Cardiff University sex education talk cancelled after concerns

Under the current Welsh curriculum, sex and relationships education must be taught in secondary schools, but is optional in primary schools

An event involving a psychologist who has claimed sex and relationship education could cause children "harm" has been cancelled by a university.

Dr Kate Godfrey-Faussett is being investigated by the British Psychological Society after saying the lessons were part of an effort of "queering" of the Muslim community.

But she was invited to speak on the lessons by the Muslim Council of Wales.

Cardiff University said the event had not followed its booking procedure.

The Muslim Council of Wales' Eventbrite page for the event describes Dr Godfrey-Faussett's seminar as "eye-opening."

The British Psychological Society expressed "concerns" about her comments. She has previously said Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) lessons were part of a concerted effort of "queering the Muslim community" and called being transgender a "mass delusion".

She has claimed that RSE could lead to "psychological damage, spiritual damage and also physical harm" to children.

Dr Kate Godfrey-Faussett spoke about her Stop RSE campaign earlier this year

Dr Godfrey-Faussett told the 5Pillars website she has been misrepresented by the media and that Muslim and non-Muslim parents are "increasingly concerned that Relationship and Sex Education is promoting LGBT lifestyles to children as young as four".

RSE lessons have been controversial in England after protests by parents in England spread around the country.

The Welsh Government have recently completed consultations on curriculum reform in which they have mooted the possibility of ending the right of parents to withdraw children from religious education and RSE classes.

They are also planning to introduce age appropriate RSE lessons in state primary schools.

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The Muslim Council of Wales defended their decision to invite Dr Godfrey-Faussett to speak at the event which they said was to provide "information and guidance" on the proposed changes.

It said it was "reassured that she is committed to respectful and accurate dialogue on the sensitive topic of sex education in schools".

"There should be no question that LGBT communities in Wales should be free to live and love whom they wish, without fear of attack, censure, or abuse."

Jenny Rathbone expressed concerns that the event would be "contrary to community cohesion".

But Shavanah Taj, president of the Wales TUC and equalities campaigner, criticised the choice of speaker.

"What will the right wing make of this? If Muslims are seen to be supporting bigotry by default that's not a good thing," she said. "There's no hierarchy with minority rights."

It is unclear whether MCW intends to go ahead with the event at a different venue now that Cardiff University has cancelled.

'Unwarranted distress'

The retiring Chair of Pride Cymru, Lu Thomas, has written to the MCW urging them to call it off.

She said: "We are concerned that hosting such a controversial figure in Wales may cause unwarranted distress and concern within our diverse and inclusive communities in Wales, and are increasingly mindful that we do not wish to see a spread of the deeply divisive and damaging protests as seen most recently in Birmingham, coming to Wales especially as it would be promoted by MCW."

The Cardiff Central assembly member, Jenny Rathbone, had written to the vice-chancellor of Cardiff University expressing concern that hosting an event with Kate Godfrey-Faussett would cause "unnecessary anxiety" and "be contrary to community cohesion".

Cardiff University's LGBT+ Society committee welcomed the cancellation. Her comments, it said, "contribute nothing of value to the discourse on the topics at hand and serve only to damage the children who she claims to be protecting".

The university said that, while the event was not organised by them, "differing and often controversial views can be brought forward, listened to and challenged at universities".

But it said due diligence procedures had not been followed during the booking process and the university would not allow the event to go ahead.