McCann says ''homophobic'' Love for Life should not be funded
by Ian Parsley

The Socialist Environmental Alliance candidate for Europe, Eamonn McCann, yesterday called on education authorities not to consider funding the Love for Life organisation unless it removes what McCann called homophobic references from its website.

The website contains an entire section giving advice to young people who are or think they may be gay, said McCann. Its main point is to urge them to “change”. The section is shot through with distaste for gay sexuality. It presents homosexuality as a phase or aberration, or a condition brought about by trauma. It is designed to make any young gay person feel anxious and isolated.

The website directs young people with queries about their sexuality towards a number of Jewish and Christian Church-based groups. It does not refer to a single one of the many gay and lesbian organisations, which provide support, information and advice to young people. It would be wrong that a group with such an irresponsible attitude to gay and lesbian young people should be given access to school students. It would be doubly wrong if this were to be funded by the State.

Gay young people already have to put up with a great deal of ignorance, hostility and bullying. Love for Life could only aggravate the situation.