Kent Humanists Slam Council’s Section 28

KENILWORTH, 30 JANUARY 2004 — A humanist group in Kent has joined the chorus of criticism being directed at Kent County Council over its retention of a Section 28-style policy in its schools.

In a strongly-worded letter to the Leader of the Council, Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, East Kent Humanists ask: “Why is Kent the only county in this position? What is it about us that means we need this clause when nobody else in England thinks they do?”

The group says the council is “enshrining a prejudice” against gay people which is contrary to the Human Rights Act. They say that using “gay” as an insult is not acceptable and children should be discouraged from doing so.

George Broadhead of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) praised the East Kent Humanists’ protest, pointing out: “This is completely in line with the official stance taken by the humanist movement as a whole which is unequivocally supportive of lesbian and gay rights and has backed every campaign for law reform from an equal age of consent for gay men to civil partnership legislation.”