I must be dreaming, because I swear section 28 was repealed but it feels like we’ve gone back in time.

Four schools in Birmingham have stopped teaching children that LGBTQ people exist. Hundreds of homophobic parents are protesting outside one school instead of letting their children just have an education – any flipping education at this point – and even MPs like Andrea Leadsom are agreeing with these homophobes.

And make no mistake, these parents are homophobic. These lessons are age appropriate and covers every aspect of diversity – including race and religion. If I went down to my kids school and protesting cause my kid was being taught about religion I would be a bigot. This is no tdifferent.

When I was a kid, me and my sister were picked on in school cause my mum was perceived to be a lesbian. Teaching kids that parents like mine exist, parents like me exist, helps prevent kids from being bullied. Teaching kids about diversity helps stop kids being bullied cause they are gay or black or a Muslim.

You’d think people would be in favour of something like that.

We Exist

Not teaching kids that LGBTQ people exist and have relationships doesn’t make us go away. I’m not going to suddenly disappear cause they refuse to let their kids know I’m in a same-sex relationship. I’m not suddenly going to be straight or cis because they don’t want their kid to face reality and not turn into the bigot they obviously are.

The knowledge of LGBTQ people isn’t going to turn anyone gay either. If I thought for one second I could turn people queer I would quit my job and travel the country throwing glitter on people going “poof, now you’re gay,” before skipping off in my rainbow onesie like some demented pride pixie. You can’t turn people LGBTQ anymore than you can turn them black.

The idea that parents should be able to choose if and when they are taught about LGBTQ people is a fine line, but you if you wouldn’t say the same thing about race or religion then it’s a homophobic argument. Avoiding the topic doesn’t make it go away and kids will come into contact with LGBTQ everyday everywhere. Parents, teachers, doctors, family…friends.

We’re not hiding anymore, we’re not going away and we’re not going to take any more of this abuse.

An Open Letter.

To the parents protesting outside Parkfield school and Andrea Leadsom, below is my letter to you. It’s not as good as some of the others out there but it is succinct.

Fuck you. And fuck your homophobia.

Yours,

A bisexual genderfluid parent

A song for you…

Written by Ren Skalka for Queer Little Family.

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