LGBT+ Muslims to lead Birmingham Pride march alongside Parkfield teacher threatened over equality lessons

‘As a gay Muslim woman, visibility for me is more important than it’s ever been,’ says campaigner

Muslims are to lead the Birmingham Pride parade for the first time this weekend, alongside a gay primary school teacher who has faced threats over his lessons on families with same-sex parents.

Members of the LGBT+ Muslim community will join Andrew Moffat, assistant head at Parkfield Community School, at the front of the parade during an event which is due to attract thousands.

The move comes amid ongoing protests against LGBT+ lessons at primary schools in the city.

Anderton Park primary school, which has been the scene of ongoing protests over LGBT+ equality lessons, was forced to close early on Friday over safety fears as demonstrators stepped up their activities.

Education secretary, Damian Hinds, said it was “unacceptable” that children were missing out on education because of the threat of protests outside the school, as he called for them to end.

Protests first began at Parkfield Community School in February over Mr Moffat’s equality teachings on the existence of same-sex parents, and opposition has since spread across the country.

Saima Razzaq, a gay Muslim from an LGBT+ group set up following the protests, will lead the parade alongside Khakan Quereshi, who runs the Birmingham South Asians LGBT+ group, and Mr Moffat.

Ms Razzaq said: “As a gay Muslim woman, visibility for me is more important than it’s ever been. Whilst the fanfare outside schools continues, protesters need to understand that their actions will have a devastating impact on children from all communities.

“I don’t want to see anymore suicides within the South Asian community. I don’t want anyone to grow up in shame. I don’t want anyone to be forced to choose between their community, their faith or their family to simply be themselves.”

She added: “When Andrew invited Khakan and I to lead the parade with him, we made it our mission to ensure that all our Muslim and South Asian LGBTQI community and allies were going to be marching with us.

“There’s people coming from all over the UK to join in on this historic moment.”

Earlier this week, a senior police chief called for the demonstrations outside Anderton Park to come to an end, as he said they have no place outside primary schools.

Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, has warned that the country is in danger of “going backwards” over LGBT+ equality, especially in light of recent protests outside school gates.

Ms Hunt has called on equality campaigners to make sure their voices are heard, adding that the LGBT+ community cannot afford to be “complacent” over victories.

She added that recent “divisive debates” around LGBT-inclusive education have echoed the conversations that took place when Section 28 – legislation that banned schools from “promoting” homosexuality – was introduced more than 30 years ago.

Her comments came after a Labour Birmingham MP Roger Godsiff said he “understood” parents’ concerns over whether all the material is “age-appropriate” for four- and five-year-olds.