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Author: Rachel Badham

Calls for equalities minister Kemi Badenoch to resign after anti-LGBTQ+ comments

Posted on by Rachel Badham

LGBTQ+ activists and advocacy groups are urging Tory equalities minister Kemi Badenoch to resign from her position after a leaked 2018 video showed the MP making anti-LGBTQ+ comments. In the video, shared by VICE World News, Badenoch was heard misgendering trans women, and saying: “Well we’ve got gay marriage, and civil partnerships, so what are transsexuals looking for?”

She also criticised what she referred to as the “transgender movement”, adding: “So now it’s not just about being free to marry who you want, you now want to have men using women’s bathrooms.” Her comments sparked outrage from many, with Angela Rayner, deputy leader of Labour, calling her words “disgusting” and questioning whether Badenoch should be in her role. Stonewall also described Badenoch’s comments as ‘shocking’, and “harmful to LGBTQ+ communities.”

It continued: “It is the responsibility of the Minister of State for Equalities to be a champion for all marginalised communities, regardless of personal opinion. We call on the Minister to clarify her remarks and reaffirm her support for all LGBTQ+ people urgently.” LGBTQ+ activist Jayne Ozanne affirmed this sentiment, describing the situation as “extremely concerning”, considering that Badenoch should be championing marginalised groups. 

Ozanne, an ex-government LGBTQ+ advisor, has previously criticised Badenoch and Liz Truss for their lack of understanding regarding LGBTQ+ issues, saying: “I don’t believe that they understand LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender people. I’ve sat in meetings and I’ve been astonished about how ignorant they are on issues that affect the real lives.”

 

Study: Young LGBTQ+ people avoiding sports due to fear of discrimination

Posted on by Rachel Badham

A new study, released on Wednesday by the Trevor Project, has found only 1 in 3 young LGBTQ+ people in the US participate in sports, with many avoiding group sports due to the fear of not being accepted. In comparison, over half (68%) of straight, cisgender youth reported being involved with sports, with 18% of all those who do participate saying they had heard negative things about LGBTQ+ people from a sports leader or coach.

Many LGBTQ+ respondents cited fear as their reason for not participating in sporting activities, with one young person saying: “I’m scared I will be harassed because of my sexuality.” Another said that they are afraid to use changing facilities due to lesbophobia: “Girls in my class don’t want me to change in the locker room with them because they think I’ll stare at them/hit on them because I’m lesbian.” 

Many trans and gender non-conforming participants reported being unable to participate in school sports due to discriminatory policies that prevent trans inclusion. One respondent explained: “I probably wouldn’t be allowed onto the boys’ team because I’m a trans boy (both parents and school won’t allow this), and even if I was allowed I’d be at a huge risk of bullying.” Other reasons for LGBTQ+ youth not participating in sports included a lack of interest, financial restrictions and health conditions.

The study concluded: “No young person should be barred from the benefits of sports participation – friendship, fun, and stress relief – due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.” It also noted that policies seeking to prevent trans participation in sports “only serve to heighten experiences of stigma and reduce the ability of youth to receive the positive physical, social, and emotional benefits of sports.”

Socially Engaged Art Salon launches Queer Heterotopias zine

Posted on by Rachel Badham

SEAS (Socially Engaged Art Salon – an artists’ led organisation that promotes social art and artists from underrepresented sectors ) has launched its Queer Heterotopias zine to complement its August exhibition at The Ledward Centre in Brighton. Exploring the notion of Brighton as a “heterotopian city…where non-normative and even transgressive behaviour is rife”, the zine showcases some of the works from the exhibition as well new and unseen material, and can be purchased online. 

The exhibition was produced by SEAS Brighton in collaboration with The LGBTQ+ Centre New York and the Preus Museum (Norway) to celebrates queer spaces in Brighton and take visitors on a tour of past and present heterotopias. As well as seeing works from the exhibition in the SEAS zine, art pieces can be viewed online, and the exhibition will be running in The Ledward Centre until September 30. 

As SEAS is expanding, it now has an opportunity for a Treasurer. Applicants do not need to be artists themselves, but are required to have an “understanding of the arts and the positive impact it has on society”. It is preferred that applicants have experience in either finance, the commercial business sector or have a background in working for arts organisations. Those interested in the position can email hi@seasbrighton.org with the subject: SEAS Treasurer role.

Bell v Tavistock puberty blocker ruling overturned

Posted on by Rachel Badham

After hearing cases from the NHS and handful of LGBTQ+ organisations – with the support of the Good Law Project – the UK Court of Appeals has reversed the December 2020 Bell v Tavistock ruling that aimed to prevent young trans people from accessing puberty blockers without legal consent. The 2020 regulations came about when Kiera Bell, 23, brought action against the NHS after taking puberty blockers at age 16, before later detransitioning in her early 20s. 

Many young trans people were left dismayed at the decision, leading the NHS and numerous trans advocacy groups – including Mermaids, Stonewall and Gendered Intelligence – to launch an appeal against the ruling. After being granted the right to appeal in January 2021 and making a case to the court in June, the ruling has now been repealed. 

Gendered Intelligence announced the news on social media, saying: “SUCCESS! Bell v Tavistock has been overturned in the Court of Appeal. This is a huge win for trans people, trans youth and their families in particular.” According to the organisation, the Court of Appeals found that it “was inappropriate for the Divisional Court to provide the guidance” in the first place, meaning that the regulations will be altered as soon as the NHS England guidelines are updated. 

Many LGBTQ+ people and advocacy groups are celebrating the court’s decision, with Mermaids describing it as “wonderful” news. It continued: “Trans young people deserve the right to make decisions about their own bodies in exactly the same way as all other young people. But while we celebrate today’s decision, it’s also important that we reflect on what has been a traumatising period for many young people and their families.”

Mermaids urged the NHS to act as quickly as possible “to ensure access to healthcare is reinstated for those that have been left stranded for so long.” Susie Green, Mermaids CEO, added: “We need to see definitive and decisive action by the Tavistock and NHS England to address the needs of those young people and their families all over the UK who are in a state of anxiety and distress.”

Germany compensating LGBTQ+ people affected by historic anti-gay law

Posted on by Rachel Badham

The German Office of Justice has announced that it will be offering compensation to 249 people who faced persecution under a 1871 law that criminalised same-sex relationships between men. Although the law was first instated under King Wilhelm I, it became strictly enforced by Adolf Hitler in 1933, who also amended the law to make even suspected homosexuality punishable by imprisonment. It is estimated that 90,000 LGBTQ+ men were arrested between 1937 and 1939, and were castrated under the law. 

The law was officially repealed 27 years ago. According to the Associated Press, 317 applied for compensation, with 249 applicants qualifying for a payment while 14 applications are still being processed. So far, the Office of Justice has paid out around €860,000. Victims are entitled to €3,000 per conviction, €500 for each time they were investigated, €1,500 for every year they sat in custody and €1,500 for every year of imprisonment.

In the UK, thousands of men convicted of homosexuality before 1967 were posthumously pardoned in 2017, with living victims still able to have their records altered. A Stonewall spokesperson highlighted the significance of the pardon, saying: “The more equality is enshrined into our law books, the stronger our equality becomes, and the stronger we as a community become.”

New guide to “revolutionise LGBTQ+ teaching in schools”

Posted on by Rachel Badham

Pop’n’Olly, an educational organisation dedicated to creating LGBTQ+ resources, has published a first-of-its-kind non-fiction book to help introduce primary school children to topics such as identity, allyship, pride and discrimination. Titled What Does LGBT+ Mean? – A Guide for Young People (and Grown Ups), the book was created to help teachers introduce LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculums into the classroom, and is now available both online and in a number of UK bookstores across the country. 

According to Just Like Us, 48% of children have received “little to zero positive messaging about being LGBTQ+ at school”, with the book’s co-author, Olly Pike, hoping to aid this issue: “I know first-hand that growing up LGBTQ+ is not easy. I felt lonely, anxious and ashamed. This book will not only help countless LGBT+ children and young people, it will also help create countless more future LGBT+ allies.”

Equality educator, PhD student and co-author, James Canning, said that the book aims to “revolutionise LGBTQ+ teaching in schools and provide educators with the tools they need to combat prejudice, whilst promoting positivity and acceptance.” He added: “I wrote this book because it’s the book I wish I’d had when I was a child”.

Olly Pike, creator of Pop’n’Olly

So far, the book has received high praise from children and educators, with 10-year-old Treasure saying: “I learnt that different people use different pronouns and how to respect them. I really liked the book and how it explained things. It was terrific!” Lukas Dressler, a children’s psychologist, also said they would “definitely recommend” the book to any counsellors working with children or LGBTQ+ people. 

Since its first YouTube video in 2015, Pop’n’Olly has grown to provide a variety of LGBTQ+ resources and has distributed 20,000+ copies of Olly Pike’s books to children, parents and teachers around the world. Olly’s educational YouTube channel has now had almost 4 million views.

 

Study: 64% of LGBTQ+ people have turned to porn as an alternative educational resource

Posted on by Rachel Badham

A new study on sexual education in the UK by Durex has found over half of LGBTQ+ people have turned to porn as an educational resource, with only 14% of queer respondents saying they felt the sex ed they were given in school was relevant to them. The #MySexMyWay survey interviewed 5,457 sexually active UK respondents aged 18 + over the course of June/July 2021, with the aim to explore how sex education has affected the sexual confidence of LGBTQ+ people across the country.

While 90% of respondents had formal sex education in school, less than a third of LGBTQ+ people felt that their sex ed tutor was knowledgeable, with only 6% saying that their sex ed classes improved their sexual confidence. However, 42% felt that sex education is becoming more inclusive and generally improving, with an additional 78% saying that they now felt free to explore their identity and sexuality. 

Lindsay Forbes, wellness category manager at Durex, said a “more inclusive and supportive sex ed” curriculum could help many people feel more able to explore their identity, adding: “If sex ed remains exclusive of LGBTQ+ issues, all pupils regardless of their sexual identity will be lacking in the knowledge and awareness needed for a wholly accepting society, full of individuals confident with their sexual selves.” Durex will continue to work alongside LGBTQ+ partners such as HER and Grindr to “provide and curate informative, inclusive and reliable educational resources to all those who need them.”“

Arrests made over the murder of queer journalist Lyra McKee

Posted on by Rachel Badham

Four men have been arrested in connection with the murder of LGBTQ+ journalist Lyra McKee on April 18 2019 as part of the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Police in Northern Ireland announced the news on social media, saying the men were arrested in the Derry area and have been taken to the Serious Crime Suite at Musgrave Police Station where they will be interviewed.

McKee died two years ago after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head while reporting on riots in Derry at age 29. According to the BBC, one of the men has already been charged with murder while another has been charged with rioting and associated offences on the night of McKee’s death. Detective Jason Murphy explained that the arrests are a “culmination of a detailed two-year investigation into Lyra’s murder and the events which preceded it.”

Before her death, McKee was referred to as a “rising star” in the journalism industry, and was named Sky News young journalist of the year in 2006. She was also named as one of Forbes magazine’s “30 under 30 in media” for her investigative journalism work, and is known for openly discussing the challenges she faced as a young gay woman growing up in Northern Ireland.

LGBTQ+ Domestic Violence Advisor job role available in Sussex

Posted on by Rachel Badham

Safe in Sussex is recruiting for an LGBTQ+ domestic violence advisor, seeking candidates from within the LGBTQ+ community to assess the risks and needs of LGBTQ+ domestic abuse survivors/victims using an evidence-based risk identification checklist. As part of this role, the candidate will be providing a pro-active, short to medium-term crisis intervention service through individual safety planning and personal support. 

The job is 35 hours per week and will involve working across West Sussex. To obtain an application pack, those interested can either visit www.safeinsussex.org or email info@safeinsussex.org.uk. The organisation is also recruiting for an Eastern European Community advisor who is able to speak one or more Eastern European languages, and a Community Development Officer to create long-term and sustainable co-production mechanisms and establish Lived Experience Board which will be fully represented on the Pan-Sussex Domestic Abuse Partnership Board. 

As well as the roles available at Safe in Sussex, Victim Support is looking for a Health Independent Domestic Violence Advisor to be based in hospital and health locations within Sussex. The job is 37.5 hours per week and will be based in the organisation’s Shoreham-by-Sea office. Those interested can find more information and application forms online.

Brighton’s updated Trans Inclusion Toolkit is shared with schools

Posted on by Rachel Badham

Originally produced in 2013, an updated version of Brighton and Hove council’s Trans Inclusion Toolkit has been shared with all primary and secondary schools in the local area, with the aim to support young gender non-conforming people and encourage schools to implement inclusive policies. The toolkit is one of several guides produced by the City Council around safeguarding, equality and anti-bullying policies to apply to local establishments.

Research by LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation, Just Like Us, found queer school pupils are twice as likely to experience bullying than their straight, cisgender peers. However, it also found that students who attend schools with inclusive policies are less likely to experience poor mental health. Chair of the Children, Young People & Skills Committee, Hannah Clare, hopes that the guide will help “pupils feel comfortable in their own skin so they can make the most of all that education offers.”

The toolkit was produced in collaboration with AllSorts Youth Project and local schools, the guide covers topics ranging from gender stereotyping, language, clothing and pronoun use to safeguarding, confidentiality, toilet/sports facilities and special educational needs. Clare added: “We’re proud to have trans guidance as part of our equalities practice. Sending positive messages of LGBT!Q+ acceptance goes together with positive outcomes for all pupils.”

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