Trust slams Tory leader over religious schools

The gay Humanist charity and this blog’s parent organisation, the Pink Triangle Trust (PTT), has condemned the UK’s Conservatives’ successful blocking of Labour’s plans to introduce compulsory sex education in schools. It has also condemned Conservative support for religious schools teaching it “in a way that’s consistent with their beliefs”, meaning that, for instance, Catholic Schools can tell kids how evil all gays are.

In an interview with the Catholic Herald, Tory leader David Cameron said, “I do think that sex and relationship education is an important part of learning about responsibility. But schools should be allowed to teach it in a way that’s consistent with their beliefs, and parents should be free to decide whether or not their children should take part in these lessons.”

Commenting on this revelation, the PTT’s secretary George Broadhead said, “Mr Cameron has claimed to be supportive of gay and lesbian rights, but doesn’t he realise that, if faith schools are permitted to teach that same-sex sexual practices are morally wrong, it will do irreparable harm to their lesbian and gay pupils and cause an increase in bullying?

“Faith schools now make up one-third of the total number and all three main political parties intend to expand them further. Unsurprisingly, a Stonewall survey revealed that a higher proportion of anti-gay bullying occurs in these schools than in others. How is this going to be tackled if such schools are permitted to teach pupils that lesbian and gay sexual relationships are sinful?

“Faith issues dominate American election campaigns and this is the latest indication of the growing use of this style of campaigning by the Conservatives.”

As a Humanist charity, the PTT is also opposed to Cameron’s view on assisted suicide which he expressed in the same interview.