John Sullivan, a UK councillor candidate congratulated Russia on banning gay Pride marches and claimed regular exercise in schools can prevent homosexuality.

In a series of Facebook posts, Sullivan, who is a member of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) likened gay activists to termites and stated that feminism is evil and being gay is even worse.

Sullivan is standing for local elections on 2 May, to win a seat as a councillor for the Forest of Dean area in Gloucestershire’s County Council, in western England, UK.

In a series of posts on the far right anti-gay Traditional Britain Group Facebook group Sullivan expressed anti-gay views, revealed Colin Cortbus, an anti-extremist campaigner and a Gay Star News reader.

In one post Sullivan suggested regular physical exercise prevents children from becoming gay.

He recommended Victorian style regular physical exercise be reinstated in schools as it apparently causes releases of tension which prevents homosexuality.

Gay Star News readers thought Sullivan’s ideas were hilariously bad: ‘Has he never seen a gaggle of gym-bunnies?’, read one comment.

One reader stated: ‘Regular exercise made me even gayer!!’

‘Not in my gym…’, said another.

Sullivan also congratulated Russia for banning gay Pride and saying: ‘Well done the Russians’.

Reacting to Sullivan’s recommendations, Nikolay Alexeyev, co-founder of Moscow Pride and Gay Russia, told GSN: ‘Unfortunately Sullivan was born in the wrong country (and century).

‘I’d advise him to ask Putin for a Russian citizenship, he would make an excellent member of United Russia and his views on promoting hatred would be far better received.

‘Putin would very likely personally take a liking to him and congratulate him on his views.’

Sullivan also went on to call gay marriage supporters ‘termites’ mockingly reacting to an article on Conservative party members supporting marriage equality.

His antagonism doesn’t stop there, he also claimed feminism is evil, suggesting that homosexuality is even worse (saying ‘it doesn’t go there’).

When it comes to education, Sullivan has some novel suggestions: the best way to rear children is to handle them in a similar way to dogs, who learn that with obedience comes trust.

Sullivan recommended this method (which he said he tried and tested on his own children) be adopted by UK educational establishments.

Gay Star News contacted UKIP’s Forest of Dean and West Gloucestershire Branch for comments but has received none to the date of the article’s publication.

UKIP has recently come under fire for some of its members expressing anti-gay views

Nigel Farage, UKIP’s leader, called upon Conservative party members to defect to his party over the government’s pro gay marriage stance.

While, Olly Neville, the former chairman of UKIP’s Young Independent wing, was recently fired from his position for backing marriage equality.

Winston McKenzie, a UKIP unsuccessful MP candidate previously said gay adoption is like throwing kids to the ‘dogs’.

Former UKIP chair, Dr Julia Gasper, was forced to resign when said gays are more likely to abuse children, branding LGBT rights activists as a ‘lunatics’ and claimed some gays prefer sex with animals.

Cortbus, who exposed Gasper and led to her eventual resignation, told GSN: ‘party-members and candidates like Sullivan evidence the dangers of UKIP’s politics’.