LONDON MAYOR BLOCKS EX-GAY BUS ADS

London transport officials have blocked an ad campaign that sought to affirm the ex-gay movement, which promotes the idea that homosexuality can be “cured”, either through therapy or prayer.

The ads, which read “Not gay! Post-gay, ex-gay and proud. Get over it,” were set to be placed on the city’s iconic buses from Monday for a two week period.

The advertising was booked by Core Issues, which describes itself as “a non-profit Christian initiative seeking to support men and women with homosexual issues who voluntarily seek change in sexual preference and expression.”

The campaign was in reaction to British gay group Stonewall’s famous “Some people are gay. Get over it” campaign which appears on some 1,000 buses in the capital.

The anti-gay ads were pulled after London Mayor Boris Johnson, who chairs Transport for London, intervened.

“London is one of the most tolerant cities in the world and intolerant of intolerance,” Johnson commented on Thursday.

“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.”

Core Issues slammed the move, describing it as censorship. Co-director Mike Davidson was quoted by the BBC as saying: “Our concern is that the debate has been shut down.”

“I think it is very important to raise the fact there are people in this country who want to live beyond gay, they have experienced gayness, and have set themselves other goals,” he said.

The idea that homosexuality can be “cured” has been rejected by mainstream scientific and medical organisations, including the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the Psychological Society of South Africa.

These organisations have also warned that attempts to do so may actually cause harm.