Christian mum who thinks being gay ‘is a choice’ suing her son’s primary school over Pride parade

Christian mum Izzy Montague, who launched legal action against her son’s school over a LGBTQ+ Pride parade, will have her case heard this week. 

Montague took her child’s school – Heavers Farm Primary School, in south east London – to court in 2019, alleging direct and indirect discrimination, victimisation and breaches of statutory duties under the 1996 Education Act 1996 and the 1998 Human Rights Act.

The case is now set to be heard at Central London County Court from Wednesday (1 February), according to Christian Concern. It is expected to last eight days.

Montague’s legal action followed a Pride parade being held at the school in June 2018, which she claimed was “promoting gay lifestyles” and “indoctrinating” children.

‘Against our Christian beliefs’

A client of conservative organisation Christian Concern, Montague claimed that her son was forced to take part in the event “that goes against our Christian beliefs”. 

At the time, headteacher Susan Papas defended the parade and said it was “a celebration of what makes the children proud”.

But Montague claimed the school became “antagonistic” towards her when she demanded her son be removed from the parade.

Prior to launching legal action, Montague complained to MP Damian Hinds, a former education secretary, about the running of school, which she claimed was responsible for the “systematic proselytism of its young and vulnerable pupils”. 

Izzy Montague says being gay is ‘not natural’ and ‘is a choice’

Montague removed her son from the school after the parade and has since spoken out against LGBTQ-inclusive education in schools.

In 2019, she hit out at a children’s book about gay penguins, which she claimed is “not natural”. 

That same year she appeared on Good Morning Britain to debate inclusive education and declared that she believed being gay was “a choice”.

The case highlights ongoing tensions with anti-LGBTQ+ parents who wish to see the government’s Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum removed from schools. 

Last year, a group of parents opposed to the Welsh government’s RSE curriculum being taught in primary schools lost their legal battle to have it scrapped. 

Relationships, sex, gender, body image and sexual health are covered in the lessons, with a requirement that children develop an “awareness and understanding” of different identities.

A high court judge refused the application, saying the claimants did not show any evidence of children being harmed during the injunction period. 

In August 2022, then-attorney general Suella Braverman said schools should not be teaching kids “keywords” about the LGBTQ+ community or affirming trans identities. 

Braverman said, in her opinion, it wasn’t “age appropriate” for children to learn about LGBTQ+ identities or information about the queer community from education facilities. 

The now-home secretary also received a backlash from a discrimination lawyer, who said Braverman had got equality law wrong in her controversial speech, and was simply attacking the rights of trans children in school.