“LGBT+ rights” must be taught in schools, according to the leader of the Labour party.
Jeremy Corbyn made the comments in a manifesto on equality and diversity, which includes a number of controversial pledges.
It backs compulsory Sex and Relationship Education and singles out “homophobic and transphobic hate crimes” for police training.
Primary schools
The manifesto did not specify whether the sex education policy would cover primary as well as secondary schools but said the teaching should include a focus on “tackling homophobia”.
Currently, primary schools are not required to teach sex education, but local authority maintained secondary schools must do so. The Department for Education has said that it expects the same from secondary academies, including free schools.
Corbyn also promised his party would change the national curriculum “to reflect LGBT+ historical figures and LGBT+ rights”.
Stonewall
And the manifesto stated that police should talk about homophobic and transphobic crimes in schools, a policy put forward by homosexual lobby group Stonewall.
Previously, the LGBT History Month initiative has tried to teach children that Florence Nightingale was a lesbian and that Isaac Newton was gay.
Last year, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) gave strong support for the promotion of LGBT History Month and an ‘LGBT inclusive’ curriculum.
Intolerance
Christine Blower, the then General Secretary of the NUT, said parties standing for election should adopt its proposals.
“This includes making it compulsory for all schools’ sex education policies to include a positive portrayal of same sex relationships, promoting LGBT History Month in all schools, and encouraging schools to develop a curriculum that is inclusive of LGBT issues”, she stated.
However, Simon Calvert, The Christian Institute’s Deputy Director for Public Affairs, said the NUT’s motion was itself “an act of intolerance towards mainstream Christians and their beliefs”.
“I wonder whether Christian members of the NUT who have paid their dues can expect any help from the NUT when their jobs are on the line”, he added.