Tory MP rails against LGBTQ+ school initiatives, saying its ‘disturbing’ to ask kids if they’re gay
Tory MP Miriam Cates said she was ‘disturbed’ by LGBTQ+ schools initiative as right-wingers turn attention to education fear-mongering. (Pat Scaasi/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Tory MP Miriam Cates has railed against potential LGBTQ+-inclusivity schemes in schools, claiming it is “disturbing” to ask children if they are gay.
The MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, in South Yorkshire, was commenting on a charity policy, reported by The Telegraph on Wednesday (17 April), which looks to set up voluntary “gender and sexual orientation alliance groups” in Scottish schools that opt in.
While some scare-mongering reports claim schools are “appointing children as LGBT champions” and are being “urged to ask pupils as young as four if they are gay, lesbian or trans”, the LGBT Youth Scotland scheme is voluntary, with the organisation saying 40 primary schools in the country are currently included in the initiative.
The scheme would reportedly encourage schools to install gender-neutral toilets, and hold meetings about LGBTQ+ inclusion, among other initiatives.
Cates, who has previously demanded a full ban on trans students socially transitioning in schools, claimed “adults with a particular ideology are pushing that ideology on children, with damaging effects”.
Speaking to GB News, she said: “These are children who have not been through puberty and they don’t have sexual feelings. Asking them if they are straight or gay is not only ridiculous, it is also disturbing. Why would an adult in a school be asking a small child about their sexual feelings?”
She added that the scheme is “very, very worrying”, and has been “dressed up to be seen as a diversity agenda, an inclusivity agenda”.
LGBT Youth Scotland explained that the scheme “enables you to send a positive message, with confidence, that your school, college, or university is a champion of LGBTQ+ inclusion where LGBTQ+ staff, parents and learners will be safe, supported and included”.
A Scottish government spokesperson told The Telegraph: “We are committed to doing everything we can to make Scotland the best place to grow up for LGBTQI+ young people.
“This includes funding LGBT Youth Scotland to deliver a range of projects, such as the LGBT Charter programme.”
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