Page 25 - Spring 2015
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learning about people and how, if indeed,
they could identify as LGBT and how they
lived their lives, we can learn from both the
challenges they faced and the triumphs they
celebrated. They continue to inspire us and
make us feel proud.
We can utilise these experiences in the
fight against prejudice and homo-, bi- and
transphobic bullying as well as so-called
‘banter’ in the classroom and online. There’s
still a lot to be done in the staffroom as well
– we know that many education staff are
still fearful of coming out at school and are
suffering from mental ill health as a result
of leading a double life, for example, recent
research shows that bisexual women suffer in
greater numbers from mental ill health. That’s
why ATL takes a stance about behaviour in
the classroom and in the staffroom. We are
here to support staff through our support and
guidance in the workplace and the work of
our Equality and Diversity Committee, led by
Julia Neal, a redoubtable LGBT activist. And
to help education staff, we set up the Safer
Schools Network (
),
with partners such as LGBT History Month,
Stonewall, Show Racism the Red Card and the
NSPCC, among others. We are developing this
resource to include information and guidance
for education staff as well, to signpost them to
organisations with greater expertise.
At our conference this year, we will celebrate
our LGBT Network, which involves and
includes all those who identify as LGBT or
support LGBT issues. We are also planning to
visit as many Prides as we can, so please come
up and say hello! We are campaigning on
many LGBT issues, such as ensuring our young
LGBT people receive an appropriate and
inclusive Sex and Relationships Education and
for the equalisation of same sex pensions – and
we all have a stake in education.
We want to use the voice of our members to
speak out about improving education for all
and to make sure that no child feels excluded
or is discriminated against, whatever their
background or circumstances. We created the
Safer Schools Network so that teachers, young
people and parents could find resources on
how to tackle bullying and a variety of other
problems. Young people now are facing many
different stresses in their lives and, as education
staff, we are there to help and support them to
do as well as they can and to achieve their full
potential. And that means all young people.
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