Section 28 is the most discriminatory piece of legislation in the last 50 years. Not only is it an irrational hangover from the politically polarised battles of the 1980s, but also it prevents the debate about sexuality in general from maturing.

No other minority group is singled out for this treatment.  Were black, women or disabled campaigners banned from explaining their case to any section of society there would be a public outcry.  Worse still, endorsement or toleration by the state of any kind of institutional discrimination is a recipe for hate-inspired violence, as witnessed by Stephen Lawrence and the Soho bombing.

Great changes in public attitudes towards homosexuality have taken place in recent years, such as the equalisation of the age of consent at 16 and the acceptance by the population that some members of the cabinet are openly gay. It is vital that this progressive process continues. Section 28 goes against this and prevents children, the future citizens, from a better understanding of all lifestyles, free from bigotry.

But even ignoring these compelling moral arguments for repeal, it is of dubious legal validity and little practical value. It would be ridiculous to suggest that this legislation has "prevented" one child from "becoming" gay or that the morals of schoolchildren have benefited one iota. Gay men and women are not massed in proselytising legions poised to corrupt the minds of the young should this legislation be repealed.

Nor would it have any effect on the sexuality of children were they to do so. Thanks to recent scientific research, we now know that sexual preference is probably hard-wired and no amount of persuasion will change that. All Section 28 does is to make teachers nervous about discussing sexuality and drives those children, who suspect they may be gay, into the shadows or exposes them to unwarranted bullying.

Finally, Britain's recent incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights will make it harder and harder for any Government to pursue this kind of legislative discrimination. The Government is rightly worried it will face legal challenges in Strasbourg and under the Amsterdam Treaty if S.28 stays.

Concessions have already been made to those worried by this move and the Government is pledged to issue guidelines to teachers that will preclude "brainwashing" and to set up a complaints system for parents who are worried. This is more than enough to ensure there is no abuse of the new system, and any further stalling would expose opponents of S.28's repeal for what they really are: homophobes.