Why the Scottish Government’s decision on LGBTI inclusive education is deeply flawed

So the Scottish Government is proud to accept all the recommendations of the LGBTI Inclusive Education Working group, and to embed LGBTI inclusive education in the curriculum. In my opinion this is an appalling decision of which the government, and the other political parties who will no doubt support it, should be thoroughly ashamed. It demonstrates a distinct shallowness of thinking and will promote harm, rather than reduce it.

There is a laudable aim to reduce bullying, and quite rightly so. However, stopping bullying of a certain group of people does not necessitate agreeing with them. The government also wants to stop Islamophobia, does that mean that they think that Islam is right? We should respect all people, but that is not the same as saying everything they do or think is correct.  I teach many Muslim students and love doing so, and like the students, and I do so without agreeing with Islam. We need a much richer notion of tolerance than the shallow version that is currently in vogue.

Then there is the question of whether the education system should be promoting a homosexual lifestyle as a positive choice. Homosexual sex is inherently less safe than heterosexual sex, and the link is to a WebMD page, not one from a religious organisation. While the government is seeking to promote healthy lifestyles in all sorts of other areas, is the current decision really a wise one?