Day: July 5, 2013

I am in my late 50s. Over the years I have witnessed all the legislative changes affecting LGB&T people that has brought us to the present debate over ‘Equal Marriage’.

Often while we made the advances I thought we never took seriously the ‘heart and minds’ argument necessary to make the public at large buy into and embrace the hard won changes.

Today, the Leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband MP visited Blatchington Mill School in Hove and took questions on LGBT issues from the young people.

It was a revelation!

The students asked great questions, were not afraid to tackle any LGBT issue and most importantly showed a deep understanding of being respectful and understanding to everyone who is different.

Blatchington Mill School in Hove is at the vanguard of equalities work, dealing with homophobic bullying and all LGBT issues affecting young children in school. Whatever they do with these young children at Blatchington Mill should be rolled out in every school in the country.

I never fully understood how serious the full ramifications of Section 28 were until today.

Section 28 resulted in teachers being afraid to talk about LGBT issues in school, making young people feel that there was something wrong with being LGB&T.

All I can say is on the evidence of what I saw and heard today, ‘We’re safe in their hands’ and I will sleep much better tonight knowing that.

I will also never forgive the architects of Section 28 who made a generation of young people in schools throughout the country feel isolated and unloved through their formative years.

The Leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband MP, visited Blatchington Mill School in Hove this afternoon, Friday July 5.

He first met with parents to discuss anti-homophobic bullying strategies and the schools equalities work and then took a question and answer session for forty five minutes with students from all years, outside in the school courtyard.

Subjects covered in the questions ranged from homophobia in sport to homophobic and transphobic bullying in the classroom, from the Brighton bin strike to the recent military coup in Egypt.

In his opening remarks, Mr Miliband said that when he was at school 32 years ago no-one was ‘out’ and nobody discussed lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender issues and questioned why that was. “It was about prejudice” he said, and he explained how through the legislative changes implemented by the last Labour Government right through to the present ‘equal marriage’ debate going through Parliament, the difference now is that in the eyes of the law everyone is equal and valued.

Questions taken from the students included his views on gay marriage, homophobia in football, the reluctance of the church to support gay marriage and women bishops, his views on bi-phobia and trans phobia and whether he thought there would ever be a trans politician in parliament.

Whilst student attainment and progress at Blatchington Mill are a key school priority, student wellbeing is considered vital so all students are happy and then able to learn to the best of their ability when they are studying.

The school is determined to remove barriers to learning for all students; their ethos is one of celebrating diversity and challenging prejudice in any form. Blatchington Mill is a Stonewall champion school and recently had the opportunity to discuss their anti-bullying strategies with the Brighton and Hove Council anti-bullying scrutiny panel.

Todays visit by Mr Miliband coincides with three student commissioners from Blatchington Mill School travelling to London to attend the Stonewall ‘Education for all Conference’ in London today, which was attended by the Minister for Education, Michael Gove, MP. These students are from Year 9 (13-14 years old) and will receive training on how to lead anti-bullying initiatives in school, as well as how to address and challenge homophobic language and bullying.

Blatchington Mill School was reported as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted for Behaviour and Safety, including its success in tackling LGBT issues and has continued to expand and advance its proactive work in this area.

For more information about Blatchington Mill School, CLICK HERE: 

Wilma Fingerdoo will be hosting a benefit at the Bulldog in St James Street for Help for Heroes, a charity formed to help those who have been wounded in Britain’s current conflicts at the Bulldog, St James’ Street on Sunday, August 11.

Artists confirmed to appear include:

Dave Lynn, Lola Lasagne, Maisie Trollette, Davina Sparkle, Connie Conway, Lucinda Lashes, JP Christian, Miss Jason, James Bedford, Nicolette Street, Trudi Styles/Pianoman, Misty Lee, Candy Slag in Drag, Mickey & Amy, Lady La Rue, Tammy Twinkle, Darren Hamlin and Sally Vate. The finale will include a set from the Actually Gay Men’s Chorus.

The party kicks off at 3pm, all artists are donating their time free of charge and all proceeds will go to Help for Heroes. Thee will be a raffle, bucket collections and auctions as well as selling Help For Heroes merchandise.

Normal Sunday Bulldog happy hours will apply.

For up to date information, CLICK HERE: