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Openly Gay BBC Journalist Suspended For Voicing Disgust At Homophobic Boxer Tyson Fury's Award Nomination

"I am ashamed to work for the BBC when it lacks the bravery to admit it is making a mistake.”

Openly gay television journalist Andy West has been suspended from the BBC after admitting he was "ashamed" to work for a company that would consider homophobic boxer Tyson Fury for its Sports Personality of the Year award.

Related: Tyson Fury Accused Of “Aggressive” Homophobia By British Politician

This just days after a fellow BBC host, Clive Myrie, called Tyson a "dickhead" on national television (without punishment).

The comments in question come from a controversial interview Fury gave to The Mail in which he offered a diatribe equating homosexuality and abortion with pedophilia.

“There are only three things that need to be accomplished before the devil comes home,’ he said. “One of them is homosexuality being legal in countries, one of them is abortion and the other is pedophilia. Who would have thought in the 50s and 60s that those first two would be legalized?”

In the weeks since, Fury was shortlisted as a nominee for BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

West, a BBC Northern Ireland reporter, wrote on his Facebook page that he was “ashamed to work for the BBC," saying that the Broadcaster was “hurting me and other gay people by celebrating someone who considers me no better than a pedophile and who believes homosexual people are helping to bring about the end of the world."

He continued: “It is tempting to see him for the laughable idiot he is but sadly there are many other idiots who will be inspired and encouraged by his naive, juvenile bigotry. I am ashamed to work for the BBC when it lacks the bravery to admit it is making a mistake.”

Though the status update has since been taken down, a BBC source told BuzzFeed News that as a result of the comments West was “reprimanded by a manager" and "told an investigation would be launched into his conduct and warned he could be suspended."

Earlier this morning, West took to Twitter to confirm that the threat of suspension had been enacted.

West is not the first nor second to speak out in opposition to Fury and the proposed title. Openly gay British Labor Party politician Chris Bryant called out the boxing champ for what he calls “aggressive” homophobia that is “precisely the kind that leads to young gay suicides.”

Fury's initial comments have also sparked a public petition – so far signed by a whopping 132,000 individuals – calling for his removal from consideration of the honor.

Despite the fervent outcries from so many, Fury remains on the shortlist for the award.

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