Gay mother responds to 'anti-LGBT+' protest leader outside school in Birmingham

A gay mother in Birmingham spoke to Muslim protest leader Shakeel Afsar, telling him it isn’t wrong for four-year-old children to know that gay people exist.

More than 300 people protested in front of the gates of Anderton Park Primary School over LGBT-inclusive relationship classes, Sky News reports.

Sky News had been invited by Afsar to join him in the streets and speak to protestors, many of whom come from the local Muslim community.

Afsar, who doesn’t have any children attending the school, just a niece and nephew, has been leading such protests, arguing - both on TV and in front of the school - that four years old is not the age to teach children about "complex relationships", including LGBT+ relationships.

Katy Bennett, who has a five-year-old son and comes from a two-mum family, challenged Afsar on his views.

I live just around the corner from the school. I’m gay. From a two-mum family. I have a five-year-old son. The thing I have problem with is people saying it’s not appropriate for four and five year olds to know that gay people exist.

My son is fully aware that there are many, many different types of people and the issue I have is that no human right, no protected characteristic, trumps another characteristic.

Afsar responded: “Our leaders and our school management have lost touch and they have made this emotional detachment from this community [LGBT+] to ours. We feel that our community is being pushed out. We love these guys [gestures to Bennett] for being human beings and they should love us the same.”

The fact of the matter is we have never pushed our religion onto them or they have never pushed their morals onto us.

Bennett went on to ask Afsar what it was specifically in the curriculum that he opposes.

“A five year old knowing a story that show two mums in it or two dads,” Bennett said.

There are certain other books… 'Princess Boy', ‘Billy and the Frog’... that implies to our children that that moral way of life is acceptable.

Bennett rebuked his point, telling the reporter: “The book that I’m talking about is a beautiful book that simply shows two parents being a parent to their child, giving their child a bath, taking their child on a walk, playing hide and seek. In what way is that not OK for your child to see that?"

People online praised Bennett for her calm and rational points.

Others argued that relationship lessons shouldn't be a "big deal".

And pointed out gay children have a right to learn about gay parents.

Former chief prosecutor and mediator Nazir Afzal told Sky News misinformation is being spread by people with no children at the school, and says there is "nothing in the curriculum that is LGBT-specific. There is nothing about gay sex".

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