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Jeremy Corbyn does not believe being gay is a choice, a spokesperson for the Labour leader has said.

During a nine minute speech at an LGBT History Month event, he remarked about people who “chose to be gay, they chose to be lesbian”.

It came at the end of the wide ranging talk, in what seemed clear to be a slip of the tongue.

He told an audience of invited guests at his private office: “We’re with you, we’re in solidarity with you,” he said.

“Your triumphs are our triumphs.

“Our defence of you is a defence of all of humanity and the right of people to practise the life they want to practise, rather than be criminalised, brutalised and murdered, simply because they chose to be gay, they chose to be lesbian, they were LGBT in any form.”

A spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn told PinkNews: “Jeremy clearly doesn’t believe that being gay is a choice.

“He obviously meant people should be able to choose how they live their lives.”

Watch the full video from the PinkNews Facebook page below:

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn launches UK LGBT History Month Posted by PinkNews on Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Jeremy Corbyn also revealed how he helped to save a gay community centre from attack by fascists during the speech.

At the PinkNews awards he praised Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron for the passage of same-sex marriage, commenting: “But I say this about him – without any ambiguity – without his tenacity, without his commitment, without his persistence and without a few hundred Labour MPs, equal marriage would not be law in this country today.

“He should rightly be proud of what he achieved because without him leading the way there are people in this room tonight who would not have the same status as heterosexual couples.”.