The Big, Bad Mummy and Daddy Who Spoiled The Story

WE'RE ALWAYS HEARING stories about homophobia in the education system, often perpetrated by educators themselves. Remember Andre Jackson (left) kissing his boyfriend on a page of the school yearbook, and the resulting hoo-ha? Or the high school senior who told her principal that students were taunting her for being a lesbian? He proceeded to condemn homosexuality, outed her to her parents and ordered her to stay away from children. Here in London, we do things a little differently. In fact, completely the opposite. At George Tomlinson School in Leytonstone, east London, a fairytale about a prince who turns down three princesses before falling in love with one of their brothers is being taught to children as part of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month. Children also enjoyed an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, retitled Romeo and Julian. That's not what's making headlines, however. The parents (yawn) of the impressionable kiddies are determined to ensure their spawn grow up to be as bigoted as they themselves are. 30 children were absent for the week in which LGBT were taught. But that's not the story either (bile-inducing as it is). No, kids, our fairytale has a hero, and it's called Waltham Forest Council (okay, I didn't say it was a very sexy or even a very exciting hero, did I?). Waltham Forest Council says the absences were unauthorised and that the parents responsible will be punished (although it didn't say how). Parents of truant children can be prosecuted and can be - and very often are - imprisoned. If there's any justice, the parents who removed their children will be thrown in jail, and the children fostered to loving, tolerant gay parents. That's what I'd do, anyway. Elsewhere - Parents face prosecution over 'gay' education class protest Elsewhere - Student's Gay Kiss Photo Struck from NJ School Yearbook Elsewhere - US school district sued over homophobic 'witch hunt'