Cape Town - The ACDP in the Western Cape raised eyebrows and had members of the Provincial Legislature squirming in their seats as they spoke out against homosexual education in schools, describing the proposal as “nauseating”.
ACDP MPL Ferlon Christians, during a sitting of the Western Cape Legislature last week, said the party strongly “disagrees, rejects and condemns” the statements made by the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce’s psycho-social manager, Dr Gordon Isaacs, that high schools should teach pupils about homosexual sex.
Christians said it was “nauseating” that Isaacs suggested that the syllabus should include gay sex education, including discussions on “penetration, anal sex, oral sex, frottage and kissing”.
Calling on the Western Cape government not to condone, support or normalise “sin”, Christians said pupils should be “discourage to engage in homosexual sex”.
“God has given sex to us to glorify him and to fulfil his design for pro-creation. Genesis 1:28 says ‘and God bless them and God said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it’.
“So the purpose of sex is to glorify God and to bring forth children,” he said.
Preaching the ACDP’s position on homosexuality, Christians said the party was in agreement with the Bible that “homosexuality is a sin before God”.
And quoting from the book of Corinthians, Christians said neither the “sexually immoral, nor idolaters,nor adulterers, nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God”.
Responding to the ACDP’s criticism, Isaacs explained that his earlier statements were made in the context of teaching the broad spectrum of “human sexuality and sexual health in schools”.
This should have a component of lesbian – bisexual, gay and transgender and intersex – and gender – non conforming sexuality, identity and orientation in the relevant component of the syllabus.
“To believe that speaking about gay sex, especially as it unfolds during adolescence, is taboo and ‘dirty’, attests to the naiveté and even fear of those who believe it should not be spoken about.”
This, he said, was tantamount to denial and contradicting the human rights of persons to express their sexuality as a right, and with due dignity, and acceptance.
Isaacs added that in contemporary and relevant thinking, and current research – including progressive theological pedagogic advances – it should be abundantly clear that homosexuality is not a choice.
Gay identity, gender and expression of fantasy, desire and sexuality is an integral part of adolescent development, and should be addressed within the context of human sexuality and diversity.
Isaacs said: “It is astounding, when one still requests condoms and lubrication be distributed, and safer, responsible sex-risk reduction to be taught in schools for gay, lesbian and bi-sexual, transgender and straight learners that objections are raised with parochial responses that it promotes sexual activities.”
Isaacs added that homo-prejudice and even homophobia within the broader social context can negatively impact on gay identity and development, leading to stigma, violence and in some cases rape, and the possibility of HIV and STI’s.
The ANC said it was better that Christians reserves “his prejudice for his home and church”, adding that the vulgar references clearly did not go well with all in the chamber.
“The legislature is hardly a place where he can preach, read scriptures and criticise on this topic as he took an oath to uphold the constitution which is liberal, tolerant and not discriminatory,” party spokesman, Cobus Grobler said.
Cape Argus