SOUTH Dorset MP Richard Drax has been criticised for stating that plans to include lessons on homosexuality on the curriculum were ‘imposing questionable sexual standards on the young’ .

The Conservative MP said plans to include lessons on homosexuality for children as young as four “pushes political correctness to new bounds”.

Mr Drax was forced to rethink and withdraw the comments made on his personal website blog, but figureheads from the gay community said they found the remarks offensive.

Chris Kendrick, owner of Café Jagos in Dorchester, who organises the annual Gay Pride event there, said: “Those lessons could help stamp out homophobia at an early age.”

The lessons have been designed by teachers working with Schools Out – a Government funded agency trying to encourage equality in education for gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Schools are being given the choice to use the lessons to include homosexual people.

Mr Drax criticised the efforts to “celebrate the gay community” and said teaching children to “read, write and add up is far more important.”

Helen Walsh, from the Space Youth Project, which supports gay and lesbian youngsters, described the comments as “horrible and unhelpful”.

She said: “Most of the young people we work with have struggled throughout their lives, especially in education because homosexuality is not spoken about, is frowned upon or is not seen as everyday life.

“That has a very detrimental effect on their wellbeing so for him to say that is quite hurtful to a huge proportion of the population.”

Mr Drax made two changes to his comments.

Firstly, he removed his remarks about the lessons “imposing questionable sexual standards” and the title of the piece was changed from Two + Two=gay to Education, Education, Education.

Richard Drax said he was ‘not out to offend anyone’ and used the word “questionable” about expecting four-year-olds to understand homosexuality.

He said: “I’m simply saying it’s wrong in my view as there’s a risk this could teach four-year-olds a subject they would not understand.

“I’ve absolutely nothing against the gay community whatsoever and have gay friends but this is being pushed on people that are far too young and it’s inappropriate.

“Children grow up and come to the age where they need to be told if they don’t know about it already and four is just not the right age.”