Sex education: Givan criticised for meeting Christian group, not LGBTQ+ charity

The education minister has been criticised by an LGBTQ+ charity for not discussing relationship and sex education (RSE) with it, but meeting representatives from the Christian Institute on the same topic.

Paul Givan met the religious group on Monday.

Representatives from the Rainbow Project were asked to meet with department officials instead.

A spokesperson for the charity said they were "extremely disappointed".

The Department of Education has been approached for comment.

The Rainbow Project and HereNI made a joint request to speak with Mr Givan on the topic of inclusion of LGBTQ+ young people in education, and particularly in any updated RSE curriculum, a Rainbow Project spokesperson told BBC News NI.

They said the request was turned down and instead they met Department of Education (DE) officials on 12 March.

Subsequently, Mr Givan accommodated a group from the Christian Institute - a nondenominational charity that states that it is opposed to abortion, homosexuality and "transgender ideology".

The Christian Institute believes "all sex outside marriage is wrong".

"This means that fornication, adultery and homosexual practice are wrong," the charity's website states.

A spokesperson for the Rainbow Project said it did not oppose Mr Givan meeting the Christian Institute delegation but was "extremely disappointed to see that, while the minister delegated a meeting with LGBTQIA+ organisations on the topic of RSE provision, he chose to meet with others with a very different view".

LGBTQ+ young people "rarely see themselves represented in the curriculum" and appropriate RSE is "an important tool to reduce social and sexual health inequalities," they added.

"If the minister and others across the executive wish to be a government for all in Northern Ireland, the deeds need to match the words and a diversity of voices should be heard to ensure evidence-based decision making.

"We're concerned that the progress being made will fall short of what's really needed: comprehensive, inclusive and evidence-based RSE, which meets the needs of all young people at all stages of development."

The Christian Institute said all queries should be directed to the department.

In June, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris laid new regulations in Parliament on RSE.

The new regulations make it compulsory for all post-primary schools in Northern Ireland to teach pupils about access to abortion and prevention of early pregnancy.

Mr Givan supported his Democratic Unionist Party's campaign objecting to the changes.

In a social media post in 2023, Mr Givan said "radicals" were seeking to use the changes to "bring forward their woke agenda".

In January, Northern Ireland's post-primary schools were given guidance on how to deliver classes on sex education following a public consultation.