The UK government should reconsider the funding of faith schools if they stigmatise LGBT relationships, secular campaigners have said. It follows the cancellation of a planned visit by gay author Simon James Green to The John Fisher School in Croydon, south London.
As reported in the i newspaper, Mr Green was due to visit the Catholic boys' secondary school on Monday for World Book Day to discuss his award-winning novel, Noah Can't Even, which features a gay character. Southwark Archdiocese, which oversees the school, said in a statement from education director Simon Hughes that "from time to time materials and events emerge for consideration that fall outside the scope of what is permissible in a Catholic school".
"In such circumstances, we have no alternative but to affirm our unequivocal and well-known theological and moral precepts and to act in accordance with them," the statement added. "The book-signing event scheduled for 7 March 2022 at The John Fisher School, Purley is one such event and we have recommended that the school's leaders cancel it."
