Welsh Secretary, who took interns from ‘gay cure’ event sponsor, says he ‘doesn’t endorse’ cure theology

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Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb, who previously took interns from a religious charity that sponsored an ‘ex-gay’ event, has said he “doesn’t endorse” gay cure therapy.

The Preseli Pembrokeshire MP was appointed as Welsh Secretary in this week’s reshuffle, taking over from David Jones in the role.

Mr Crabb, who voted against same-sex marriage last year, was previously the Parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Wales Office and a government whip.

In 2012, it was revealed that he had taken interns from Christian Action Research and Education (CARE), an organisation which co-sponsored the “Judaeo-Christian” event ‘Sex and the City: Redeeming sex today’.

The £50-a-head conference included talks on “mentoring the sexually broken” from speakers including Jospeh Nicolosi, president of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality and author of books on how to clinically “treat” being gay.

Arthur Goldberg, co-founder of controversial ex-gay group JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality) was another speaker.

The Telegraph reports that while others MPs rushed to distance themselves from the scheme, Mr Crabb has “never spoken publicly about the charity” before.

Speaking to the newspaper today, he said: “I don’t support or endorse any views about ‘gay cure’ theology.”

In April, the government had said it is “strongly against” the practice of ‘gay cure’ therapy, though it has resisted calls to introduce regulations to ban it outright.

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