Two gay dads say they’re scared their children could grow up ‘thinking they’re circus freaks’
Stock photo of same-sex parents. (Photo: Creative Commons)
A gay couple has said they fear that their children could grow up to think they’re “circus freaks”.
Two gay fathers Rich and Lewis spoke out having faced negative reactions from other parents at their son’s nursery school.
Their son is now starting primary school, where the couple said they had been questioned by others.
“When we have turned up at the school gates, people have asked, ‘Is Mummy having a day off, then?'” Lewis told the BBC.
“It scares me that our children could grow up thinking we’re circus freaks.”
Gay dads ask nursery to read book with two fathers storyline.
The couple, who have another young child, explained that their situation improved when they asked for their son’s nursery teacher to fead a book featuring two dads at story time.
“Suddenly, all of his classmates understood a bit more about him and why he might say things differently and why he might talk about his ‘dad and daddy’ to them.
“Our boy felt really good that day.”
It scares me that our children could grow up thinking we’re circus freaks.
Lewis also stressed that only a few parents are opposed to their children learning about LGBT+ families.
“It really is a minority of people who are against inclusive education,” he added.
The couple withheld their surname and location to protect their children’s privacy.
The campaign to include the experiences of the LGBT+ community in sex and relationships education in England and Wales has faced backlash since the beginning of the year.
Anti-LGBT+ protests to continue outside Birmingham school.
Protests took place outside Anderton Park Primary School in Birmingham. (Alum Rock Community Forum)
The government approved legislation requiring all state secondary and primary schools to teach about LGBT+ families in April, which will come into effect in September 2020.
However, there have been continuing protests outside a handful of schools in England, particularly in the Birmingham area.
Protests outside Anderton Park Primary School in Birmingham are expected to resume.
Earlier this month, a survey commissioned by Stonewall that found that more than half (60 percent) of adults in Britain support primary schools teaching LGBT+ inclusive lessons.
This figure rose to 68 percent for people aged between 16 and 24 years old.
