The Inclusion of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Relationships Education

Abstract

All primary schools in England are under a statutory requirement to provide ‘relationships education’, which includes ‘lgbt content’. The inclusion of content relating to sexual orientation and gender identity has attracted faith-based opposition. Such opposition, which is based on assertions about relationships education interfering with the right of parents to ensure that the education of their children is in conformity with their religious convictions, is likely to lead to legal action in the English courts and perhaps the European Court of Human Rights. This article anticipates the claims that would be made in any such legal action and critically interrogates them through the lens of the European Convention on Human Rights.