Senior Labour figures have become embroiled in a bizarre gender policy row over whether male giraffes are naturally gay.

The controversy began when Dawn Butler, Labour’s shadow secretary for women and equalities, gave a speech at the Pink News awards defending the teaching of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in schools.

She cited giraffes’ gay behaviour as evidence of how ridiculous the concept was that children could be taught to be gay through lessons on LGBT issues.

She said: “They talk about teaching people or children to be gay, so I want to know this. If you can teach gayness, then who speaks giraffe? 90 per cent of giraffes are gay. So who the hell speaks giraffe, what does that sound like?

“You can’t teach it, and it’s not a disease either. Being who you are and your true, authentic self is not a disease. Let’s just accept people for who they are and live as our true, authentic selves.”

Her comments, however, provoked criticism from Lachlan Stuart, Jeremy Corbyn’s senior adviser on domestic policy, who tweeted citing scientific papers that challenge Ms Butler’s claim.

Claiming that giraffes were his favourite animal, he was the way they behaved with each other was “not gay behaviour” because there was no romance, courtship, affection or pair bonding.