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BRITAIN’S biggest teaching union must “publicly raise the aspirations, hopes and dreams of LGBT students in schools,” educators demanded today.
Delegates at the National Education Union (NEU) annual conference in Harrogate overwhelmingly backed a motion warning that, two decades after the repeal of section 28 in 2003, many schools still lack safe spaces for LGBT children.
The widely condemned legislation — introduced in 1988 by the Thatcher government — prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” in primaries and secondaries.
NEU members also enthusiastically endorsed an amendment accusing Rishi Sunak of “creating a hostile environment” for trans people by blocking Scottish gender reforms.
The Prime Minister’s criticism of “drag queen story time” events, where drag queens promote reading and diversity in schools, libraries and elsewhere, is encouraging threats from far-right groups, the amendment also said.
Delegate Sara Ann Hope, of the union’s LGBT group, told the conference that, despite turning 11 in the year section 28 was scrapped, she had not had an opportunity to “find her people” until she reached university.
“It shouldn’t have taken me almost a decade to have access to a safe space, yet it had, and for many of our LGBT students today, things haven’t really changed.”
Ms Hope shared harrowing research revealing that LGBT young people are twice as likely to be bullied and consider suicide than their heterosexual peers.
Hackney member Sarah Byrne praised the “bravery” of young trans people, including her own daughter.
“Section 28 attempted to put gay and lesbian people back in the closet, but we’re not having that again,” she insisted.
Redbridge delegate Michael Elwyn Dance blasted ministers for giving the Daily Mail and other right-wing mouthpieces the “green light” to whip up hate.
