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Kent contends party riding officials in Oxford booted him from the nomination race because of his sexual orientation, an allegation both the riding president and now the party’s top spokesperson deny.

“There are other reasons why he was kicked out, but being gay has nothing to do with it,” party spokesperson Martin Masse wrote in an email Wednesday in which he was not more specific.

Masse said he himself is gay and the party has other gay candidates and riding executives.

“We approved his candidacy knowing he was gay,” he said of Kent, calling the issue “a bogus story alleging that the PPC is homophobic” and added “I or Max (the party leader) have nothing else to say about this story.”

Kent said he’s not surprised the party is denying his allegation, insisting it’s all fallout of concerns he had about homophobia within the party’s riding association that he says he took to Bernier.

“I still believe it has to do with the allegations that I brought to Mr. Bernier about homophobia in the party, locally-expressed views that I perceive to be homophobic against my candidacy,” said Kent, who is openly gay.

No stranger to politics, some in Oxford political circles say Kent isn’t above stirring the pot.