The Forum wishes to thank its members, teachers, parents, BCC’s Equalities and Community Cohesion LGBT Officer, the Equality Officer of Children and Young People’s Services, the Rainbow Group, Freedom Youth, Voscur, EACH, Stonewall and all the other organisations, as well as members of the public who have supported our campaign ‘Challenging Homophobia: supporting equality in schools’.

Congratulations! This is YOUR victory, as much as ours!

From Bristol City Council’s Corporate Communications.

Bristol City Council has signed up to a national programme to help tackle homophobia and homophobic bullying in its schools. Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) equality charity, Stonewall, has developed its Education Champions programme to provide support and guidance to local authorities in their work with schools.

Bristol City Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Clare Campion-Smith, said:

“Bullying of any kind is wrong and homophobic bullying can be particularly cruel. By joining Stonewall’s Education Champions campaign, we are taking a clear stance that homophobic bullying will not be tolerated in Bristol’s schools.

We will be working with Stonewall to use national best practice to inform our work to address homophobic bullying and to promote a safe and inclusive learning environment for all young people.”

As part of its commitment to promote lesbian, gay and bisexual equalities in schools, the City Council has also launched a working group with includes head teachers and governors, to consult on priorities and take forward best practice to tackle homophobia and homophobic bullying. National research shows that almost two thirds of lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils in secondary schools experience homophobic bullying.

And homophobic bullying doesn’t only affect lesbian, gay and bisexual young people: 9 in 10 teachers say young people perceived as ‘different’ or who have gay friends and family may also experience homophobic bullying. ln schools that have said homophobic bullying is wrong, gay young people are 60 per cent less likely to have been bullied.

Stonewall Chief Executive, Ben Summerskill, said:

“Local authorities have a critical role to play in ensuring that all schools in their area are well equipped with the latest resources to help them tackle homophobic bullying.“

Ends

For further information visit  http://www.stonewall.org.uk/educationchampions

Uganda's flag conceals premeditated mass murder

The Ugandan Government plans to pass a law that imposes the death penalty on people for their sexual orientation or gender identity.  Pushed by American Evangelists, the African nation is set to approve this inhuman piece of legislation, forcing thousands of LGBT people to flee in secret and seek asylum abroad, or else risk being arrested and murdered.

What few have spotted, is the likely avalanche of false accusations that this law could release on the unfortunate Country.  Anyone with a grudge against anyone – neighbour, boss, ex fiance’ or rival in love – only needs testify that they were propositioned by the object of their hate and the Law will do the rest for them.

Avaaz, the human rights organisation, has launched a global petition tha has exceeded the 450,000 signatures they hoped for.

While it remains open, we encourage you to sign it, if you haven’t yet, and pass it on to your contacts and try to reach one million.

Sign the Avaaz Petition

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And some say homophobia “is not a problem”?

It is our hope that people will begin to use this as a space to exchange ideas and experiences, to voice their hopes, fears, aspirations and let loose their unique creative fire.

Of course, we must moderate the space to prevent ‘disagreement’ from becoming ‘disagreeable’, but – apart from the obviously offensive, we hope to allow broad dissent, as long as it is not purely ‘dissing’ others.

So, come on in!  Bring your ideas, thought and suggestions, but be prepared to defend them with arguments and back them up with evidence.  links, Videos, Music and writing are all allowed, so… jump right in!

The Bristol LGB Forum Web Team