Lizzie Harewood says she was removed from the list of speakers at a conference because somebody refused to share a platform with her. She wouldn’t have known anything about this had she not used a legal tool available to us all – a subject access request. Lizzie, who is a vocal supporter of real marriage and CEO of the Association of Christian Teachers, tells me more in our recent interview which is available here.
In the interview, Lizzie describes an incident where she was invited to a conference to discuss religious and cultural sensitivities in teaching sex education. Despite the conference’s aim to include diverse perspectives, her invitation was later rescinded. Lizzie reveals, “I was removed because of the dissatisfaction of my religious perspective,” specifically her views on marriage and sexuality. The incident led to the eventual cancellation of the entire event.
Lizzie highlights the value of the subject access request (SAR) as a tool to uncover the true reasons behind her exclusion. Through the SAR, she discovered she had been excluded because somebody from another organisation said they weren’t going to come if she was speaking.
This tool is a powerful resource for anyone facing similar challenges. A quick Google search will tell you how to write a very simple, easy subject access request to get that information and find out what’s going on.
After complaining about the internal discussions leading to her removal, Lizzie received an apology from the CEO of the organising body, who expressed a desire to include her in future events.
Lizzie also asks: “Traditional values, traditional views, biblical views or just traditional family views are they not permitted a place at the table alongside any other ideologies?” Of course according to statutory provision, yes. This situation exemplifies the broader issue of discrimination against those holding traditional beliefs.
C4M exists to highlight and challenge the ongoing difficulties faced by those who support man-woman marriage. The benefits of real marriage justify its place at the top of the agenda and demand inclusion alongside other ideologies in public discussions.