Aim High – The Lesbian and Gay Foundation’s School Campaign

November 26, 2009

 

The Lesbian and Gay Foundation (LGF) has come up with an well worth it campaign to raise awareness among schools and pupils, that it is ok to be gay and that being gay is not a barrier in achieving success.

The recent spate of serious homophobic attacks and the relative young ages of the perpetrators have not gone unnoticed by the LGF and has lead to the reactions of Paul Martin, the Chief Executive who said: “Increasingly, those responsible for homophobic attacks are of school age or have recently left school. What message is being sent to them that it is acceptable to attack others because they may be different?"

The campaign highlights the current prevalence of homophobia and lack of teacher training and awareness as the motivation for the implementation thereof.

An estimated 65 per cent of LGBT youths have been victims at school according to the Stonewall School Report and 40 per cent of teachers and teacher’s support staff not feeling confident in dealing with homophobic bullying or providing support, show a definite need within the current schools system.

Siân Payne, Policy and Research Officer at the LGF said: “Young people aren’t learning that it’s unacceptable to be homophobic. Most of the teachers that are in schools now are the children of Section 28. What that means is that there is an uncertainty about how to approach the issue. Challenging homophobia needs to be ingrained in Teacher Training programmes, which at the moment they are glaringly absent from. Teachers have a responsibility here, but first we need to teach the teachers to know how to sort it out."

With this need identified, the LGF have come up with the Aim High Guide, which they feel if promoted in schools will provide not only the schools but also gay and lesbian pupils in dealing with the issues at hand. Twenty big name LGBT celebrities, which include Russell T Davies, Beth Ditto and Sir Ian McKellen, have all come out in support of the campaign and are visiting schools to show that gay men and women can make it in the fields of sport, politics, business, media and the arts.

The campaign is available in a 88 page booklet, written by Liam Keogh and the Lesbian and Gay Foundation and is available by contacting the LGF at andrew@lgf.org.uk  
 

To make a donation please click the link below:

http://www.lgf.org.uk/be-a-homo-hero?tag