17 th May

 The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia was created in 2005 to highlight the situation which sexual and gender minorities face around the world.  The date of May 17th was chosen as it commemorates the decision by the World Health Organization in 1990 to take homosexuality out of the list of mental disorders.  The Day provides an annual focus for action for thousands of Human Rights activists in more than 90 countries. The day is celebrated by international agencies, governments, local authorities, trade unions, and more.  Today we are going to reflect on what IDAHO might mean for our school community.

Article 1  ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’  Can you name any other rights / articles under this declaration?

Some examples:  Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.  Article 12. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation.  Article 16. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.  Article 20. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.  Article 26. Everyone has the right to education.

 Nine countries punish homosexuality with the death penalty  Seventy-five countries – over one third of the countries in the world – still have laws in place criminalising same-sex sexual acts between consenting adults  In some parts of the world, LGBT individuals are still forced to marry a person of the opposite sex against their will  In a number of countries, LGBT human rights groups and LGBT individuals see their rights to free expression, assembly and association blocked by hostile public authorities.

 What could we do as individuals and or members of a school community to campaign for human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people across the world?

 An estimated 6 million LGBT students across the world are dropping out of school because of harassment by peers and by staff  In the USA, 86% of LGB students report verbal harassment  In 22 out of the 47 Council of Europe member countries, education materials present incorrect information, not reflecting the fact that the World Health Organisation does not consider homosexuality a mental issue  In the Canadian province of Quebec, 10% of straight secondary school students report being victims of homophobic bullying

 What is homophobic bullying?  What is biphobic bullying?  What is transphobic bullying?  What could we do as individuals and or members of a school community to campaign to prevent homophobic and transphobic bullying around the globe?

 Bullying is behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally. Bullying can take many forms (for instance, cyber-bullying via social media or the internet), and is often motivated by prejudice against particular groups, for example on grounds of race, religion, belief, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or disability, or because a child is in care, has caring responsibilities or mental health issues. It might be motivated by actual differences, perceived differences or as a result of association with someone else.

Homophobic bullying occurs when bullying is motivated by a prejudice against lesbian, gay or bisexual people. This can affect:  Young people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB).  Young people who are thought to be lesbian, gay or bisexual.  Young people who are different in some way – they may not act like the other boys or girls.  Young people who have gay, lesbian or bisexual friends, or family, or parents/carers are gay, lesbian or bisexual.  Teachers, who may or may not be lesbian, gay or bisexual

 Biphobia is not the same as homophobia. Bisexual people may experience homophobia but they are also likely to experience biphobia, that is, prejudice which is specifically related to their bisexual identity. Biphobia often takes the form of stereotypes: for example, that bisexual people are ‘greedy’, ‘promiscuous’ or ‘confused’. Both straight and gay people can be biphobic. As a result, bisexual people often feel marginalised by both the straight world and the lesbian and gay community.

 ‘Transgender’ is an umbrella term that describes people whose sense of their gender or gender identity is seen as being different to typical gender norms. Where children and young people are perceived not to be conforming to the dominant gender roles that may be widely expected of them, schools should be alert for signs of bullying.  Transphobic bullying is commonly underpinned by sexist attitudes. Boys and girls may be equally affected. An individual may also experience transphobic bullying as a result of perceptions that a parent, relative or other significant figure displays gender ‘variance’ or is transgender.

 65% of young LGB persons state that they have experienced bullying in British schools because of their sexual orientation, including physical abuse for 41% and death threats for 17%  On average, transgender children leave school earlier than any other group, and a recent survey has shown that 25% have attempted suicide, and a further 25% have considered it.

 In the City Wide Report on the Safe and Well School Survey (2011) 16% of secondary school students said they had been bullied this term. Of these, 12% at Key Stage 3 and 13% at Key Stage 4 said that the bullying involved homophobia.  In our School Report on the Safe and Well School Survey (2011) X% of secondary school students said they had been bullied this term. Of these, X% at Key Stage 3 and X% at Key Stage 4 said that the bullying involved homophobia.

 What could we do as individuals and or members of a school community to prevent homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in our school?

 A world where LGBT human rights are systematically violated, is a world where nobody can feel safe and free. (Declaration of Montreal, 2006)  ‘All human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated’ (World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna,1993).

 Allsorts Campaign DVD, 2012  b2A&list=UUOXZAUfCFBc6QtA2PioeQyA&inde x=1&feature=plcp b2A&list=UUOXZAUfCFBc6QtA2PioeQyA&inde x=1&feature=plcp  Proud to be Gay (across the world)  E&feature=player_embedded#! E&feature=player_embedded#  It gets better – President Obama   It gets better – David Cameron  mw mw  It gets better – Ryan – Brighton UK 

 Allsorts is a project based in Brighton to support and empower young people under 26 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or unsure (LGBTU) of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.  Young People’s Centre, 69 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AE.  Tel: