Could Britain's Next Prime Minister Be a Step Backward for LGBTs? 

Brexit has so far resulted in the resignation of the prime minister, the devaluing of the pound, and the slashing of Britain's credit rating. People are worried Scotland might break away from the United Kingdom. Now another unanticipated consequence of Brexit: England's next prime minister could be significantly more questionable on LGBT equality.

Outgoing Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader David Cameron had pressed for the marriage equality law, which passed in 2013.

Now the election of his replacement has come down to two choices, both women -- Home Secretary Theresa May and Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom. Leadsom said she supported civil unions and opposed passage of England's marriage equality law because of the "very clear hurt" to Christians. Still, when the vote happened, Leadsom abstained.

"This is not about do I consider gay couples to be any less worthy of marriage than heterosexual couples -- not at all, it's exactly the same," she said in an ITV interview. "The issue is one I have around the consequences, the very clear hurt caused to many Christians who felt that marriage in the church could only be between a man a woman. I think we've muddled the terms of marriage, civil partnership, church etc. I would have liked that to have been clarified. I didn't really like the legislation -- that was the problem. But I absolutely support gay marriage."

During debate on the marriage equality law, Leadsom said it would have "unintended consequences," and she voted in favor of an amendment for "conscientious objection" by marriage registrars and another that would have offered legal protection to the belief that marriage is between one man and one woman -- a belief that citizens are free to hold anyway. Those amendments failed.

But it doesn't stop with marriage equality, and it gets all the more perplexing the more Leadsom reveals her views about LGBT people.

In a blog post in 2009, Leadsom lamented that two children were adopted by a gay couple "who have been selected ahead of several heterosexual couples."

Leadsom had expanded on that logic in an earlier blog post from 2007 when considering whether it was discriminatory for Catholic-run adoption agencies to refuse to include same-sex couples. "I would be in favour of a 'points' system for potential adopters, that took into account the statistical success rate of their particular profile (e.g. married, divorced, single, gay etc)," she wrote, arguing that the most points should go to a couple in a heterosexual marriage. "The problem is that we all know that statistics only tell half the story. I certainly know of a gay couple, who, if they had a child, would be wonderfully loving and kind parents. If we are serious about putting the children first, rather than wringing our hands over the perceived rights of adults, then we should not rule out any type of family for any reason other than their individual and specific suitability as adoptive parents. The rights of gay adults to adopt, and the rights of Catholics to refuse to consider them, should not come into this. Therefore, in the end, I think the Government is right -- we should not be letting Catholic adoption agencies be exempt from the anti-discrimination laws."

In campaigning for the U.K.'s top job, Leadsom is talking up her Christian beliefs. Meanwhile, BuzzFeed News reports that Leadsom organized a school exchange project with something called the Discovery Center in Uganda, a project co-run by Youth With a Mission. That group promotes so-called conversion therapy. Its founder has said in writing that people are gay by choice, and his group teaches the difference between "normal and abnormal sexuality."

Leadsom has yet to explain her involvement with Youth With a Mission, but a spokesman sent a short note to the LGBTory group, which had surveyed candidates about their beliefs on LGBT equality. Leadsom had not answered the survey -- and still hasn't. The spokesman instead said she's busy, adding, "Andrea Leadsom is fully committed to LGBT rights and equality."

Leadsom's opponent, May, supported marriage equality when it passed and is still the favorite to win. However, the chairman of LGBTory, Colm Howard-Lloyd, is obviously going to miss Cameron.

"David Cameron steps down as Prime Minister leaving an outstanding record of furthering LGBT+ rights in the UK, and the world," he said in a statement. "The new Conservative Party leader, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, must have good record on LGBT rights, and build on Cameron's work to improve equality in UK and around the world. I am pleased that those candidates that responded to us have set out a vision that will continue the Conservative Party being a party of equality."