Campaign for LGBTI+ inclusive education in schools gives evidence to Scottish parliament public petitions committee
THE SCOTTISH SECULAR SOCIETY (SSS) has given its support to the Tie campaign for LGBTI+ inclusive education as it presents its evidence before the Scottish Parliaments public petitions committee.
The Time for Inclusive Education campaign (Tie) demands a statutory programme of education in schools to teach a syllabus which is inclusive of the LGBTI+ community including in sex education, history and in a realistic representation of LGBTi+ relationships in general.
The campaign is presenting evidence to the public petitions committee, including testimony drawn from across the country from survivors of homophobic bullying and abuse at schools.
In a press statement the SSS said: “The Scottish Secular Society commends Tie for taking on a powerful lobby of socially conservative vested interests within the Scottish education system. The work of the SSS seeks to highlight how the current system’s failings in regard to LGBT+ equality is because it is not fully secular, and that the needs and rights of young people are often subordinated to the ideological demands of religious bodies.
“Tie is confronting the legacy of homophobia within the Scottish Education system. It is over a decade since the repeal of Section 2A (Section 28) the Thatcher-era prohibition on the providing of educational support for LGBT+ pupils. Despite this, many educational professionals remain ill-equipped to deal with the needs of LGBT+ pupils, and the current system allows schools to opt out of progressive teaching programmes relevant to the LGBT+ community.”
Speaking just ahead of their presentation to the parliamentary committee, Jordan Daly of the Tie campaign told CommonSpace that much of the material the campaign has received in testimony is powerful: “I was once in the same position as many of those who wrote to us, so I know that this is going on. Others around us have been very taken aback, as many seem to think that just because we have marriage equality, that’s it. Most people are being introduced to these issues for the first time, and it’s shocking for them,” he said.
The Tie campaign is submitting its evidence after months of campaigning which has seen the campaign gain backing from trade unionists , religious figures and campaigners.
Picture courtesy of Tie Campaign