Bankrolling gay proselytism (Scottish)

A report published today from the Christian Institute argues that Section 28 has meant that homosexuality has not been promoted in Scottish Schools for eleven years. It is currently illegal to promote homosexuality in schools throughout Scotland, England and Wales. The first attempt to make it legal again is likely to be in Scotland.

Outside the field of education Section 28 has blocked the funding of gay rights events in Edinburgh, Lothian Region, and Aberdeen. But the report, Bankrolling Gay Proselytism, contains a dossier on how other local councils and health authorities are spending money promoting homosexuality.

Things are now changing for schools. Many Councils have been banking on the repeal of Section 28 for some time. Recent months have seen homosexual schools workers and youth workers being appointed in England. They are paid for out of public funds to target children who “are unsure of their sexuality”.

In just three weeks researchers uncovered how £1 million of public money intended for social services, education and health care had been diverted into promoting gay rights. Bankrolling Gay Proselytism gives details of many of these schemes.

Colin Hart, Director of the Institute said today:

“Section 28 was introduced because some Councils South of the border were spending inordinate amounts of money promoting homosexuality in schools. Because parents have been alert to the law, Councils have generally chosen to fund gay rights projects outside education.

Glasgow City Council is the Scottish Council most actively involved in funding gay rights groups and gay festivals.

In 1998 Glasgow City Council gave £18,500 to fund “Glasgay”. Featured acts included live performances such as The Dyke and The Porn Star, described as a “sexually explicit drama about a young butch dyke’s obsession with a femme top porn star,” and Night Sullied Flesh, described as “sexually explicit, uncompromising – and not for the faint-hearted.”

There will be more of this sort of thing if Section 28 is repealed. This can be illustrated by looking at what some Scottish Health Boards are doing. Health Boards are not bound by Section 28. Gay Men’s Health received £101,250 from Lothian Health Board last year. The organisation produces materials such as its “Coming out” guide to target young people and urge them to become homosexuals. It gives detailed advice on homosexual practices and advises young people to “be careful” of the police when having “sex with other men in public places”.

Gay Men’s Health website uses pornographic images to give instructions about homosexual practices. It gives detailed guidance as to where homosexual men can solicit other men for homosexual activity. As in England and Wales it is illegal to commit homosexual acts in public.

We have found clear evidence that Councils and health authorities are encouraging young people to attend homosexual youth clubs and to experiment with homosexuality.

Some 70% of Scots men believe that homosexual practice is wrong (1). I am sure that the Scottish public would be horrified to learn that their taxes are bankrolling gay proselytism. We tracked down £1 million of this sort of expenditure in just three weeks. Clearly it is just the tip of the iceberg. This money would be better spent on health and education.

I greatly welcome the concern that has been expressed by Cardinal Winning about homosexual proselytism. I hope that Protestant Church leaders will also take a clear stand.

It is essential that ordinary parents make their views known to Donald Dewar, the First Minister, and to their MSPs before attempts are made to repeal Section 28. If this is what is going on now, I can’t imagine what will happen if the Section 28 restraint is lifted.”

Some examples of Councils and health authorities funding gay proselytism.

Avon Health Promotion Services encourages children as young as 13 to act out role plays in class where their roles include: “Married man who was ‘done’ for cottaging… S & M heterosexual woman….transvestite cabaret artist”. [Cottaging is the slang term for homosexual activity in lavatories] The video Avon has produced for schools targets pupils “Questioning their sexuality” and seeks to develop “coming out” skills. It ends with one boy saying “try experimenting with other boys and girls and see who you feel most comfortable with”.

A number of local authorities are now appointing schools workers or youth workers. The study finds that the usual qualifications are unnecessary for many of these posts. Being an “experienced” homosexual is however essential in many jobs. Tower Hamlets want to appoint ten youth workers to reach children as young as 9 years old who are “questioning their sexuality and/or gender”. Only funding problems have so far preventing this going ahead.

Haringey Council’s Outzone project seeks to provide homosexual youth workers to go into Haringey and Barnet schools. The project is funded by local health authorities.

Oxfordshire County Council funds homosexual youth workers to “build appropriate relationships” with young people “unsure of their sexual identity”.

Making “homosexual families”

Leicester City Council funds a Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Centre which runs a regular “Lesbians making babies” workshop to teach the principles of self-insemination. The centre receives £35,385 from local authorities.

Councils and health authorities promoting breaches of the criminal law

It is a criminal offence to commit a homosexual act in public whether it be in a public lavatory (“cottage”) or a public park (“cruising ground”).

Yet Lambeth, Southwark & Lewisham Health Authority have published a step by step internet guide to “making cruising more enjoyable” which provides advice on what to do if you are arrested.

Camden and Islington Health Promotion NHS Trust provide a fully searchable internet database to help homosexual men find gay saunas, “leather bars” and other places where they can break the law and engage in the very activities which most place their health at risk.

Gay Men Fighting Aids (GMFA) receives £466,400 from public funds. One of its projects is to run training courses to help homosexuals be “confident about cruising”. Another was to produce a sex education video which was so pornographic that the British Board of Film Classification refused even to award a “Restricted 18 pornography” category. After cuts the video was classified not as a sex education video but as an 18 pornography certificate.

Work on health promotion has been taken to such an extreme that it is now common place for staff funded by health boards such as Lothian to skulk around public lavatories and “cruising grounds” handing out condoms to homosexual men.

ENDS.

Bankrolling gay proselytism (ISBN 1 901086 06 2) is published on Thursday 11th November at £2.50 (inc p+p) and is available from The Christian Institute, 26 Jesmond Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4PQ

Note for Editors: The Christian Institute is a Christian policy research organisation which seeks to influence public policy from the perspective of historic Christian teaching.

(1)Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, Johnson A et al, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1994, page 475. This is the largest academic study of its kind ever carried out in the UK.