Turner Prize drops new sponsor after homophobia uproar

brian souter
CNN  — 

The Turner Prize, one of the art world’s most prestigious awards, has dropped a company led by an anti-gay-rights campaigner as its lead sponsor, just days after the partnership was announced.

Turner Contemporary revealed Stagecoach, a British bus company, as its main partner on Wednesday, but was met by an immediate backlash over the past actions and comments of its chairman, Brian Souter (pictured above).

Souter, a Scottish millionaire, funded an unsuccessful campaign in 2000 to preserve Britain’s infamous Section 28 – a law that prohibited the “promotion” of homosexuality by local authorities, and banned schools from teaching the “acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.”

He has since been critical of the legalization of gay marriage on the basis of his Christian faith, telling the BBC it “isn’t an equality issue, it’s a morality issue,” and asking “what are we going to teach in our schools about this subject?”

The partnership was swiftly dropped by “mutual agreement,” after industry figures and LGBT rights groups condemned the appointment, Turner Contemporary and organizing gallery Tate announced, though they did not apologize for the choice or mention Souter’s comments.

“Turner Contemporary and Tate’s highest priority is to show and celebrate artists and their work. The Turner Prize celebrates the creative freedoms of the visual arts community and our wider society. By mutual agreement, we will not proceed with Stagecoach South East’s sponsorship of this year’s prize,” their statement said.

Stagecoach South East operates buses in Margate, southeast England – the home of the Turner Contemporary gallery.

The furore overshadowed the unveiling of the four shortlisted artists for this year’s prize, who will have their work exhibited at Turner Contemporary before the winner is announced in December.

Laura Cumming, the art critic of the Observer newspaper, led the criticism of the original decision. “The art world swills with money. Sponsorship isn’t scarce: banks, brokers, big Pharma and oil. But here we are with Stagecoach’s Brian Souter and his hateful homophobia,” she wrote after the pairing was announced.

“Brian Souter’s previous comments about LGBT people are just one example of how much work is still left to do to combat discrimination,” LGBT rights group Stonewall added in a statement sent to CNN on Friday.

“Faith is often used to justify anti-LGBT views and attitudes. This is wrong and perpetuates a myth that faith and LGBT inclusion cannot coexist,” it added.

Souter’s company operates bus routes throughout the United Kingdom and is listed on the London Stock Exchange, but he has long been criticized for his anti-gay comments and financial contributions. In interviews, he has denied being homophobic.

LGBT rights groups called for a boycott of Stagecoach’s services as far back as 2000, when Souter funded a controversial private referendum of Scottish residents with the intention of demonstrating support for the Section 28 clause.

The Turner Contemprary gallery in Margate, where shortlisted works are exhibited.

At the time, Souter questioned to the BBC “whether homosexual relationships have the same moral values as (opposite-sex) marriage,” and claimed the clause was needed to “protect” children. His campaign was largely dismissed by political parties, and the legislation was repealed in Scotland in 2000. England followed suit three years later.

“Stagecoach South East has mutually agreed with Turner Contemporary and Tate not to continue with the company’s sponsorship of the 2019 Turner Prize. We are absolutely committed to diversity in our company, however we do not want anything to distract from celebrating the Turner Prize artists and their work,” a Stagecoach statement said on Friday.

The prize, named after the English painter J. M. W. Turner, was won last year by Glasgow-based artist Charlotte Prodger, for a pair of autobiographical films.