Ok, I know I'm probably asking for trouble here but something I saw yesterday that really irritated both my wife and myself.

Sir Ian McKellen (an actor who I usually have respect for) was interviewed on the Andrew Marr show yesterday morning. I didn't see the entire interview but we were both incredulous at the part where he said he was off to Edinburgh to visit and talk to schools to promote homosexuality and affirm the ideal that it was ok to be gay. He said school children's jaws usually dropped when they heard that it was once possible to be jailed for being in love with someone of the same sex.

As a parent (albeit of offspring now old enough to make their own minds up) I would have been incensed if I thought that sort of message was being sent out to my family in our schools. It is bad enough that so many children's tv programmes portray this as a totally normal alternative.

I don't consider myself to be homophobic, I am opposed to gay marriage per se as I believe marriage should be reserved for the traditional male/female partnership but at the same time I know several gay people and don't have any issue with their relationships - what they do is entirely their own business. I respect them and they respect my opinion.

I just think it is entirely inappropriate that our young people from an early age appear to be having the message thrust on them that this is an entirely open acceptable norm.

Am I wrong?