A Democratic candidate for the New York
Senate has pledged to remove images of gay and lesbian couples in
school textbooks.
According to the
Daily
News, S.J. Jung made the remarks during a speech in March.
Jung was speaking to a group made up primarily of Korean churches.
Speaking in Korean, Jung pledged to
support legislation sought by the religious community and asked for
the group's prayers.
“I pray Jesus Christ's love to spread
and his message speak through this election and your prayers of faith
to make me become a warrior clad in armor,” he reportedly said.
When asked about the remarks, Jung did
not deny that he had raised the issue, adding that he believes “in
the Bible's teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman.”
“As a nation, we must protect the
rights and freedoms of all, regardless of their views on this
matter,” Jung told the Daily News.
Jung is challenging incumbent Senator
Toby Ann Stavisky in the September 13 Democratic primary. Stavisky,
who defeated Jung in the 2014 Democratic primary, voted in favor of
the New York bill that reformed the state's marriage laws to include
gay and lesbian couples.
New York Councilman Daniel Dromm, who
is openly gay, criticized the remarks.
“He is ignoring reality; same-sex
couples exist,” Dromm told the paper. “Children see them. They
know about them. They should be taught about them. What is he going
to do, continue to deny reality? We're everywhere.”