'Sexual identity' lesson causes stir

EIGHTY French MPs have called for a school textbook with a chapter discussing "sexual identity" to be withdrawn.

The book, published by Hachette, provides information to lycée students on "becoming a man or a woman" and sexual orientation.

MPs have written to the education ministry to complain about the controversial textbook.

The letter made reference to a specific chapter explaining that even though our biological sex determines whether we are male or female, it does not necessarily mean that we should be classified as "masculine" or "feminine".

The MPs reject the idea that sexual orientation is the result of the social and cultural environment.

They disagree on this theory of gender and said that the role of the state should be to "better control the content of school manuals".

In September 2010, a directive from the education ministry stated that earth sciences school programmes should contain a chapter on sexual identity.

The petition from the MPs however states that if sexual identity and their stereotypes are a social phenomenon, sexual orientation is a private matter.

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