Gay Briton, Boyfriend Not Welcome, Leader Says
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Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that if a homosexual British Cabinet minister visited Malaysia with his boyfriend, both would be expelled.
In remarks to the BBC, Mahathir explained that he had planned to step down from power a few years ago but could not after he found out that his deputy was gay.
The predominantly Muslim nation in Southeast Asia would not accept a gay leader, he said.
“It’s a difference of values,” he said. “British people accept homosexual ministers, but if they ever come here, bringing their boyfriend along, we’ll throw them out.”
Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed Britain’s first openly gay Cabinet minister, making Chris Smith his culture secretary.
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