Some schools in Northern Ireland are teaching pupils that homosexuality is wrong, a new report says. An investigation by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission into relationships and sex education (RSE) provision found that a third of post-primary schools would use lessons to state that "heterosexual relationships was the 'main' or 'ideal' context for sexual intimacy".
One school even told the commission that "the belief that homosexual acts are against the nature and purpose of human relationships will be presented to pupils". The report says: "Actively promoting heterosexuality as the ideal in... RSE curriculum content contributes to the marginalisation and stigmatisation of non-heterosexual identities and experiences."
The report also says: "Most schools either explicitly or implicitly promoted heteronormativity in their RSE policies. Approximately one third of schools explicitly stated that their school would teach pupils that heterosexual relationships was the “main” or “ideal” context for sexual intimacy, with one school stating that it was “the most desirable option for a person’s psychological development”. Some schools even outline their beliefs that “homosexuality” is wrong."
