Good Morning Britain viewers were left furious when a woman insisted being gay “is a choice”.
Hosts Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway spoke to Christian mum Izzy Montague and gay dad-of-one Tom Cox about whether LGBTQ+ issues should be taught in school.
While Tom believes it should be taught in schools as banning lessons surrounding the issues will make children “ignorant”, Izzy said it should be up to the parents.
‘It’s not about living in a vacuum, it’s about [parents giving kids their own] opinions of the world around us.’
Mum Izzy Montague says it should be up to parents to teach children about subjects like LGBT rights, not schools. pic.twitter.com/T4VBVTVCt7
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) 21 March 2019
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Tom explained: “Homophobia is taught, you are not born with it. You’re born with your sexual preference – you are gay or you’re not.”
But Izzy didn’t agree and said: “I don’t agree that you’re born any way, of course I believe it’s a choice.
“I made a choice on what I believe is right or wrong. I don’t remember ever thinking to myself, ‘Am I gay, am I straight?’ It’s something based on what I believe.
“Even if I was gay, I do think I would personally, based on my belief… I feel that a heterosexual relationship is the right course of action for me.
“No-one has forced you to be in a gay relationship – this is a decision you’ve made.”
Tom hit back: “It’s not a decision. When did you come out as straight?” to which Izzy replied: “I didn’t come out as straight.”
Tom said: “There you go. You were born that way. I think you’re doing your child a disservice by not allowing them to see that families come in all shapes and sizes. We live in such a diverse time.
“There are gay people everywhere so you might be removing them from that situation.
“They could get on a bus and the driver is gay, they are going to be served food in a restaurant by a gay woman, a gay person may be delivering your child’s baby one day.”
Izzy replied: “What makes you think that because I am not saying that the school should do it, my child is going around in a world thinking that nobody is gay.
“I never said I would not teach my child. I’m Christian and we have our own ways of teaching about the world. It’s not about living in a vacuum, it’s about [parents giving kids their own] opinions of the world around us.”
Viewers watching the debate from home were left angry over Izzy’s comments.
One person said on Twitter: “Izzy has said LGBT lessons shouldn’t be taught in schools, that children don’t need to have this forced on them & that being gay is a ‘lifestyle choice’ but you could argue that perhaps children shouldn’t be brought up with a religion as it isn’t their ‘lifestyle choice’ – vile.”
Another wrote: “It’s just homophobic to say/believe it’s a choice to be gay! IT’S NOT – start looking at your language and homophobic statements Izzy! #gayrights #GMB.”
Izzy has said LGBT lessons shouldn’t be taught in schools, that children don’t need to have this forced on them & that being gay is a “lifestyle choice” but you could argue that perhaps children shouldn’t be brought up with a religion as it isn’t their “lifestyle choice” – vile.
— Matt Wright (@IAmMattWright) 21 March 2019
It’s just homophobic to say / believe it’s a choice to be gay ! IT’S NOT – start looking at your language and homophobic statements Izzy! #gayrights #GMB
— KJ Mortimer (@KJLMortimer) 21 March 2019
A third wrote: “Those saying this woman isn’t homophobic: she said gay relationships aren’t right, she called being gay a lifestyle, she said LGBT people made a choice. Her rhetoric was clearly homophobic. Stop making excuses and call it what it is. #GMB #homophobia #ignorance.”
Those saying this woman isn’t homophobic: she said gay relationships aren’t right, she called being gay a lifestyle, she said LGBT people made a choice. Her rhetoric was clearly homophobic. Stop making excuses and call it what it is. #GMB #homophobia #ignorance
— Patricia Marques (@marquesp09) 21 March 2019
My jaw dropped at her views It’s just like we traveled back 50 years
— Morgz (@Morgannaredhead) 21 March 2019
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