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Union J’s Jaymi Hensley has joined LGBT rights activist Philip Christopher Baldwin in condemning the recent comments made by Winston McKenzie on Celebrity Big Brother 17.
As well as refusing to share a bed with another man in the House, Winston also said, ‘I could cope with a homosexual in the house – I guess I’ll just have to stand with my back against a brick wall all the time.’
Jaymi, speaking about Winston’s comments, said to Vada Magazine, ‘I don’t think I have ever felt like this about someone! I am so disgusted that a human being like this exists! With clearly no respect for women the way he is letching over Tiffany and Nancy and his disgraceful comments about gay people and his blatant homophobia! If he thinks he stands the slightest chance of ever becoming mayor of London he is sorely mistaken! Wake up darling!’
Meanwhile, LGBT campaigner Philip Christopher Baldwin said, ‘I was startled by Winston McKenzie’s homophobic remarks in his Celebrity Big Brother entry video, which was aired on Tuesday’s show.
‘These remarks are outrageous. They are dismissive, trivialising gay men by describing them as an irritation. At the same time Winston suggests that gay men are predatory. His stereotyping is outdated and irrelevant. Winston’s language of prejudice is homophobia. I’m surprised that Channel 5 decided to air the comments.
‘CBB perhaps wanted the public to savour this embarrassing moment. Winston has a reputation for courting controversy with insensitive remarks though. His bid to become an MP for UKIP in the Croydon North by-election of 2012 was preceded by a series of offensive statements on gay adoption. Winston subsequently reinforced the unpleasantness with additional vitriolic hatred in an interview on ITV’s This Morning. This puts the homophobic outburst in the CBB entry video into context.’
He continued, ‘We are fortunate to live in a tolerant society, which Winston seems at odds with. Following booing as Winston entered the CBB house, there has been a reassuring public backlash and hopefully he will be evicted tonight. Numerous complaints have been made to Ofcom about his homophobic language and there is further controversy surrounding Winston’s opinions on immigration.
‘It will be interesting to see how the regulator acts. The public may find further ways to penalise him. Hopefully Winston Mckenzie’s reputation will be savaged and he will not thrive on the negative publicity.’
Complaints about Winston McKenzie have numbered in the hundreds, according to The Mirror.
