Tim Farron has said he does not believe gay sex is a sin, having previously repeatedly refused to answer the question.
The Lib Dem leader told the BBC this afternoon he had not wanted to “pontificate on theological matters” but had decided to reveal what he thought as it had become an issue in the general election campaign.
“I don’t believe that gay sex is a sin,” he said. “It’s not and I don’t feel it is.”
Farron, a committed Christian, said he did not want people to get the “wrong impression” about what he thought.
And he denied the suggestion he had misled anyone about his view.
Farron had said he does not think being gay is a sin, but had dodged questions about gay sex.
The Lib Dem election campaign faced being overshadowed by Farron’s refusal to answer questions.
He told the BBC today: “I am quite careful about how I talk about my faith. I do not bang on about it, I do not make a secret out of it,” he said.
“On reflection, it makes sense to actually answer this direct question since it’s become an issue.”
At campaign event in Vauxhall yesterday, designed to highlight his party’s campaign against pro-Brexit MP Kate Hoey, he was pressed on his view.
He told journalists: “I am not going to give you an answer to that question.
“One’s personal faith is one’s personal faith. What counts is your actions and beliefs in politics.”
The Lib Dem leader added: “I am passionate about LGBT issues, it has been the heart of our party’s programme for decades and it will continue under my leadership to be.”
Farron’s views on homosexuality came to the fore when he was elected Lib Dem leader in 2015.
Despite initially backing the Same Sex Marriage Bill in Parliament, he abstained on a final vote on the measure in 2013 - a decision he later said he regretted.