Greens call on councill tp promote SRE guidance

No school should be allowed to discriminate. The current consultation on the Equality Act (available at www.spectrum-lgbt.org) has been designed to give religious groups ample opportunity to lobby

for exemptions. Do, please, take a few minutes to argue our case. Then, it's only a matter of time before schools start losing expensive, high profile court cases. It's sad that head teachers are more moved to protect their budgets and reputations, but let's use that avenue if we have to.

The recent local study into LGBT youth homelessness found a possible link between school omophobia/transphobia and vulnerability to mental health problems, sexual exploitation and domestic violence. Its recommendations include mentoring LGBT youth in schools; supporting those who truant, drop out or are excluded; providing LGBT-inclusive Sex & Relationships Education(SRE); and addressing homophobic/transphobic bullying. The council admitted recently it doesn't even know how many local schools include homophobia/transphobia in their bullying or equal opportunities policies.

I'm now going to shock you by praising the government! Their new SRE guidance is actually rather good. (Tell young kids we exist, and acknowledge that many teenagers identify as LGBT and that a few people are intersex.) Shockingly, they have no plans to print a single copy �" Twigg's legacy is being swept under the carpet. Greens are calling on the council to distribute and promote this important guidance. In addition to reacting against discrimination, we should be publicly celebrating positive initiatives such as LGBT History Month, Pride and Civil Partnerships.

The council also admitted it has failed to provide head teachers with any training on supporting LGBT staff. I ,myself was sacked from a local school only last year, I believe because of my high profile work for LGBT History Month, so it's clearly not always safe for teachers to come out! Yet personal contact with LGB people has been shown to reduce homophobia �" and most queer-bashers are young men.

The government repeatedly fails to adequately publicise and promote positive developments. How many of us know exactly what our rights are? Imagine, then, the vulnerability of a closeted young person with no access to the scene or community, or often even a trade union. When other disadvantaged communities get new rights, the government spend millions on advertising campaigns. Even the Football Association is taking us more seriously than the government, with their groundbreaking campaign Football for All. The solution in a nutshell, then: education, education, education �" starting with the policymakers!