British lawmaker defends anti-gay comments

A British Nigerian lawmaker defended her anti-gay comments that sparked a major backlash.

Harrow City Councilor Chika Amadi has been neck-deep in controversy after making the comments on Facebook and Twitter in which she described Toronto Pride marchers as “pedophiles.” She resigned from the UK Labor Party earlier this month after it suspended her.

iHarrow.com, a local online medium, contacted Amadi and asked her for more information on her homophobic remarks. Below is a portion of the unedited statement that Amadi sent on Aug. 8.

I wish to say that as a person I treat every human being with respect and have no misgivings against anyone. I have represented all Harrow constituents fairly, impartially and respectfully since 2014. It is unfortunate that my tweets were misinterpreted, taken out of context and misconstrued while I was Vilified, bullied, intimidated, demonised and abused by innumerable people for expressing my thoughts. For all intents and purposes my tweet was highlighting the fact that adults walking naked (for whatever purpose) in the full glare of children especially where that child is distressed is abhorrent (and not necessarily the parade itself) just as if teachers or councillors or workers should display nudity before children without prior warning and safeguarding them, it will end in jail term. I never mentioned or attacked the LGBT community not even once as it has been made out for which I have been vilified, demonised and called Homophobic. I am not homophobic. I am a tolerant person and I love people as well as helping people. If walking naked before children is now okay and acceptable in the UK, I am afraid The UK has then lost its high moral ground to condemn Saudi Arabia for the abhorrent way they treat females as this incidence clearly shows that the UK society treat female children even worst than Saudi Arabia who I guess will not expose young girls in the public. This to me shows that having the watershed over the media is laughable if it is alright for children to be able to see this type of actions practically. My tweets were far from homophobic rather I feel strongly that matured adults parading naked in front of a child without any safeguards in any capacity is offensive and distasteful in this century and in a modern society. Worse still, parents deliberately exposing their children to traumatic sights must be frowned. Children should be allowed to enjoy their childhood until they are able to make informed choices.

As a black Woman, when I saw that little traumatised girl trying so hard to cover her face and as a black British woman I was traumatised as well. I could put myself in her shoes growing up in Nigeria to see a black male in a parade naked.

On refection though, I think perhaps I would be more careful in my choice of words when re-acting to similar issue in the future and I do apologise for any unintended offence caused. But, nonetheless, this does not negative the substance of my complaint in relation to the distress that the action and public display of nudity caused to some young innocent children during the parade. I thought and still strongly feel that the behavior of a small element of the LGBT participating in the parade was deplorable and the protection of children and putting in place safeguards must always be paramount and I think I was right to point it out.

Amadi in her statement to iHarrow.com also criticized the Labor Party.

I am rather shocked and extremely disappointed that as soon as someone makes a flimsy allegation against a particular section of the Labour Party, it becomes convenient for the Labour hierarchy to quickly consider suspension or even dismissing that person from the Party. How I wish same principle is consistently applied to all cross sections of the Party and or membership. But that has not always been the case. This is rather hypocritical and extremely worrying! This negates the parties rule around social media suspension that I am right to criticise my suspension in a way because the Labour Party has a rule regarding suspension over social media posts.

It seems some animals are more equal than others. Does the Labour Party react same way for all members with protected characteristics as the LGBT, certainly not! This is clearly unfair. I thought one is always innocent until proven guilty. I thought the Labour Party stands for equality, fairness and social justice. Or is it just in phrases and slogans? Clearly, the way the Party has responded and overreacted to this allegation by my immediate suspension before any formal investigation is completely unfair. Did it ever occur to the Labour Party management that it might be politically motivated with some vested interest? If the Labour Party had always reacted same way whenever a member of the Black and Minority Ethnic was at the receiving end, I could have been more sympathetic to why the Party had to react that way. Those who initiated my suspension clearly knew what they were doing. How I wish the Labour Party General Secretary is so swift to act when other members of the Labour Party with different protected
characteristics are vilified and abused by others. This is another example of hypocrisy and over-reaction from the Party. Is this what Labour Party calls fairness?

Amadi’s full statement to iHarrow.com is here.

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