UNITED KINGDOM — (03-09-22) — The Catholic church pulled a shock and awe on an author when they banned a visit to a London school by gay author Simon James Green. They also continued their blitz by removing a number of governors who supported the event, in a move that many say reminded them of the notorious 1980s section 28 ban on “promoting homosexuality”.
Simon James Green-Instagram-Photo-2022-JRL-CHARTS LGBT World News
The church said that a visit by gay author Simon James Green, an acclaimed author of books for children and young adults, fell “outside the scope of what is permissible in a Catholic school”, said the church.
According to the school, Green was scheduled to speak and sign books on Monday March 14, at the John Fisher boys’ School in Purley, south London, a voluntary-aided faith school overseen by the Catholic archdiocese of Southwark.
A second event at another school, St John’s Primary in Gravesend, scheduled for Wednesday March 16, was also cancelled by the church.
“I didn’t think this sort of thing could happen in the UK today,” Simon James Green told The Guardian. “I was at school when section 28 was in force. So I know full well the horror of living under that legislation. But it was repealed in 2003. So I didn’t think a school today would go down that route.” Green told The Guardian.
The notorious Section 28, which prohibited local authorities from “promoting homosexuality”, was first introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s government in response to a children’s book entitled Jenny Lives With Eric and Martin, a book depicting different kinds of families.
In a press release issued a few days before the John Fisher event, the archdiocese said its schools were required to “deliver a program of relationships and sex education that is compliant with the Equalities Act 2010 and Magisterium [teaching] of the Catholic church”.
“From time to time, materials or events emerge for consideration that fall outside the scope of what is permissible in a Catholic school … In such circumstances, we have no alternative but to affirm our unequivocal and well-known theological and moral precepts and to act in accordance with them.” read the statement.
However, the school’s leadership team, backed by its governors, voted to go ahead with Green’s appearance at the schools. The archdiocese in their outrage cancelled the events and removed a number of governors.
The school’s chaplain, Father James Clark, emailed parents to say the proposed event had “caused scandal in the local area and has brought our international reputation into doubt”.
Stephen Evans of the National Secular Society said: “The disturbing behavior of this diocese highlights a broader problem of faith schools stigmatizing same-sex relationships and therefore contributing to a climate where many young LGBT people are growing up feeling ashamed or frightened about who they are. Our own research has shown that a significant number of faith schools promote the idea that same-sex attraction is ‘morally wrong’, ‘disordered’ or a ‘lifestyle choice’. This isn’t acceptable in a publicly funded school.”
Robert Cann of Humanists UK added that the archdiocese was “discriminating against a well-regarded children’s author, whose work has been celebrated far and wide, simply because his work promotes LGBT acceptance. The result is that children, including LGBT children, are missing out on learning that LGBT people should be celebrated, and their relationships should be respected just like those of straight people. Dioceses should not have the power to block lessons that promote inclusion under the Equality Act, and they should not be able to sack governors who support such lessons.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Education further added…”We are looking into the circumstances surrounding the diocese’s role in this incident … Schools should teach students that everybody has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, with particular regard to their duties under the Equality Act.”
The archdiocese of Southwark and John Fisher schools have been contacted by JRL CHARTS LGBT Politics News for comment but as of this report, have not received a response.
Article by: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer
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