Tag: education

The news comes at the height of Pride Month, the 30-day international campaign to raise awareness of the LGBT+ cause. Between now and 2021, school curricula in Scotland will be revised to include LGBT+ history and the struggles for equality that continue to this day. This will set an example for the rest of the world, as the country will become the first to educate its young people on the issue, reports Glamour UK. From the beginning of next year, all state schools will receive lessons that will include subjects such as the fight against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, and the history of the queer movement.

It was in November 2018 that the project was accepted. At the time, the Scottish ministers validated in their entirety the recommendations of a working group led by the Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) campaign. Its instigators had called for an end to the "destructive legacy" of Section 28, legislation dating back to 1988 which prohibited local authorities in the UK from "promoting" homosexuality. This legislation was only repealed in 2001 in Scotland and in 2003 in the rest of the UK.

Deputy First Minister and Education Secretary John Swinney welcomed the landmark decision, which also condemns the discrimination faced by LGBT+ people: "Scotland is already regarded as one of the most progressive countries in Europe when it comes to LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex] equality. I am delighted to announce that we will be the first country in the world to integrate LGBTI inclusive education into the school curriculum.

For Jordan Daly, co-founder of the TIE campaign, this is "a monumental victory for our campaign, and a historic moment for our country". He added: "The introduction of LGBTI inclusive education in all state schools is a world first. At this time of uncertainty, it sends a strong and clear message to LGBTI young people that they are valued here in Scotland".

In France, anti-LGBT acts up by more than a third

In May, the French Ministry of the Interior published a terrible report. In 2019, the police and gendarmerie "recorded 1,870 victims of homophobic or transphobic offences, compared with 1,380 in 2018, i.e. an "increase of 36% in the number of victims of anti-LGBT acts", the government reported in a statement dated May 2020. The associations pointed out, however, that this was an inaccurate figure, as many victims do not dare to lodge a complaint.

"These figures bear witness to the deep-rooted nature of homophobia and transphobia in society" and "are part of a wider context of increasing acts of hatred and identity-based extremism", commented the ministry. During the lockdown, the government released 300,000 euros as part of its "emergency plan", financing hotel rooms for around forty young people in difficulty, thanks to the association Le Refuge. When will we see some concrete action to change people's attitudes to the issue, starting at a very young age?