I'm a sex educator. But Shabana Mahmood was right to stand up for her constituents

Last week, Shabana Mahmood, the Labour MP for Birmingham, Ladywood, spoke on behalf of constituents who had complained to her about their children being given lessons on LGBTQ+ matters. Her comments came as parents withdrew hundreds of pupils from Parkfield School last Friday in protest at the “No Outsiders” programme being taught in the school, with a view to promoting LGBT equality. Parents who had protested, she said, were uncomfortable over the appropriateness of the lessons, and felt that their religious freedoms were not being upheld. Mahmood has since been bombarded with accusations that she is ‘spouting homophobia and hate speech’. She was told that her address was a ‘disgusting attempt to resurrect Section 28’. There were many refrains of ‘shame on you’ and, of course, she was asked to resign.

To extrapolate that Mahmood is a homophobe from what she said in the Commons feels disingenuous. She is doing her job, which is to represent her constituents and to provide answers for them when they question government policy and best practice.

To equate support for Section 28 with Mahmood’s call for due process is plain wrong. Section 28 was a specific piece of legislation which prevented any education professional from talking about same sex relationships in a school environment.

Mahmood did not say that the lessons should not to be taught, nor did she say that in her opinion the resources were inappropriate. She relayed the concerns of her constituents, and quoted government guidelines which state that parents should be involved and informed in their children’s Sex and Relationships Education (SRE). So she quite literally did the job we pay her for.

I want to make my position on this kind of education absolutely clear: I’m an educator who teaches Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) every day in schools all over London. The sessions I teach discuss different sexual orientations and gender identities, and avoid referring to heterosexual relationships as the default. I took a young people-led campaign to Parliament in 2016 which asked MPs for compulsory, comprehensive, LGBT inclusive SRE. This was one of the many efforts which led to the updated guidance for mandatory SRE in 2020. I put my heart and soul into my sessions, and I believe that SRE is essential to children’s development, their understanding of themselves and of the world around them. That’s why I want to keep children in lessons, and not give parents any ammunition to withdraw them.Do I think parents have made the right decision here? No, I don’t. Do I think their objections to children knowing that same sex couples exist are justified? Again, I do not. But this isn’t about me and my personal feelings about what some misguided parents may have said. This is about the best interests of the children at Parkfield Community School. The children who have been withdrawn from lessons could potentially be some of the most vulnerable if they are not getting balanced information about sex and relationships at home and at school, and especially if they are LGBT and born into a family where this is not accepted. This is why we need to keep them in these lessons, and do everything we can to prevent their exclusion from them in the future.In this case, parents were not consulted – against government guidelines. I teach in faith schools, and to individuals in mainstream schools who have religious parents. How I have supported schools with this consultation process looks different depending on the circumstances. It could mean I provide a written statement which can be sent to parents to put them at ease, explaining our approach to SRE and how we respect students’ values. I have also had face-to-face meetings with Muslim parents prior to lessons in which they have scrutinised my session plans point by point, detailing exactly what they didn’t want in there and why. As challenging as this was for me professionally, after this meeting I was able to deliver the session as planned, so I’m not exaggerating when I say this process works. Never underestimate the power of acknowledging where someone is coming from and making them feel heard

The central question here is whether or not a child’s right to a balanced education outweighs a parent’s rights to have their religious wishes upheld. Personally, I believe it does, and that is precisely why I am advocating parents involvement here. I know that the best way to reach the most number of young people is to do things properly. Anyone can label their MP a homophobe on Twitter, bask in the short-lived glow of ‘calling someone out’, and then close down their computer without any further thought of the work that goes into reaching society’s most vulnerable children. It takes something more to knuckle down, reach out, and put in the necessary work to provide education for all. Even when it’s uncomfortable.