Christian teachers who tell pupils that gay marriages is “wrong” should have anti-terror banning orders used against them, a Tory MP has argued.
Mark Spencer has called on Extremism Disruption Orders (EDOs), which were introduced by the Government to crack down on hate preachers and terrorist propagandists, to be used to stop children being taught that same-sex marriage is a sin.
The MP for Sherwood made the comments when responding to an email from a constituent who was flagging claims by the Christian Institute campaign group that EDOs could be used against people who believe only men and women should marry, The Telegraph reported.
Mr Spencer responded that he believes that “everybody in society has a right to free speech and to express their views without fear of persecution”, and said EDOs will “guarantee” these principals.
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He then gave the example of discussing gay marriage in schools, and said the belief that same-sex marriage is wrong could constitute “hate speech” in some contexts.
The MP went on to tell his constituent that while teachers can express their own views towards marriage, they cannot specifically teach that same-sex marriage is a sin.
The Government introduced the EDOs in the Queen’s Speech in May in order to stop people in positions of authority from radicalising the young. They were previously put forward in Parliament in March, but were vetoed by the Liberal Democrats who argued they threatened free speech.
The letter has emerged as newly appointed Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron faced pressure from a Tory MP to disclose whether he believes homosexuality is a sin. She made the call after he said he supports LGBT rights but did not say whether or not being gay is sin when asked three time on Channel 4 News.
In an interview with Pink News, Dinenage herself admitted that she regretted comments she made around the time same-sex marriage legislation was passing through Parliament.
At the time, she said it was not for Government to redefine marriage and voted against the plans on one occasion. But she stressed that she wanted represent her constituents' views, not her own.
Additional reporting by PA
