Christian campaigners: Ban schools teaching about gay couples and ‘transgenderism’

A Christian campaign group that appears on the BBC on a near-weekly basis has called for teaching about ‘gay couples and transgenderism’ to be outlawed.

The government today launched a consultation on the future of sex and relationship education in schools, amid calls from sexual health campaigners to make sure its guidance reflects the 21st century.

But anti-LGBT campaigners from Christian Concern would apparently be happier if it reflected the 17th.

Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of Christian Concern, put out a statement after the consultation was announced to call for a total ban on mentions of LGBT people in primary schools.

The group also called for the active promotion of heterosexual marriage in secondary schools.

She said: “The government and lobby groups with a highly liberal and indoctrinating agenda tell us that our children can be educated out of such sexualisation. More sex education has not worked up to now and will not work in the future.

“There is no ‘age-appropriate’ way to teach primary school children about sexual relationships. Nor should primary school children be taught about homosexual relationships or transgenderism as they are too young to engage with such concepts.”

She added that even in secondary schools, “marriage between a man and a woman should be taught as the gold standard of relationships.”

Christian Concern added: “Marriage is the recognition of long-term, committed, stable, exclusive relationships which are the most fulfilling relationships, and which have the most benefit for society as well as being the best environment for children to be brought up.

“Matters of morality are not for the state to dictate… there is a danger that relationships and sex education is more about state indoctrination than it is about education.”

Spokespeople and guests managed by Christian Concern have made no fewer than 40 appearances across BBC platforms in 2017, including appearances on the BBC’s flagship news and current affairs programmes.

The group is continually invited to present a religious voice across the broadcaster’s news output, even though its fringe views are out of touch with the majority of Christians in the UK.

Christian Concern has lobbied against basic protections for LGBT people in the UK. In the past Christian Concern has supported the right to discriminate against gay people, spoken out against same-sex parenting, and defended the right for gay ‘cure’ practitioners to operate in the UK.

Radio 4’s Today programme recently faced complaints after failing to disclose that ‘parents’ invited to speak about transgender rights were actually managed by Christian Concern.

On that occasion the BBC refused to answer any questions from PinkNews about why it failed to disclose the link to Christian Concern.

Last year, Christmas decorations featuring same-sex couples were briefly pulled from sale after demands from the group.

Anti-LGBT campaigner Andrea Williams of Christian Concern had fumed about the Christmas ornaments, which were being sold by a designer on crafts website Zazzle.com.

The twin decorations, which were on sale for £13 each, feature two men and two women over the baby Jesus, in place of Mary and Joseph.

Ms Williams said: “These decorations are a desperate and ridiculous attempt to pretend that homosexual relationships are pure and holy.

“They blasphemously portray the Lord Jesus being parented by a homosexual couple. What depths will the LGBT lobby stoop to in order to try and normalise their behaviour?’

Ms Williams has previously called for gay people to ‘repent’ their sexuality.

The Christian campaigner hit out at the Church of England for accepting gay people without preaching that homosexuals must ‘repent’ their sexuality.

She said: “The role of the Archbishops is not to facilitate conversation but to teach the truth, refute error and discipline those who depart from God’s pattern in either teaching or lifestyle.

“Yet not once did the Archbishops speak of the need for repentance of homosexual practice.

“Creating such ambiguity is profoundly unloving, especially to those who experience same-sex attraction but want to live in accordance with God’s teaching.”

Williams refers to homosexuality as ‘same-sex attraction’ (SSA) – a term commonly used by ‘gay cure’ practitioners in the US.

Also last year, Christian Concern’s legal wing defended a family who wanted to force their transgender teenage son to undergo treatment for “gender confusion”.

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