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Phillip Schofield hits out at anti-LGBTQ+ education protester on 'This Morning'

Phillip Schofield has hit out at an anti-LGBTQ+ education protestor, who has been accused of ‘poisoning children’s minds’.

Shakeel Afsar appeared on This Morning today to explained why he is leading the protests against Anderson Park Primary School in Birmingham.

Pupils have been kept away from the school, however, after the protests turned violent.

During the debate, Schofield and co-host Holly Willoughby also spoke to Melissa Thompson, who is against the protests and has described them as homophobic.

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby debate LGBTQ+ eduction with guest on This Morning (ITV)
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby debate LGBTQ+ eduction with guest on This Morning (ITV)

Schofield soon took aim at Afsar for discriminating against the LGBTQ+ community, claiming he was encouraging children to be less tolerant.

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“You are discriminating, because what you’re doing is encouraging children to be less tolerant,” he said. “Thankfully, children are much more inclusive nowadays. That generation will probably, potentially, possibly reject your views and you will widen the gap between generations.”

Shakeel Afsar is leading the protests against LGBTQ+ education at a primary school in Birmingham (ITV)
Shakeel Afsar is leading the protests against LGBTQ+ education at a primary school in Birmingham (ITV)

To which Afsar replied: “With all due respect to what you’ve said, that’s exactly how [some of the] parents are feeling. They’re feeling that the LGBT community has become intolerable towards them and their religious beliefs.

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A furious Thompson interjected: “I find it really rich that you use words such as intolerance. It's hugely damaging to the LGBT community. She then added that he was “poisoning children” with his comments.

Guest Melissa Thompson described the protests as homophobic (ITV)
Guest Melissa Thompson described the protests as homophobic (ITV)

Earlier this week, Birmingham MP Jess Phillips took to Twitter to condemn the protests, writing: Our equalities laws protect us all. I will not be called aggressive for wanting to protect all of the community, Muslims too.

“This is doing deep damage to the Muslim community and these protestors do not represent Birmingham.”