in London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Belfast and is active in Scottish politics and regularly participates in parliamentary consultations. It has links with Christian politicians from every party.
SNP Finance Secretary Kate Forbes attends the online leaders conference tonight.
One of Mr. Turner’s predecessors was Jeremy Balfour, now MSP Tory.
Mr. Turner did not respond to a request for comment.
During a debate in Holyrood on Wednesday, Labor MSPs were among those who called for the approval of new legislation to end conversion therapy.
Paul O’Cain said the evidence shows that most conversion practices are performed in conditions of faith.
“I’m horrible as a believer and I’m horrible as a gay man,” he said.
He quoted a survivor who testified to MSPs: “I’m not sure I can put enough words into his life. I mean, many times it almost cost me my life because I couldn’t handle who I was, who I was.
“I feel deprived of joy, security, self-esteem, the opportunity to be who I really am and to be, the freedom to explore and live my life.
Earlier this month, the Labor party was targeted after Henry Dunbar, a former world leader of the Orange Order, was elected to North Lanarkshire Council.
Source: Herald Scotland
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