Who Will Stop Anti-Gay Hatemongering in RE Classes?

KENILWORTH, 18 MAY 2004 — A new national framework for religious education in schools makes no provision to prevent anti-gay teachers telling children that homosexual practices are wrong.

The framework, issued for consultation by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), makes no mention of sexual orientation, although it says religious education teachers should take into account pupils’ gender, race, religion and any disability, when planning lessons.

George Broadhead, secretary of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA), said: “Many teachers attracted to religious education – like other religionists – will have strong anti-gay feelings and there is nothing in these guidelines that will prevent them sharing these feelings in class. We feel strongly that the QCA should include specific advice to RE teachers that they should not tell children – or even suggest to them – that gay sexual relationships are in some way inferior or sinful, which is what some of them will believe.”

Mr Broadhead said GALHA had other strong reservations about the guidelines. “They read as though they’d been written by someone from the Christian Institute. It sounds very much like the Christians have made the running in this, and will impose their beliefs in class through religious education. This is bad news for gay people who are increasingly on the receiving end of Christian hostility. We need a new version of Section 28 to stop the promotion of religion in schools.”