LGBT protest at school

Apart from anything else, it is the law.

It seems a shame, as we apparently had a reputation of being reasonably tolerant to minorities. That all seems to be falling apart everywhere we look. We need a rethink as to exactly where we are going I think.

In response to the challenge from Shakel Afsar, who has coordinated protests at the school as to why she hadn't been there supporting the parents protest, Jess Philips responded "Our equality laws protect us all. " She went on to express distress that the protest was, she felt, damaging relationships in the community she grew up in.
I saw a tv programme featuring the No Outsider series of books, I honestly can't see how any one could object to them.

I haven’t seen the books to be honest so find it hard to judge and I am wary of some LGBT material like the mermaid nonsense but I am a huge admirer of Jess Phillips and any threats against schools or teachers needs to be squashed immediately

From what I have heard about the no outsiders programme, it tells children that are perhaps being brought up by two mothers or two fathers that their families are just as loving and valid as those with a mother and a father. That no one should be treated as "an outsider". It is about acceptance and tolerance and making children feel valued and secure.

Hasn't Shakeel Asfar got a point as well ?

That's right Ilovecheese, it isn't controversial imo, in the way some could argue that what Mycat calls 'there mermaid nonsense'. When I first read about the protests, I wondered if the books could inflame tensions but I genuinely don't believe so. It's possible of course that some orthodox / evangelical religious people could be as bothered by the books as these Muslim parents. The tv news did interview one Muslim mother who had taken her children into school, through the gambit of people evidently blocking the pavements.
The head teacher was visibly shaken.

Iam64
'through the gambit of parents...'?
?

parents people

Don’t feed the beast?

From what you say Iam64 the books sound harmless enough, and children take most things like that in their stride anyway.
It’s the law so the parents can’t do much about it really.
I do wonder how those same parents think that keeping anything at all sexually controversial( not that it is, these days!) under wraps, will help their growing children.
The children are living in a modern country, not a medieval
Religious fiefdom somewhere.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-england-birmingham-48339080
“Shakeel Afsar is the leader of the Anderton Park protests, although he has no children at the school.

He said the school had pulled "the shutters down" on parental engagement and was promoting LGBT lifestyles to children.

He said 600 pupils were kept from school on Monday "to make it crystal clear we will not have our children indoctrinated or participating in any social engineering programmes which undermine our family values by promoting child sexualisation". “

So what exactly do you think his point is, ellanvannin?

Right thanks iam64 and ilovecheese the books sound quite age appropriate and gentle.

Ellanvanin

They of course have the right to an opinion but say the flat earth society wanted their beliefs taught in school to their children or creationists??

Schools have to safe places to teach western values and respect for the law.

As long as it’s age appropriate surely that’s fine. and right really.

Reece mogg supports the parents by the way

They of course have the right to an opinion
Of course they do mycat, they also have the right to peaceful protest.
What they don’t have the right to is aggressive, intimidating behaviour towards other people who are only doing their job and upholding the law.

Well absolutely janeainsworth couldn’t agree more as I said upthread

I think it’s a storm in a teacup. The parents who don’t want their children to hear the promotion of ‘alternative’ parenting could just have their children excused those particular lessons, surely?

Years ago, Jehovah witness children in my school were allowed to be exempt from morning assembly where hymns were sung.

Sorted.

I don’t know urmstrongran

I am from brum and the whole Trojan horse situation so basically picking radical Muslim staff and separating kids by sex is still very raw here.

Many little girls wear head coverings to school and I mean 5/6/7 year olds.

I think we do need to be vigilant of our western values.

Are you actually allowed to withdraw kids from certain lessons now? I know you used to be able to but think you can’t now???

Wise people post if this is true please

Oh Mycat I must be seriously behind the times then.
?

I think religion ought to be totally kept out of school. Do what you like, at the weekends, as a family.

School is for (secular) learning, in my opinion.

Urm I think using the word ‘promotion.’ is playing into the protesters hands. Just like the dreadful S28 which banned the ‘promotion’ if homosexuality in schools. If my dgc have a story read to then at school which has two mummies in it with their daughter, that’s not ‘promoting’ lesbianism life styles and parenting but just illustrating one of the ways in which people organise their lives and relationships. Just as I’d hope they read stories with just a mummy or daddy or a character in a wheelchair or black.

Agree urm

And yes Maryeliza agree it’s the term promoting that’s the problem.

However fervently religious people are often not reasonable are they?

Agree maryeliza perhaps a bad choice of word. Provided of course it is as you say, just an illustration of alternative family lifestyles. Children absorb information like sponges. They are so innocent.

Couldn’t this type of education wait until secondary school? They seem so young to be thus educated and for what? Possibly 2% of families?

Urmstongran I don't think it's a storm in a teacup when people are protesting aggressively and threateningly outside a school.
School staff should be able, in a civilised country, to go to their place of work without intimidation or the fear of intimidation.
Parents who don't oppose this teaching should be able to take their children to school without intimidation.

And it's one thing to withdraw your children from RE lessons because you don't practise that particular religion.
It's quite different from withdrawing your children because some elements of your own religion oppose what is being taught.
In 2020, relationships education will be legally compulsory.

Okay, that’s me told.