LGBT sex education – Corbyn backs classroom changes
Gay sex should be part of the national curriculum, according to Jeremy Corbyn. The Labour Party leader backed the coverage of same-sex relationships in schools during an interview on Will Young’s Homo Sapiens podcast.
Currently sex education solely focuses on heterosexual couples practicing safe sex and healthy relationships. Teachers are not instructed to address the LGBTQ sexual experience.
During his appearance on the podcast, which was covered by the Gay Times, Corbyn asserted that he is fully behind a reform of the way sex, especially gay sex, is taught in schools. “Sex education should involve same-sex as well as heterosexual relationships – it’s about relationships.”
“Too much of it is not about relationships and understanding each other, having respect for each other and what is a genuine relationship and what’s an exploitative relationship; there’s a big difference. It’s giving young people the confidence to understand that a loving relationship is something to cherish and be proud of. An exploitative relationship is not.”
Host and former pop star Young said growing up gay is made harder by people ignoring it. “That’s very important and it makes me think of pornography. I think it’s so rife and people can get… people have phones when they’re younger now and whether you’re heterosexual or gay, bisexual, whatever – people will formulate their opinions on what a relationship is by watching pornography. People are ashamed to talk about sex. We’re so ashamed to talk about it. It’s about loving and being safe.”
Corbyn added: “And those who were frightened to admit their sexuality because of repression, and that goes back a long way more in history. Lord Byron spent a lot of time in Switzerland because there was no prosecutable law there like there was here at that time, like many others. I think we’ve got to learn from our history. I give Alan Turing as an example, I give Oscar Wilde – there’s a lot of others.”
The Labour leader’s support for the issue comes as politics is increasingly being played out in the classroom. Former Tory Education Minister Justine Greening backed plans for compulsory LGBTQ-inclusive sex and relationships education, however, she is no longer in charge. Her replacement, Damian Hinds, caused controversy earlier this week when he backed the suggestion parents could exclude their children from sex education classes.
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