“I can’t honestly recall a single day in which I haven’t had some sort of reference to my sexuality. I’ve received physical violence twice. On each occasion I had to go to hospital.”
In January 2005 we launched our Education for All programme to tackle homophobia and homophobic bullying in schools. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters we’ve been able to make an incredible start, as you may have read in the national press.
We’ve already sent out over 3,500 teaching packs to schools across Britain. We’ve launched a dedicated website providing information and resources to both teachers and young people – which receives thousands of visitors each month. Towards the end of 2005, a unique play about homophobic bullying toured schools across the country.
None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our supporters, and we are asking once again for support in continuing with this important work. To make a donation please click here.
Since the launch of Education for All, we’ve been contacted by young people with distressing stories of what’s happening to them today in British schools. For some, it’s years of name-calling which saps young people’s self-confidence. However, other children have been hospitalised by homophobic bullies. Children are on anti-depressants because their school doesn’t take this kind of bullying seriously.
Some lesbian and gay children are now leaving school with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. That’s a disgraceful indictment of Britain’s schools in the 21st century.
Amazingly, given the persistent harassment they receive, there has never been an attempt to measure the school experiences of young gay people. With your help, we want to undertake the first comprehensive survey of the educational experiences of the hundreds of thousands of young gay people in our schools. A similar biennial exercise in America has provided powerful evidence of the damage being done to the life chances of young people.
Testimonies from young people such as Michael are compelling but the results of a reputable national survey will allow us to engage forcefully with policy makers and educational professionals, persuading them of the pressing need – all too often still denied - to address homophobia in our schools. GLSEN, the US body which has carried out this work in the past, describes it as a “powerful tool in changing young gay people’s lives.” We believe it would be equally powerful in Britain.
Issues to be researched include the frequency of homophobic abuse, both verbal and physical, if and how schools intervene in such instances and
the specific impact that such abuse has on young people’s academic aspirations and performance.
The young people who contact us have convinced us of just how much work there is still to do. This pioneering survey will give a voice at last to thousands of lesbian, gay and bisexual children who would otherwise remain unheard.
Our supporters have already ensured that we’ve been able to make positive changes to the lives of thousands of school children. They may have been let down by their teachers and headteachers. They’ve often been let down by their parents as well. But these are our children too. Please help us fund this important piece of research.
Please make a donation today. Click here to make your donation.
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