Diocese banning visit from gay author and sacking governors that approved it

[gymgymgo]

The Archdiocese of Southwark over-ruled one of its own headteachers and is sacking some governors because they approved the visit of a children's author who writes books about fictional gay characters. They've said the visit is "outside the scope of what is permissible in a Catholic school". The school's chaplain has said "the event is about promoting the literature of a lifestyle choice that is contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ." Some of the teachers are now threatening strike action. Aibu to think this story will blow up in the diocese's face?

inews.co.uk/news/catholic-state-school-john-fisher-southwark-diocese-governors-cancel-visit-gay-author-simon-james-green-1505735

What, that I haven't read the entirety of a piece of legislation from a foreign country?

Have you? Or are you just trying to be petty?

@georama

What, that I haven't read the entirety of a piece of legislation from a foreign country?

Have you? Or are you just trying to be petty?

Of course I haven't I most likely wouldn't understand most of it anyway, I still don't believe what the media claim because they have their own agenda and that's plain to see.

The USA amazes me with the utter scum they allow to teach in school's and universities amazes me even more that the media try to hide it all.

So you haven't read it and you don't believe any coverage of it. So your support of it is based on what?

@georama

So you haven't read it and you don't believe any coverage of it. So your support of it is based on what?

The media's known agenda.

What does that even mean? How can you know anything about a bill that you haven't read and haven't read about?

Whatever, this has nothing to do with the actual topic of the thread.

@georama

What does that even mean? How can you know anything about a bill that you haven't read and haven't read about?

Whatever, this has nothing to do with the actual topic of the thread.

I didn't say I haven't read any of it or that I hadn't read about it, I am also capable of listening when reporters get pulled up on their lies and exaggerations and they have zero argument for why they are correct.

As for the thread I can easily see someone getting sacked and I'm not talking about governors

Interesting the outrage on here whenever no one ever really says all that much when Muslim parents actually protest physically outside schools to prevent sex education of all kinds.

I agree that fiction about homosexuality does not need to be promoted to children in schools. If parents want to introduce it to their children that's up to them.

@Viviennemary

I agree that fiction about homosexuality does not need to be promoted to children in schools. If parents want to introduce it to their children that's up to them.

Thank you for saying this.

Schools are legally obliged to tell children that homosexuality exists, but they are not obliged to promote it, and many schools cross that line and leave children confused and thinking that it’s cooler to be queer than straight, etc. My headteacher refused to put on a traditional school play because the characters were straight and she said she didn’t want children thinking it’s normal to be straight 🧐

I also know several people who had gay experiences when young that they felt pressured into, thst they regretted later, and I actually don’t have a problem with the bishop or whoever saying it isn’t appropriate to actively promote homosexuality in a religious school.

Not religious myself, but totally fed up of hyper-sexualised misogynistic drag queens going into primary schools to teach young kids how cool anal ‘sex’ is etc 🤢

london ah but Islamophobia is bad, didn't you get the memo? Whereas catholics are fair game for virtue signallers to bash.

@LondonWolf

Interesting the outrage on here whenever no one ever really says all that much when Muslim parents actually protest physically outside schools to prevent sex education of all kinds.

There were threads about that when it was happening.

@Viviennemary

I agree that fiction about homosexuality does not need to be promoted to children in schools. If parents want to introduce it to their children that's up to them.

If reading a book with gay characters is promoting homosexuality, then is reading one with straight characters promoting heterosexuality? Why is one okay and not the other?

If reading a book with gay characters is promoting homosexuality, then is reading one with straight characters promoting heterosexuality? Why is one okay and not the other?

This. Recommending a really good book which has homoesxual characters in it isn't 'promoting homosexuality in school' and really, you can't equate it to bringing in drag queens to talk about how great anal ex is (if that even happens, which I very much doubt).

Putting it like that smacks of 'don't ask, don't tell' and I would hope we were past that at least in UK society. Just as gay people exist in every day life, so do they exist in literature, film and music. Accepting that isn't 'promoting homosexuality' it's 'living in the real world'.

If a book happens to have a gay character or a trans character that's fine. But why make a thing of it by inviting these authors or actors in to particularly promote this. There is no reason whatsoever for this.

@Viviennemary

If a book happens to have a gay character or a trans character that's fine. But why make a thing of it by inviting these authors or actors in to particularly promote this. There is no reason whatsoever for this.

An author who happens to be gay? And has written books featuring characters who also happen to be gay?

How do you promote homosexuality anyway? You can just tell someone to be gay, it doesn't work like that.

I'm a governor at my child's CofE school. I'm openly non religious. The diocese appointment me in spite of my non religious beliefs.

It saddens me that some still have medieval views on this subject. I hope the teachers do strike over this and that the parents openly support them.

@Viviennemary

If a book happens to have a gay character or a trans character that's fine. But why make a thing of it by inviting these authors or actors in to particularly promote this. There is no reason whatsoever for this.

I have to agree

@Viviennemary

If a book happens to have a gay character or a trans character that's fine. But why make a thing of it by inviting these authors or actors in to particularly promote this. There is no reason whatsoever for this.

Why make a thing about it? Inviting an author in because they write good books that young people like to read isn't 'making a thing about it'. It's inviting in an author. To talk about the books they've written. No other reason needed.

A school that receives taxpayer funding should be abiding by the DfE's mandate of promoting British values - which means inclusivity and tolerance. That means not inviting an author because that author is gay/writes about gay characters is not acceptable.

@Viviennemary

If a book happens to have a gay character or a trans character that's fine. But why make a thing of it by inviting these authors or actors in to particularly promote this. There is no reason whatsoever for this.

So you wouldn't let your child listen to a singer who is gay or watch TV/a movie with a gay actor and then read about him/her when they talk about their partners?

What is if your child has a gay teacher and he/she mentions the partner?

What is if your child has a friend with gay parents?

Being gay is not an illness, you can't catch it by having someone talking about it. But you can teach your child lots about tolerance if you let them realise there is more to love/life than heterosexuality.

I'm pretty sure that would not invite speakers who write about child abuse in positive light

I'd like to agree, but then remember the local school whose priest skipped to Ireland ahead of the police to avoid a child abuse investigation - he gave out that he was "going home to die (of cancer)" but it was just one more lie

That priest is now regularly invited back to take part in the life of the church and school

Majority seems to disagree with this but I am very happy this happened. I know many other parents who would also celebrate this move. I wish my children school had the same approach!

A school that receives taxpayer funding should be abiding by the DfE's mandate of promoting British values - which means inclusivity and tolerance

I very much agree with this, though problems can start if some mistake tolerance for licence

After all that's how the school finished up with "Rainbow Dildo Monkey"

@aspargusaubergine

Majority seems to disagree with this but I am very happy this happened. I know many other parents who would also celebrate this move. I wish my children school had the same approach!

Yeah thank god they banned a gay author for the henious crime of... uh... being gay.

@aspargusaubergine

Majority seems to disagree with this but I am very happy this happened. I know many other parents who would also celebrate this move. I wish my children school had the same approach!

The school booked the author. The church insisted the author be banned. The school and the governors stuck by their booking of the author and wanted the event to go ahead. The church sacked the church-controlled governors.

It wasn’t the school. It was the diocese.