Do CofE schools encourage homophobia?
No. Bullying – whatever form it takes – has no place in schools and staff work to enable all students to learn in an atmosphere free from harassment and antagonism. In particular, discrimination on grounds of race, colour, belief or sexual orientation is usually expressly forbidden with a school’s code of conduct. The Anglican Church’s traditional teaching is that homosexual practice (as distinct from orientation) ‘falls short of the ideal’ expression of sexual love, which should be set within the framework of a faithful marriage. However, this subject is widely debated within the Church. At the appropriate stage within the RE or sex education curriculum, all students, in all schools, should have the opportunity to examine the full range of views, including the different Christian views, and to develop their own considered position.
