Boris Johnson defends decision to ban Christian advert - The Guardian

Boris Johnson has said that he feared that there would have been an "intense backlash" if he had allowed a Christian advertising campaign promoting the idea that gay people can be converted to heterosexuality to be plastered on London's buses.

The Conservative mayor, who is standing for re-election in May, talked about his decision to block the posters days before they were due to appear on buses in the capital as he took part in a mayoral debate jointly organised by London Church Leaders, Faith to Engage, and the Evangelical Alliance.

He said that he made his decision not only because he thought an advert which suggested that gay people could be cured was likely to cause "great offence", but also because of the possible reverberations for London's Christian community.

"The job of mayor is to unite, the job is to stop prejudice, and actually the backlash would be so intense it would not have been in the interest of Christian people in this city," he said.

The advert was due to say "Not gay! Post-gay, ex-gay and proud. Get over it!" and was booked on behalf of the Core Issues Trust whose leader, Mike Davidson, believes "homoerotic behaviour is sinful."

Ken Livingstone told the audience that the advert would only have served to reinforce prejudice.

"In my view Boris was right to pull them" said Livingstone.

Mayoral candidates were also asked whether they believed London churches should bless civil partnerships, to which the two lead candidates and fellow contenders Jenny Jones, for the Green party, and Brian Paddick, for the Liberal Democrats, agreed that it should be a matter for churches to decide.

Livingstone, who set up Britain's first register for same-sex couples in 2001, told the audience: "I don't think the state should be regulating your faiths, as long as you're letting other people live their lives as they please."

Paddick said religious ceremonies were a matter "entirely for the church community to decide on", whereas it was for the state to decide on civil partnerships and marriage.

"The two should be kept entirely separate, whether you are talking blessings of partnership or whether you are talking about gay marriage."