Livingstone: I’m not gay but have 5 children with 3 women - from Pink News - all the latest gay news from the gay community

Livingstone: I'm not gay but have 5 children with 3 women

By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk • April 3, 2008 - 18:45

Ken Livingstone is fighting for his political future

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Ken Livingstone says he's not gay but has fathered five children with three different women

As well as his two young children with his current partner Emma Beale, Mr Livingstone has three children from previous relationships. He fathered two daughters by one woman and a son with another,

He told the BBC: "I don't talk about my private life; it seems like only yesterday the press was trying to imply I was gay.

"I have never discussed my private life because it is not a relevant factor."

"I don't think anybody in this city will be shocked by what two consenting adults do, as long as you don't include children, animals and vegetables."

Mr Livingstone added: "Journalists have been looking into my private life for 40 years. We've had occasions when they have broken into my bank account, which is a criminal offence. No one has ever found anything in my private life that was illegal or immoral"

"There is a difference between private and secret. There is nothing in my private life that is not known to my partner, family or my close friends."

In 2006, Mr Livingstone discussed homosexuality at his school with PinkNews.co.uk: "In my school of two thousand boys, roughly a third, maybe a half of them, whilst never thinking of themselves as gay, engaged in sexual acts with other boys. We had no idea that what we were doing was anything other than 'naughty' and something that our teachers frowned upon."

He added: "It was mainly driven by the fact that we weren't having sex. I grew up in a world where the average man didn't loose his virginity until he was 19 and the average woman until they were 21. Many not until the night of their marriage, only after a whole day of eating and drinking, when you're hardly going to get the best results! My generation has been wholly envious of the generations that followed in relation to sex."

Incumbent Mayor and Labour candidate Ken Livingstone, Conservative Boris Johnson, Mr Paddick, the Green party's Sian Berry and Respect - The Left list candidate Lindsey German will all speak and answer questions at the event at BFI Southbank on Saturday 19th April.

PinkNews.co.uk is proud to be Stonewall's media partner for the hustings, which will be held at the between 11am and 12.30pm.

The event is open to everyone, but in order to ensure a seat you must register here.

Full list of candidates for Mayor of London:

Richard Barnbrook

British National Party

Gerard Batten

UK Independence Party

Siân Berry

Green Party

Alan Craig

Christian Peoples Alliance and Christian Party

Lindsey German