Rabbi and councillor Alan Plancey, who is the mayor of Herefordshire town, Hertsmere, has been accused of being anti-LGBTQ+ after a 2014 interview resurfaced where he suggested queer people should be ‘quieter’ about their identity.
He was appointed mayor on November 18 2020, after the death of previous mayor, councillor Cynthia Barker. However, some have already suggested he resign due to his controversial views on the LGBTQ+ community which he expressed in an interview with Jewish News, where he argued: “[LGBTQ+ people] would get more acceptance and more love if [they express themselves] quietly and unobtrusively”.He insisted he believed in equality, but did not agree with ‘demonstrations’.