LGBT Equality

Bullying at school

6 out of 10 lesbian and gay schoolchildren experience homophobic bullying, and half of them contemplate killing themselves as a result. Under current law, there is no obligation on schools to tackle this homophobia until a complaint is made: which means that, in a majority of cases, a child has to suffer before any action is taken.

The Equality Duty will help. Teachers will have a duty to stop homophobic bullying before it happens, by promoting equality in the classroom, and not shying away from discussing issues of homosexuality. This isn’t about blaming teachers, or about forcing views on others: it’s about making sure that schools promote an environment of equality and acceptance.

We know this approach will work. Research shows that in schools that have said homophobic bullying is wrong, young gay people are 60% more likely not to have been bullied.

Transgender Equality

In a major step forward for the transgender community, the ‘Goods and Services’ equality laws covering Gender Reassignment will be extended to cover ‘Public Functions’.  This means, for example, that discrimination provisions in schools will now protect transgender children. At a time when the Equality Duty is being implemented to oblige schools to promote equality (see Homophobic Bullying, above), it is obviously important that gender reassignment is a part of this duty.

Perhaps even more importantly, the laws surrounding discrimination and harrassment will be extended to cover ‘association’ with the transgender community. Given that transphobic discrimination occurs just as much to those who self-identify as transgender as it does to those undergoing any medical procedures, this will be an important part of tackling inequality and levelling-up the law to align with other forms of protection.

UPDATE: There have been some concerns from members of the Trans community that the Equality Bill will only provide protection for those under medical supervision. This is not the case. The explanatory notes to the legislation specifically note that  if, for example, an individual who is biologically female is living as a man, then for the purposes of the law, they will be considered to have undergone ‘gender reassignment’. This will not require either medical or legal approval to be considered a valid defence in cases of harrassment, equality of provision of goods and services, implementation of the Equality Duty, and so on. .