{"id":8323,"date":"2015-01-27T20:00:11","date_gmt":"2015-01-27T20:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/?p=8323"},"modified":"2015-01-27T20:00:11","modified_gmt":"2015-01-27T20:00:11","slug":"plans-lgbt-school-britain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/plans-lgbt-school-britain\/","title":{"rendered":"Plans for LGBT School in Britain"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"If<\/a>
If approved, a gay-friendly school could open in Manchester within the next three years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Plans to open the first LGBT school in Britain\u00a0were revealed last week.<\/p>\n

The school, which would open in Manchester, is\u00a0designed<\/strong> <\/a>for students age 13 and up who are bullied or otherwise struggling in mainstream schools.<\/p>\n

If approved, the school could open its doors<\/strong><\/a> within the next three years. From the plans outlined so far, the school would have the capacity for 40 full-time students and 20 part-time students, with part-time students attending the mainstream school if they wish.<\/p>\n

The Department for Communities and Local Government, which is looking into an alternative education for LGBT students, donated \u00a363,000 for a \u201cfeasibility study.\u201d This study will assess demand<\/strong><\/a> for the institution and help purchase the community centre from the Manchester City Council.<\/p>\n

A Manchester City Council spokeswoman said:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe supported LGBT Youth NW in their bid for funding to look at the feasibility of expanding their premises and developing the work they do,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of their development ambitions is around how they might make additional educational support available to LGBT young people. We\u2019ve had an initial discussion with them about that but there are no current plans that we\u2019re aware of to open a LGBT school in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Critics have lambasted the idea as lawful segregation that would inhibit tolerance efforts, not help them.
\nTom Loughton, Tory MP and former education minister, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to do a lot more to combat homophobic bullying and to create a more tolerant society.
\n\u201cBut I cannot see how segregating a group of young people identified by their sexuality can aid better engagement and understanding.<\/p>\n

“The way to achieve more integration, understanding and empathy is not by segregating members of one group, and this would seem to me to be a step backwards from achieving tolerance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Nuttall, educational spokesman and UKIP deputy leader stated: ‘This idea does nothing but foster division.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time that successive governments have closed all but a few special schools, why this sudden exception, if not for reasons of political correctness?<\/p>\n

\u201cIntegration is the key to understanding, and it is utterly bizarre to be taking a step that highlights differences and adds nothing of value to a child\u2019s education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said<\/strong><\/a>: \u201cThere is simply no way that we will approve a free school specifically for LGBT young people.<\/p>\n

\u201cPupils regardless of their sexuality should be educated in mainstream schools which should be equipped to tackle any bullying that should occur.\u201d<\/p>\n

Director for the LGBT Youth North West, Amelia Lee, said this school is \u201cnot about making a little, safe enclave away from the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n

She argued that right now the education system \u201csets up 5%-10% of pupils to fail\u201d because the structure does not take the needs of LGBT students into account.<\/p>\n

In addition, Lee said that the school would be \u201cLGBT inclusive, but not exclusive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Writing in the Gay Star News, Elly Barnes argued<\/strong> <\/a>that \u201ceducation is key to eradicating all forms of discrimination including those of different gender and sexual diversities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Founder and CEO of \u201cEducate to Celebrate\u201d believes that creating an LGBT-friendly school in Manchester will help, but it is not the long-term answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking ALL schools LGBT-friendly is the solution. Giving all teachers, staff and parents the confidence, training and resources to change ingrained attitudes amd make positive institutional change; this is the way forward to achieving social justice in the education system.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe key is to make LGBT-Friendly schools though delivering training to all staff, updating policies, creating resources for an LGBT-Inclusive curriculum, increasing visibility in the environment and engaging the community in events.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Carr, Founder and Operational Director of LGBT Youth NW told Christian Today<\/strong><\/a> that because the school is open to all students, not just LGBT students, the criticism of creating a gay \u201cghetto\u201d is misplaced.<\/p>\n

“Much like you would expect Christian schools to be absent of prejudice towards Christianity, this would be a school free from homophobia, transphobia and biphobia. These things have no place in modern British society.”<\/p>\n

Carr also believes that Christians can help prevent gay children from being bullied in UK schools.<\/p>\n

“I think Christians, particularly straight Christians, need to listen more than we speak,” she said. “There’s a need to listen to young LGBT people, and if they say that the current system is not working we need to take that seriously. We need to change the system so that future LGBT people are able to live and find God and find that God loves them, both at work and at play and at church.<\/p>\n

“That has to be our highest priority, keeping young people from giving up on life and giving up on God.”<\/p>\n

David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, agreed that LGBT students in mainstream schools could use extra support. He said that \u201cthe Church of England has made its position very clear that we strongly oppose homophobic bullying in schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are committed to eliminating homophobic bullying in all Church of England Schools and we produce national resources and guidance for teachers to use.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever we recognise that other schools are not there yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf pupils are being bullied because of their sexual orientation I would support alternative provision for them within the council\u2019s service.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rev Sally Hitchiner, who founded Diverse Church, a support network that allows LGBT Christians to connect, believes\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>this proposed school could help struggling LGBT students.<\/p>\n

“I think it’s a tragedy that it’s needed,” she said, “but for students involved it might be a lifeline. Far too many LGBT students face misunderstanding and isolation to the point that some of take their own lives.<\/p>\n

“However, I think the highest priority has to be enabling every school in the country to be a supportive and safe place for all of its people.”<\/p>\n

Amelia Lee will wait until after the general election to move forward with an application to the school. If approved, students would be able to start in about three years.The grant received from the Department for Communities and Local Government said the grant was not to set up the school, but only to help purchase the community centre from the Manchester City Council.<\/p>\n

The plans for this school are based on the Harvey Milk School<\/strong><\/a> in New York, which is designed for, but not exclusive to, LGBT students. It is named after Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to a public office in America.<\/p>\n

Lee secured a meeting with Department of Education officials after visiting the Harvey Milk School last year.<\/p>\n

While it is true that as Christians we are to love and minister to one another, there is a difference between loving someone and turning a blind eye to their sin. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:9: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.” Another name for “abusers of themselves with mankind is homosexuality. The Bible clearly teaches that people who practice these sins will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But if they repent of this sin, He will be faithful and just to forgive them their sin and cleanse them from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).<\/p>\n

Find out how to join Christian Voice and stand up for the King of kings (clicking on the link below does not commit you to join)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Plans to open the first LGBT school in Britain\u00a0were revealed last week. The school, which would open in Manchester, is\u00a0designed for students age 13 and up who are bullied or otherwise struggling in mainstream schools. If approved, the school could open its doors within the next three years. From the plans outlined so far, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,184],"tags":[1397,1396],"class_list":["post-8323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homosexuality-trans","category-uk-christian-constitution","tag-lgbt-youth-north-west","tag-manchester"],"aioseo_notices":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Robin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/author\/robin\/"},"rttpg_comment":10,"rttpg_category":"Homosexuality & Trans<\/a> UK Christian Constitution<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Plans to open the first LGBT school in Britain\u00a0were revealed last week. The school, which would open in Manchester, is\u00a0designed for students age 13 and up who are bullied or otherwise struggling in mainstream schools. If approved, the school could open its doors within the next three years. From the plans outlined so far, the…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8323\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}