THEGAYUK WINTER 13 /14 Issue 1
INTERVIEW
Month and IDAHO provide a great
entry point into the work. Schools
are also increasingly investing in
training around social and
emotional development and
philosophy for children, the ethos of
both these schemes are highly
supportive in terms of developing a
culture of respect. But we do have to
be careful that the work does not
become tokenistic or 'bolt on' -as to
prevent LGBT related bullying
effectively, schools need to invest in
quality training for their whole staff
and to create school communities in
which difference is seen as
something exciting and not as
divisive; but I do see lots of great
work out there right now and I am
hopeful for the future.
!
Is enough being done to
prevent anti-gay
bullying?
!
In a word no. Every week I get
messages via Twitter or by
email that make me want to
weep, not just from the UK
but from right across the
world.
prevent homophobic and
transphobic bullying and to foster
positive relationships between the
diverse groups of children within
our schools. In addition, her
Majesty's school inspectorate
OFSTED when inspecting schools
now explore the schools actions in
preventing homophobia and
transphobia; this means that
OFSTED inspectors ask pupils if
they hear the word 'gay' being used
pejoratively in school and what
teachers do about it or ask if pupils
with same sex parents are bullied.
This is a really positive step forward
and it is already having an impact.
!
!
!
‘I encounter schools
who claim 'we don't
have homophobic
bullying in our
school' (to which I
say 'then you don't
know your school'
and sometimes even
'we don't have any
LGBT pupils in our
school' which shows
they are clearly
missing the point on
every level.’
Whenever I am leading training I
always relate the story of Richard, a
boy in my own school who I bullied
for a while. The reason I bullied
Richard was that he was effeminate
and openly gay. In Richard I saw
what I feared most in myself and I
rejected it. What followed was a
toxic spiral of bullying and self
loathing driven by the guilt I felt at
being pretty bloody horrible to one
of my own!
!
What are you trying to do with
your Inclusion For All
campaign?
!
To put it simply I am trying to make
every school in the land (and maybe
some in other countries) safe and
happy places where all our
children, parents and staff can
fulfil their potential, whatever
their identity.
!
I firmly believe we are on the cusp
of positive change within our
education system on these issues
but we still need a massive and
positive push. To help achieve
this goal I positively support
people working in education to
People read about my work
break through the hurdles that
and they write to share their
historically prevented this work
own stories with me, many of
from taking place; fear,
which are truly
misconception, massive training
heartbreaking. What never
deficits and in some cases
ceases to shock me is the time
prejudice. Inclusion For All
span of these stories, some go
training places the needs and wellfar back as the 1920s, through
being of children first and this
the 60s, 70s and up to, well
enables me to find a common
just last week.
point of reference with educators
from which to move forward
Countless lives have been
positively. It is important that we
scarred forever by the scourge
recognise that many people in
of homophobic bullying in
education still feel very vulnerable
our schools and communities.
even saying the words 'lesbian and
The Stonewall School Report
gay' out loud in a class-room full
in 2012 clearly showed that
of kids. There is still real fear out
despite some recent progress,
there in some schoo