UK Government Program Teaching Four-Year-Olds about Homosexuality
Program Underway in 14 Schools

By Gudrun Schultz

ENGLAND, United Kingdom, March 16, 2007  - Primary schools in the United Kingdom have begun teaching children as young as four about homosexuality, in anticipation of new anti-discrimination laws coming into effect next month, the Daily Mail reported earlier today.

Homosexuality-themed story books are being used in fourteen schools to introduce the children to the homosexual lifestyle. Among the texts in use are "King and King", a fairy-tale about a prince who rejects three princesses before falling in love with another prince, "Spacegirl Pukes", about a little girl with two mommies, and "And Tango Makes Three," telling the story of two male penguins who fall in love at a New York zoo.

The schools are participating in a new government-funded program that is aimed at studying the best approach to familiarize school children with homosexual relationships-the study results will be made available to all schools to assist them in utilizing the books to normalize homosexuality.

The £600,000 No Outsiders program also includes workshops for local councils to help with the implementation of the Equality Act banning discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, taking effect April 6.

Christian and pro-family organizations are deeply concerned that the new laws will leave schools vulnerable to lawsuits if they don't incorporate homosexual material into their curriculums. Simon Calvert, spokesman for the Christian Insitute, told the Daily Mail the equality laws will result in schools being "compelled" to promote homosexuality to their students or face litigation.

"The predictions of those who said the repeal of Section 28 would result in the active promotion of homosexuality in schools are coming true," Calvert said, referring to the decision to strike down the law banning promotion of homosexuality in the schools.

Although the Government has persisted in claiming that schools will remain at liberty to determine what they teach, a program leader emphasized the legal requirement to avoid any discrimination against homosexuals.

"The purpose of the project is to support schools in meeting their requirements under the Equality Act," said Dr. Elizabeth Atkinson, lecturer in social and educational inquiry at Sunderland University, "which will require all public institutions to meet the needs of gay and lesbian users."

The Joint Committee on Human Rights, composed of members of Parliament and the House of Lords, issued a report February 26, recommending that religious schools be forced to modify their religious teaching to comply with the sexual orientation regulations.

The report stated that while the regulations "would not prevent pupils from being taught as part of their religious education the fact that certain religions view homosexuality as sinful," schools would not be permitted to teach "a particular religion's doctrinal beliefs as if they were objectively true."

"We do not consider that the right to freedom of conscience and religion requires the school curriculum to be exempted from the scope of the sexual orientation regulations."

The Christian Voice advocacy group is calling for parents to act, pledging to identify the schools where the books are in use so they can be pressured to remove them from the curriculum.

"The arrogance of people like Elizabeth Atkinson, using children as guinea pigs is outrageous and thoroughly wicked," said director Stephen Green.

"I am astonished at this project and we are trying to find out where these schools are to empower parents to put pressure on them to remove the books."