'Your water is changing your sexuality' says Lib Dem candidate
A Liberal Democrat candidate has suggested that drinking water with plastic residue in it can turn people gay.
Susan King, who is standing in the west Midlands seat of Telford, said that "feminising hormones" are in the water supply, and can change sexuality.
She was asked about Tim Farron's prolonged inability to answer whether having gay sex was a sin in a live webchat with the Shropshire Star.
The Liberal Democrat then espoused her views about polluted water and sexuality.
She said: "I do feel environmental influences are affecting reproduction. All the pollution is having an effect on our DNA and our population is changing and evolving."
She added: "There are a lot of feminising hormones getting into the environment and that has to be taken into consideration.
"It's affecting people's sexuality basically. People are at liberty to interpret how they want to live themselves.
"Phthalates, the chemicals used in making plastics, children's toys are affected. Everything that's getting into the environment is disrupting the way industrialisation has changed our living conditions, residues of all sorts of feminising hormones in the water supply from pharmaceutical etc which is affecting gender of fish stock etc."
In 2015, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron was criticised for a tweet from his account saying words to this effect.
His account was responding to a tweet from the British Humanist Association, who shared findings that “huge proportions” of health workers in the UK believe homosexuality is ‘curable’.
A tweet from Mr Farron’s account wrote: “they can be, most sexual disorientation is caused by chemical leaching..check out the fish and frogs.”
He claimed he did not compose the tweet and that he was hacked.
The Labour candidate for the constituency condemned Mrs King's remarks.
Kuldip Sahota told Pink News he was “horrified and saddened” that King had made “these harmful comments about people’s sexuality.
“To suggest that our water supply is affecting people’s sexuality is absolutely unacceptable,” he said.
“This is a damaging statement and I strongly condemn these comments.
“This is not the first time the Lib Dems have been out of touch on LGBT issues. The Lib Dems have clearly chosen an out of touch candidate who’s basic understanding is both warped and harmful.
“She should apologise immediately."
The Lib Dem candidate also said she finds it "difficult" to decide what to believe on abortion because of her "strong Christian" views.
Mrs King was asked whether Tim Farron's points of view “chime with liberal values,” she brought up the issue of abortion.
“I have strong Christian views myself,” she said, “and I would find it difficult to make that decision."
A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: ""These remarks were wrong and do not reflect party policy or accepted science.
"A post-election candidate review will occur following polling day where her eligibility to stand for the party in future elections will be reviewed."
Susan King, PPC for Telford said: "I am sorry for any offence caused by my comments to the LGBT+ community. This was not my intention. The Liberal Democrats have a strong record of upholding LGBT+ rights, which I fully support."
