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Councillor received threats over Welsh sex education curriculum support

09 Nov 2022 3 minute read
Gwynedd councillor Beca Brown says she has been threatened over her support for new relationship and sex education (RSE) teaching.

A Welsh councillor says she has been threatened – and even called a ‘paedo lover’ – over her support for new Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) teaching in Wales.

Gwynedd Plaid Cymru councillor Beca Brown says she has been abused online and called a “paedo lover”.

The Welsh government policy is a mandatory element of the Curriculum for Wales Framework, and is the statutory guidance for headteachers, governing bodies and LEAs.

The response to the sex education changes became heated in Gwynedd earlier this year, after police were called to a council meeting on the subject.

The public gallery was cleared by police and councillors were held back in the Gwynedd Council chamber for ‘safety reasons’ at the end of the highly charged meeting on Thursday, August 25.

The meeting came as some parents threatened to withdraw their children from schools amid a campaign by the Public Child Protection Wales group (PCPW).

A graphic leaflet distributed by the group alleged that the curriculum could introduce young children to ideas such as “self-stimulation, masturbation, bondage and anal sex”.

But a Welsh Government spokesperson described the leaflet as “full of misinformation and unevidenced, incorrect claims”, and said children would “only learn topics that are appropriate to their age and development”.

Threats

“There’s been a lot of negative public response, but privately, many people have been supportive,” Cllr Brown told Newyddion S4C.

“We’ve been called – some of us [councillors]- paedophiles. I’ve been called a ‘paedo lover’.

“I’ve been threatened, too. Someone said I’d put a rope around my own neck by supporting the code. Someone else said I deserved the death penalty.”

She went on to say: “The police have been here to talk to me about safety measures – what I can do to keep myself and my home safe.

“That wasn’t something I’d expected when I took charge of the council’s education portfolio.”

‘Abhorrent’

Welsh Conservative Shadow Local Government Minister, Sam Rowlands MS said: “The abuse received by local elected representatives is abhorrent. I have raised this in the Senedd chamber and it is clear to me that there still is not enough being done to protect councillors’ safety.

“Welsh Conservatives stand wholeheartedly with parents and their right to choose what their own children are taught, with the option to opt-out of RSE lessons if they feel they are not age appropriate.

“Others will have differing views and have the right to air them without the fear of abuse or threats. The Labour Government, while respecting the legitimate concerns of parents, need to do far more to support councillors in their plight to stand up for and represent their local communities.”


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Cathy Jones
Cathy Jones
1 year ago

The far-right uses disinformation campaigns to turn people against one another.
The distributors of this leaflet and the various stickers I have seen need to be found and be made to be held responsible for their actions.
We will see more outrages like this in the future. Education is the best defence against such evil f****y.

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
1 year ago

Absolutely deplorable! The police need to be doing much more to protect our elected politicians from these dangerous far right cranks

hdavies15
hdavies15
1 year ago
Reply to  Leigh Richards

Some of us with left leaning views also have reservations about the implementation of RSE in schools. It’s far too simplistic to dismiss people as far right cranks. Those cranks may exist but no way are they a majority.

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
1 year ago
Reply to  hdavies15

I was referring to those making threats against people like beca brown (not people yourself ). On the point of far right cranks sad to say a couple of notorious far right bigots in wales tried to piggyback on this issue – helped in no small part by some people closely involved in the opposition to RSE in welsh schools frequently appearing on the odious pair’s now banned youtube channel.

Y Tywysog Lloegr a Moscow
Y Tywysog Lloegr a Moscow
1 year ago

I’m getting pretty sick of these utter mongs who make anonymous death threats every time someone says something that enrages them.
It’s pathetic. We need to find a way to expel them from the gene pool.

The Original Mark
The Original Mark
1 year ago

When you trigger these “christian” groups, you know you’re doing something right, These groups are taking a lead from the US far right christian fundamentalists and funding. This isn’t free speech it’s hate speech,

I.Humphrys
I.Humphrys
1 year ago

Education should be the priority, not propaganda by “progressives”.
If we on the “far right” are in the minority, then we should establish private schools which teach STEM. (Children who feel out of things, can still be sympathetically helped.)
When we become the majority, votes wise, progressives can feel free to do the same.

Last edited 1 year ago by I.Humphrys
CapM
CapM
1 year ago
Reply to  I.Humphrys

Surely for their welfare and that of society all children need to have access to education about sex, gender diversity and health issues.

Kal
Kal
1 year ago

I’m a teacher with over two decades of experience and what makes my blood boil is the assumption that teachers are out to corrupt our young people. I’m a big advocate of sex education because to me it’s like telling your child to go and play outside but not bothering to teach them the green cross code.

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