Christian politician vindicated after having life 'torn apart' for anti-Pride post
A Christian politician in the United Kingdom has been vindicated after allegations of homophobia led him to being suspended from his own local Conservative Party, and being canceled by several different organizations.
King Lawal, a councillor at North Northamptonshire Unitary Council in England, recently found out he was cleared of wrongdoing after being subject to a months-long investigation for objecting to LGBTQ Pride parades in a post on X last July.
"I'll say, Christians will be more — particularly around what's happened to me — more hesitant, more reluctant to say things because they don't want the turmoil that I had to go through. However, my advice would be — don't fear the mob," he said while reflecting on the experience to Fox News Digital.
The trouble started last summer after he responded to a post from conservative commentator Calvin Robinson sharing obscene images of men parading in front of minors at a Pride event.
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UK Conservative Party councillor King Lawal had his life turned upside down after quoting the Bible in a social media post against Pride parades. (Christian Concern/Getty)
"When did Pride become a thing to celebrate?" Lawal wrote on X. "Because of Pride Satan fell as an [archangel]. Pride is not a virtue but a Sin. Those who have Pride should repent of their sins and return to Jesus Christ. He can save you."
The post led to Lawal's life being "torn apart," according to the UK-based Christian Legal Centre (CLC).
Lawal was suspended and subject to a four-month-long investigation after complaints were raised against him. He was even reportedly warned of a potential police investigation into the matter.
Lawal was also forced to resign from his own business or face losing a substantial contract.
"That's when I was very, very concerned because, I didn't expect it to affect my own business," he said.
After pursuing legal action, Lawal was reinstated to his position on the local council during a meeting last October. He was just recently informed that the investigation against him concluded and found his religious posts were not "homophobic."
"The panel recognizes that [Cllr Lawal’s] posts are a representation of his religious beliefs, which he is free and entitled to hold," the decision reportedly read. "Accordingly, the posts, whilst they may be offensive to some, would on balance not be considered by a reasonable and fair-minded observer to be discriminatory or homophobic per se."
Lawal celebrated the decision as a "mini-victory" but said his reinstatement didn't come without its own challenges.
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UK Conservative Party politician King Lawal sent a post on X in July 2023 criticizing LGBTQ Pride as against the Bible. ((Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images))
At that meeting, members of the Labour Party stood up wearing rainbow sashes while he was speaking in an effort to intimidate him, he recalled. During another meeting where he was reinstated to his chair position on a health committee, a member of the opposing party called him a "bigot" and resigned on the spot, he said.
Despite getting his political position back, Lawal still faced immense consequences for defending his beliefs.
He was forced to resign from his position as trustee at Groundwork Northampton, which helps children get access to green spaces. He was also suspended as an academy council member for Weavers Academy, which is a school in Willingsborough for children ages 11 to 18.
He said he was also removed from his position as a governor of Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (NHFT), and barred from meeting with constituents at a local library.
Lawal believes there's "absolutely" growing hostility towards Christians, particularly in the United Kingdom, for sharing their beliefs.
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Lawal told Fox News Digital that while religious freedom is guaranteed under UK law, many in his country are "absolutely" becoming more hostile to traditional Christian beliefs. (Christian Concern)
"There is absolutely, hostility against Christians. I think Christians around the world and definitely the UK, are among the most persecuted in terms of we cannot share our views otherwise it's deemed as hateful, and discriminatory," he said.
"I believe it has increased, over the last few years, in terms of what Christians can or cannot say, and I can't see it getting any better," he continued.
Despite what happened to him, Lawal was encouraged to receive messages of support from people across the globe.
"I got a wide range of support from all over the world, which was very heartwarming to me. To be fair, I did not expect such a reception [or] support. People [from] Canada, from Australia, from America, from places in Africa, from Ireland and of course the UK, were reporting in letters, emails, calls —from everyone," he said.
"It was wonderful to know that a lot of people share my views, share my convictions," he said.
Even more people voiced support for his freedom to express his beliefs without fear of retribution, he recalled.
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The UK politician is encouraging fellow Christians to not be afraid of cancel culture.
"I'll say Christians will be more, particularly around what's happened with me, more hesitant, more reluctant to say things because they don't want the turmoil that I had to go through. However, my advice would be — don't fear the mob, continue to push forward and stand on your faith and in your faith and on Biblical truth, because the truth is the truth. And the Bible says the truth will set you free. And, I wouldn't want people to be discouraged just because of what's happened to me, to not speak out and stand on their convictions," he urged.
Fox News' Jon Brown contributed to this report.
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