Guolong Li withdrew his candidacy for the presidency of Cambridge University's student union a day before the polls opened after staff and students condemned him for making a homophobic statement.
When asked of his stance on LGBT policies and platforms during a debate, Li answered, "I think it's more important that we provide help for them to persuade them to be normal, to no longer be LBGT, to change them," according to the Telegraph.
Li's comment sparked angry response from students and staff, and hundreds rallied on the Internet, demanding that he withdraw from the election.
Li announced his withdrawal from the election on Facebook, with the statement, "I have withdrawn my candidacy now and, therefore, I can say what I really think And as I have said so many times, if you don't think that I can persuade LBGT people to change, then it is on them to decide not to change. So simple is it."
Richard Partington, senior tutor at Churchill College, said that the comments did not fit with the university's ethos and that it was right that the candidate stepped down. "The college regards Guolong Li's comments about LBGT students as unacceptable and repudiates them. We know that Guolong has withdrawn from the presidential election and would regard that withdrawal as appropriate."
