posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer, Schools and Learning
LGBT Education Network Newsletter: November 2017
I hope everyone is enjoying the year and we’re all set for Christmas which is just over the horizon!
In this newsletter we have links to our three exciting new guidance documents. They are designed to help make LGBT inclusion easier and give you confidence in the best way forward when including LGBT identities in your school, or supporting LGBT young people.
We also have resources for World AIDS Day, which were created in partnership with HIV Scotland, an invite for LGBT teachers to a meet up in Glasgow early next year and information about Purple Friday!
As you can see, we’ve been pretty busy over here and we know that schools across Scotland have been working hard on improving LGBT inclusion – we’d love to hear what you’ve been up to.
As ever all feedback, questions and thoughts can be sent to info@lgbtyouth.org.uk
Supporting Transgender Young People in Education
At the start of this month we launched the ‘Supporting Transgender Young People in Education’ guidance.
Developed in partnership with the Scottish Trans Alliance, this resource aims to help primary and secondary education staff support transgender children and young people and is informed by the experiences of young people and teachers.
It addresses the most common concerns from schools and teachers when supporting transgender young people as well as offering proactive advice and guidance on how to ensure schools are inclusive environments for all learners.
It is a general guide to supporting transgender young people and is not exhaustive. If a teacher needs more information or support for a young person, they can speak to the school management team, the local authority or other agencies or contact LGBT Youth Scotland.
Addressing Inclusion: Effectively Challenging Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
This resource provides information and guidance to school staff on addressing homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in Scottish schools and has been written to complement Respect for All: The National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People.
It is designed to assist both primary and secondary school staff in recognising and responding to incidents of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in their schools. While there is good practice happening across Scotland and some schools have made great strides in addressing these behaviours, this is not yet consistent across Scotland; research shows that 69% of lesbian, gay and bisexual learners and 77% of transgender learners report experiencing bullying.
For further information and support, contact LGBT Youth Scotland or respectme.
World AIDS Day 2017
Ahead of World AIDS Day on the 1st December, LGBT Youth Scotland are proud to release these resources to help schools and teachers share vital information with their learners. They have been created in collaboration with HIV Scotland and feature statistics, campaigns, resources and personal stories about life in Scotland for those living with HIV. World AIDS Day takes place on the 1st December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. Why is this needed?
- In Scotland, more than 5000 are living with HIV.
- Since 2001, the number of people living with HIV in Scotland has doubled
- There are 2 new HIV diagnoses cases every month among 15-24 year olds in Scotland
- 60% of UK young people do not remember receiving any HIV information in school
*Please note that you will have to view the website on your desktop to download the files*
Developing a Gender and Sexual Orientation Alliance (GSA)
A straightforward and comprehensive guide to establishing a GSA in your school. This guide is designed for use by young people in collaboration with their teachers.
GSAs exist in over 25% of Scottish schools and can be effective in creating safe, inclusive spaces that empower LGBT young people in the school environment. The guide walks young people through the steps involved in establishing a GSA in partnership with their teachers and school management.
Getting it Right for LGBTI Teachers
We are pleased to announce an event for LGBTI teachers and student teachers hosted by Strathclyde University’s School of Education, a partnership event with SWAN – Scottish Workplace Networking for LGBT People.
Join us on Wednesday 7th February 2018 from 5:30pm as we bring together national organisations to discuss how best to support LGBTI teachers and share best practice.
This event is part of LGBT History Month and will focus on providing a space for teachers at all levels to share their experiences of being LGBTI within the Scottish education system.
Please note that this venue is fully accessible with wheelchair access from Richmond Street, disabled parking across from the main entrance and accessible toilet facilities. If you would like to come to this event please register free by clicking the image above.
Purple Friday – 23 February 2018
Purple Friday is just around the corner so we have produced a handy guide to help you take part. Inside you’ll find information about this year’s theme, some tips on taking part and a resource order form for your badges and flags. The cut-off date for ordering resources is 18 December so please place your order as soon as possible so you don’t miss out.
This year’s theme focuses on the #EverydayHero the person whose small gestures promote an inclusive atmosphere for LGBTI people. It’s about the little things like avoiding assumptions about people’s partners, breaking down unnecessarily gendered language, making people feel included.
We want to spread awareness that anyone can be an #EverydayHero and the small, day-to-day gestures are equally, if not more important, than the grand gestures.
Take part this year and support LGBT Youth Scotland with your fundraising to help us make Scotland the best place for LGBTI young people to grow up. Contact fund@lgbtyouth.org.uk with any queries.
Secondary Book of the Moment: TransMission by Alex Bertie
A brave and ground-breaking first-hand account of the life, struggles and victories of a young transgender man, as told by YouTuber Alex Bertie.
Alex Bertie is a 21-year-old transgender YouTuber from rural Dorset. While attending school aged 14, he started making videos on sexuality and gender identity, continuing to do so with weekly uploads. His YouTube channel, TheRealAlexBertie, now has almost 300,000 subscribers, he has 72,000 Instagram followers and 47,000 Twitter followers.
Alex has worked with organisations such as Childline and Stonewall, and has been recognised by the Independent, YouTube magazine TenEighty and trans publication FTM Magazine.
Possible ideas for it’s use in schools: All the way through the book, single statements are blown up to cover a whole page. This method of presentation makes these statements stand out. Highlight some of these and ask your learners to write 10 statements which would be the ones highlighted in their biography.
Alex talks openly and honestly about experiencing bullying in his school. You could use this as a case study to look at bullying, respectful relationships and as an opportunity to reiterate your schools commitment to anti-bullying. There is a good glossary in this book which you could use as a research project: give the learners the terms and ask them to research their meaning. You could then compare them to what’s in the book and discuss similarities and differences
Primary Book of the Moment: Red by Michael Hall
A blue crayon mistakenly labelled as “red” suffers an identity crisis in this picture book by the New York Times–bestselling creator of My Heart Is Like a Zoo and It’s an Orange Aardvark! Funny, insightful, and colourful, Red: A Crayon’s Story, by Michael Hall, is about being true to your inner self and following your own path despite obstacles that may come your way.
Red has a bright red label, but he is, in fact, blue. His teacher tries to help him be red (let’s draw strawberries!), his mother tries to help him be red by sending him out on a playdate with a yellow classmate (go draw a nice orange!), and the scissors try to help him be red by snipping his label so that he has room to breathe. But Red is miserable. He just can’t be red, no matter how hard he tries! Finally, a brand-new friend offers a brand-new perspective, and Red discovers what readers have known all along. He’s blue! This funny, heartwarming, colourful picture book about finding the courage to be true to your inner self can be read on multiple levels, and it offers something for everyone.
Possible ideas for it’s use in schools:
This book is a great stimulus for an activity around not judging someone on the way they look. Everyone expected Red to behave in a certain way based on his appearance, challenging that notion can have a positive impact on learners and allow them greater freedom to try new things.
A more specific use would be to use this book as an introduction to the concept of transgender people. Not everyone identifies with the gender assigned to them at birth and are actually something else inside. This book can be a good metaphor to explore that idea with learners.
Focusing on art, you can look at the colours in the story and what colours are made by mixing them. For instance if you mix Red (who is really Blue) with Yellow, you get green.
Our vision is that Scotland is the best place to grow up for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex young people.
Our mission is to play a leading role in the provision of quality youth work to LGBTI young people that promotes their health and wellbeing, and to be a valued and influential partner in LGBTI equality and human rights.
Become part of the Commonwealth’s rich storytelling heritage
Get your students involved Don’t forget, your students can try their hand at creative writing too. The deadline for the children’s competition closes on 2 January 2018, so there’s still plenty of time to submit an entry.
Come along to our planning event at the historic Edinburgh City Chambers to hear directly from the UK Safer Internet Centre about the Safer Internet Day 2018 campaign. It’s a great opportunity to network, share and be inspired by others’ plans for the day. The BBC will showcase a newly launched BBC online service aimed at helping 9-12 year olds to safely and confidently explore digital spaces. We’ll also hear from Clermiston Primary School about their involvement in creating Safer Internet Day TV videos. Whether you are a school, charity, public sector organisation or private company, there is something you can do to play a part in the day. We will be delighted if you can join us and a range of leading organisations as we plan for Safer Internet Day. Please click the link for more information.
Education Scotland is pleased to be a Year Of Young People 2018 partner. The year aims to encourage young people to become leaders within their communities and beyond, and to support them to benefit from new opportunities. Follow @YOYP2018 on Twitter, use #YOYP2018 and stay up-to-date with the latest news on the 