Brody's Notes... Gay Charity Launches Campaign To Make UK Schools Safer

By Joanne Dunning (Manchester, England) MAR 2 | The Lesbian & Gay Foundation’s Enough is Enough! Action Against Homophobia campaign, today launches its Safer Schools Packs to challenge homophobia in education.

Homophobic bullying is still a major issue in UK schools. Last year, research carried out by the Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) highlighted that two thirds of lesbian, gay, and bisexual young people in England report being bullied. Those that report bullying perform 15% worse at GCSE.

The same research found that only 1 in 6 English secondary school teachers believe that their school is very active in promoting respect for lesbian, gay and bisexual students.

The Enough is Enough! Action Against Homophobia campaign is determined for schools to take action and wants to encourage every school to challenge homophobia, to support lesbian, gay and bisexual young people, and talk about their relationships and the issues that affect them to promote understanding.

The charity is aiming to send as many Enough is Enough! Safer Schools Packs to UK schools by May 17th 2011 - International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and is launching a public appeal to make this possible..

The Packs are inspired by GLSEN’s Safe Space Kits in America and include: the Enough is Enough! Action Against Homophobia PowerPoint and notes for assemblies, lessons and presentations, the campaign DVD (featuring Coronation Street’s Antony Cotton and Sir Ian McKellen), support for teachers, posters, stickers, balloons, resources, signposting and support.

Paul Martin, Chief Executive of the Lesbian & Gay Foundation said: 

“The statistics speak for themselves, and in the past few weeks alone here at the LGF we have had a number of very concerning emails from young people in UK schools, who have got in touch with us because they are suffering from homophobic bullying and didn’t know where else to turn.

All students – regardless of their sexual orientation – have the right to learn and achieve in a safe and welcoming environment.

The Safer Schools Packs are about helping schools make this happen. Please donate to buy a Safer Schools Pack, to make sure young people have the opportunity to access to the right kind of education and support.

For a donation of £20 the charity will send out a Safer Schools Pack to the school of your choice; it might be your old school, your local school or your children’s school. Once the packs are posted out, the LGF will be following up with the schools to find out how they are using the packs, and will update supporters on the difference their donations are making."

For More Information please visit: http://www.lgf.org.uk/make-schools-safer/ to donate to a Safer Schools Pack, or to find out more email enough@lgf.org.uk.