RENFREWSHIRE Council has apologised after a drag queen with “social media content” not “appropriate for children” was invited to speak at a primary school event marking LGBT History month.
FlowJob - who was introduced to children as Flow - was addressing the Glencoats Primary Rainbow Club.
But when Michelle Watson, the headteacher of the Paisley school posted a tweet thanking the drag act for coming into the school some parents raised concerns.
Watson told the Paisley Daily Express that “invite a drag queen into school to talk about her experiences growing up and her job” was top of the list of requests from the Rainbow Club.
She added: “Flow met with (pupils) and parent council members and Mhairi Black to discuss what it was like growing up during Section 28 when it was illegal for school staff to talk about anything LGBT.”
Flow’s social media includes pictures of the performer simulating a sex act with a dildo.
There’s also a picture of EastEnders star Ian Beale being throttled by Max Branning with the caption “I need a Daddy like this”.
One parent told the Daily Star: “While I don’t agree with the abuse being given, my kids go to this school, there was no information fed to parents about this happening.
“Surely that’s a parents choice?
“I’m not opposed to learning about LGBT, but my seven-year old doesn’t need to know what a drag queen is and certainly not the one they had in.”
SNP MP Mhairi Black (below), who also attended the event, hit back at the critics, accusing them of homophobia.
She said: “You just know that the people pretending to be livid that a drag queen read a book in a school in my mentions [right now] are also the people who run out to buy their kids the latest Grand Theft Auto on release day.
“Your homophobia is transparent.”
The Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP added: “If my school had invited a gay MP and a drag queen to visit during LGBT History Month, or even acknowledged that LGBT History Month existed, it would have made an immeasurable difference to the difficult childhoods my LGBT classmates and I had.
“Yet so many people in my mentions want acknowledgment of LGBT people shut down because you still think there’s something inappropriate in our existence.
“You’re willing to see another generation of LGBT people growing up believing that who they are should be hidden away.
“Never mind the fact that doing so in the past has left a massively disproportionate number of LGBT people, generation after generation including my own, suffering severe mental health problems and higher suicide rates.”
She added: “I completely applaud @PS_Glencoats for putting on such a great day, and I’m so grateful to have been invited along.”
There was support too from LGBT groups. LGBT Youth Scotland tweeted: “We’re horrified to see the abusive messages and tweets targeting Glencoats Primary School for their bold and brilliant LGBT inclusive education practices. We are proud to work with their pioneering headteacher, and recognise the school as an example to others across the country.”
A Renfrewshire Council spokeswoman apologised for Flow’s appearance: “Learning about values including equalities and diversity has an important role in the school curriculum.
“All school visits are arranged and managed with the wellbeing of pupils first and foremost however it is clear in this case, the social media content associated with the speaker’s stage persona is not appropriate for children and had we been aware of this, the visit would not have been arranged.
“We are sorry for the concern this has caused and are investigating.”
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