Piers Morgan has slammed the parents protesting against LGBT lessons in schools and said they’re “driven by homophobia”.
On today’s Good Morning Britain, the presenter engaged a journalist in a discussion about the Muslim parents withdrawing their children from schools in Birmhingham over fears about LGBT issues being taught.
Read more: Piers Morgan clashes with Janet Street Porter before asking her very intimate question
So far dozens of parents have taken their children from five schools and many more have been gathering outside Parkfield Community School to protest its No Outsiders inclusiveness and diversity programme, introduced by assistant head teacher Andrew Moffat.
They argue that Mr Moffat, who is gay, is promoting his personal beliefs, and as parents it’s up to them what is and isn’t taught to their children when it comes to relationships and sexuality.
Speaking on GMB, journo Dilly Hussain asserted that it every parent’s right to fight against lessons that don’t align with their personal beliefs.
He told Piers it doesn’t count as homophobia because the parents aren’t inciting “violence and hatred”.
Parents resorted to protesting and withdrawing their children, Dilly said, due to a “breakdown in communication” and “lack of consultation”, adding that no parent “in the right state of mind” would willingly “deprive their child of education”.
Piers interrupted him and said the Muslim parents involved believe “being gay is inherently wrong” due to their beliefs, and asked Dilly: “You’re a Muslim, is homosexuality in your view a sin?”
Dilly, who remained calm throughout the discussion, admitted that from the standpoint of his faith, being gay is a sin. But he clarified that this viewpoint still allows him to “coexist peacefully” with people of different sexualities.
Piers clapped back: “You’re not coexisting in peace, you’re making very vocal protests. You’re taking kids out of schools and I think it’s not so much driven by the reasons you say, but it’s driven by homophobia, which is not that peaceful.”
Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw, who was also on the show, insisted that the parents involved had behaved “disgracefully” and said the lessons should be reinstated.
Parkfield Community School said previously that lessons would continue as normal after Easter holidays, but later backtracked on that decision and said it would not be taught until a resolution is reached.
Read more: Piers Morgan believes Geri Horner is ‘panicking’ about Mel B’s one-night stand confession
According a BBC News report, Ofsted found no evidence the No Outsiders lessons are taught in a way that is not age-appropriate.
The No Outsiders programme, developed in 2014, aims to educate youngsters on accepting the differences we see across society.
In addition to LGBT issues, it covers race, religion, age, disabilities and gender identity.
What’s your take on the Parkfield protests? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.