Christian Concern boss says teaching LGBT acceptance in school is 'indoctrinating' children

The boss of anti-gay Christian organisation Christian Concern has said this week’s Schools Diversity Week promoting LGBT acceptance will lead to the “indoctrination” of children.

Andrea Williams, the organisation’s Chief Executive, appeared on Channel 5 News this week for a discussion with the founder of Just Like Us, the LGBT charity behind the event.

Tim Ramsey explained that the Diversity Week, which is currently taking place in schools up and down the country to tackle anti-gay bullying, homophobia, and to promote acceptance of LGBT people and same-sex families, was designed to improve the lot of LGBT kids who still suffer from disproportionate rates of suicide and self-harm.

Explaining that growing up LGBT is “still so difficult”, the 26-year-old told the host: “In terms of school, 1 in 2 self-harm and 2 in 5 contemplate suicide and we feel that’s completely wrong.”

However, Williams seemed more concerned about the effect on teachers of having to ‘promote’ a “prevailing cultural orthodoxy”.

“When we’re thinking of addressing the issue from the age of 7 I think that is far too young to be talking to our children about such issues,” she said.

“As the Christian teachings would say that each one of us is wonderfully and beautifully made, and that we should embrace one another.

“But that doesn’t mean we have to necessarily accept and place central to our education this idea that all lifestyles are equivalent and that all lifestyles bring equal good.”

After Ramsey pointed out that we don’t wait until a child is a teenager to tackle racist abuse, Williams countered: “The parents are the ones that need to be introducing these concepts to the children.”

She continued: “We’re all against bullying of any kind but certainly, when it comes to teaching children about relationships as young as 7, what we need to be promoting is the beautiful model of marriage between a man and a woman.”

Ramsey concluded the discussion by saying: “I think it’s very unfair to say that relationships between a man and a man and a woman and a woman can’t be something that’s loving and beautiful I can’t understand what parents would want their child to grow up in an environment where they can’t feel confident to be themselves and they can face prejudice which affects their schoolwork and stops them from being able to fulfill everything they can.”

Just Like Us is a charity dedicated to sending recent LGBT school-leavers back to the classroom to help improve the life of LGBT kids who may be struggling with their sexuality.

The have launched the first ever UK Diversity Week (June 20-24) in order to make schools a better place for LGBT pupils.

We caught up with Tim, who recently returned to his secondary school to come out to pupils ans teachers, about his experience – click here to read more.

Christian Concern boss says teaching LGBT acceptance in school is ‘indoctrinating’ children

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