24/07/2019
Television news reports suggest that religiously motivated parents who had tried to export the Birmingham style protests against LGBT inclusive education to a school in Nottingham scored a serious own goal for the end of term. The protest group was outnumbered by a vocal campaign by parents who said that, regardless of what they thought about the controversy, it was not right to protest against a place of education and learning, in this case a school attended by pupils as young as 4. Sky News found that local parents, some gay, but the majority straight, were all in favour of inclusive education, telling the largely Islamist protestors that they were not welcome in Nottingham and that education could never be indoctrination as all the schools are doing is reflecting how many different groups live together in society. One reporter for Sky News was so incensed at the bigotry displayed by the anti-gay protesters that she confronted an organiser and demanded he explain to camera exactly how equal opportunities was “sexualisation”. He offered no answer. Meanwhile, anti-racist LGBT campaigners have warned the majority gay and trans population not to be seduced by the siren rhetoric of the far political right wing, no matter how aggrieved they may feel at the continuation of the school protests. Recently, internet monitors and open gay publishing wires have noted a marked increase in Islamophobic content, including calls for the school protesters to be arrested, interred and even deported. Some people have even called for gay people to unite with anti-Islamic groups such as the English Defence League, which despite its origins on the traditional far right, has differed from other right wing groups by deliberately courting gay, Jewish and female support, telling these groups that they can protect against what they call “Islamification” of society. These calls were described as “irresponsible” by anti-racist groups and LGBT people were urged to continue respectful dialogue, no matter how difficult.
