Johann Hari: Champion Of Divisive Identity Politics Speaks...

I am exhausted. I have spent all week trying to brainwash small children into being gay, by relentlessly inserting…

Woah, Nelly!

… homosexuality into their maths, geography and science lessons.

Whew!

This is, of course, Hari’s fightback against the news that we desperately need to include ‘gay examples’ in maths, science etc to prevent this sort of thing happening:

Every week, I get emails from despairing gay kids who describe being thrown against lockers, scorned by their teachers if they complain, and – in some faith schools – told they will burn in Hell.

And this will be helped by having examples of gay couples in algebra questions how, exactly?

Is it “political correctness” and “McCarthyism” to try to ensure these kids can feel safe in their own schools – or is it basic decency?

No, it’s basic decency – so deal with the issue (which is bullying and assault) with the tools already there for it.

Or is that too difficult?

A few very mild proposals were made this week for how to change the attitudes behind this. They came from an excellent organization called Schools Out, which is run with a small grant from the tax-payer. They gave out a voluntary information pack in which they suggested that, to mark LGBT History Month, teachers acknowledge the existence of gay people in their lessons.

If you are having specific lessons about how everyone, no matter what their lifestyle or beliefs, should be treated with respect, fair enough.

But needlessly incorporating it into unrelated lessons risks calling attention to it, surely?

The Schools Health Education Unit found that homophobic violence was dramatically lower in schools that taught about homosexuality. Good schools like Stoke Newington Secondary that followed this program were assessed to have “virtually eliminated homophobic bullying.”

Oh, really? Pardon me if I find that rather hard to believe. Like Quiet Riot Girl at 'Guardian Watch', I'm a little suspicious of the grandiose claims made by groups like Stonewall.

And I note it states they've virtually eliminated homophobic bullying, not that they've virtually eliminated bullying. Are they simply blurring the definition to meet the target?

In order to justify their desire to discriminate against gay people, the few remaining homophobes have concocted a scenario where they are The Real Victims. They can say what they want, set up churches or mosques that preach what they want…

Whoops! It seems Johann Hari doesn’t even read his own newspaper….

Great timing, Johann!

But, easy as it is to rip Hari to shreds, his message is still disseminated throughout the schools and the 'right-on' teachers are still likely to pick up on it and decide that it's better to go along than risk being thought a 'homophobe' (of which Hari seems to think the UK has many or few, depending on the way the wind blows).

And despite Hari's claims of success for this scheme, I've got my doubts it's as effective as he wants it to be. For one thing, changing attitudes is all well and good, but it takes time. Therefore, it's not a lot of use to the kid getting his head kicked in now.

And this inclusion of gay themes is targeted at LGBT History month, not all year round, thus making it stand out even more.

It's not a difficult thing to get anyone's head round, really:

Is it bad that kids are being bullied because they are gay? Yes.

Is it bad that kids are being bullied because they are fat? Yes.

Is it bad that kids are being bullied because they are nerdy? Yes.

Is it bad that kids are being bullied because they are ginger? Oh, well, maybe... Sorry, no, of course the answer's 'Yes'.

So the inescapable conclusion is that schools need to do more to halt bullying. Not to target one specific identity group.

But that doesn't keep the High Priest of Gayness in a well-paid job, does it?