A left wing candidate for president of the south eastern city of Kielce has apologised for calling homosexuality “a disease”.

Jan Gierada, the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) candidate in the local elections on 21 November told a public meeting on Tuesday that he is “against gays. ”

When asked his position on sexual minorities, Gierada, who is also the director of the local municipal hospital in Kielce, is reported to have said: “These people should be medically treated because being a gay or lesbian is a disease. I think they should take a lead from the animal world where there is no homosexually. Even goats don’t do that,” said the left wing politician whose party regularly preaches tolerance towards sexual minorities.

Gierada later apologised saying he “never intended to offend the gay community or their representatives”.

He told the RMF radio station that he was only saying that funding for homosexual associations in Kielce could not come from the local government budget.

Gierada is one of seven candidates for president of Kielce. In a recent opinion poll the SLD candidate was in second position with 18 percent support. (pg)