Schools Out Blog

Welcome to the Blog!

Schools Out Web Manager — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 12:17:00 +0100

Would you like to get in on our online community? Then read on! Here on our web blog 'forum' you can take part in discussions, post your comments and have a chat on whatever topics matter to you. The aim of the blog is for it to be in three sections and these are:

The Main Page Area: This area is for everyone that uses the Schools OUT website including general users, Schools OUT Subscribers and members of the Schools OUT Committee. Here you can catch up on live information, ask advice or share experiences with the rest of the world.

The Subscribers Area: This area is restricted to Subscribers of Schools OUT and Committee Members. Here you can chat to other Subscribers or members of the Committee about events, issues or anything that you as a Subscriber want to share. Even social gatherings can be organised through here!

The Committee Area: This area is restricted to the Committee of Schools OUT

You can sign up to be an online member using the Create an Account link at the bottom of the left hand column. Then you will create your username and password. An email will be sent to you and you will need to click the link within the email to activate your account and then you can Log In and post articles using the Post New Entry link at the top of the right hand column. Most articles have the option to reply to them by clicking on the Post A Comment link or the Reply link underneath the articles or commments. The most recent articles and comments are at the top of their respective columns on the right hand side and are all clickable links to the item.

If you are a Schools OUT Subscriber and have not received an invitational email, please email the Blog Administrator, Huw, after you have created your Reader Account at huw@schools-out.org.uk and we will grant relevent access rights to the Subscribers area of the Blog. If you have any problems, or you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Happy blogging
Huw
Schools OUT Web Administrator

exciting new book

sue sanders — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:17:00 +0000

What is a family? The stereotypical image shown in children’s books was of a father, mother, boy, girl, cat and dog living in a house with a garden. But as times have changed, families have changed too. Families comes in all shapes and sizes - from a mum and dad or single parent to two mums or two dads, from a mixed-race family to children with different parents.

tv request

sue sanders — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:51:00 +0000

Dear LBGT,

I am writing from Remarkable, an Endemol Company and we are currently making the third ...

International Survey on Awareness of Violence in Lesbian Relationships

sue sanders — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:59:00 +0000

Galop, London’s LGBT community safety charity, is working with partners across Europe to raise awareness of violence within lesbian relationships. Research has shown that members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities experience violence as often as heterosexual people, however social stigma prevents this being openly discussed and challenged...

The homophobia project - brilliant film for schools

sue sanders — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:02:00 +0000

Innovative youth arts company Peer Productions have developed a new DVD feature film complete with teacher’s pack which tackles homophobia in the classroom and beyond. This would be an ideal resource for your secondary schools and other youth providers and we are keen to see the film being used in your area...

Stonewall's Education For All conference, 2 July

Nigel Tart — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:19:00 +0000

A high level conference for those working in the education and youth sectors, with the opportunity to hear from a range of education sector leaders, public figures and senior politicians, attend specifically tailored breakout sessions run by sector experts and share good practice and expertise...

Interviewees wanted for BBC documentary on bullying

Nigel Tart — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:02:00 +0000

We've recently been commissioned by BBC3 to make an hour-long, observational documentary about children/young people's experience of bullying. We have a unique opportunity to bring attention to the complex ways bullying can impact on a child's self esteem and their ability to function in everyday life - and often at school. The film will be told from the perspective of young people who are endeavouring to overcome big challenges and move on from these traumatic experiences...

Unblock internet sites for all our learners especially our LGBTQ students

sue sanders — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:47:00 +0000

Many schools have a blanket lockdown policy on their internet connections so learners can’t see sites like LGBT History Month and Schools OUT. It is up to individual head teachers and governors how they deal with the internet. If they have a system that blocks sites they can also unblock certain sites however Oftsed has come out with this new report which you might find useful to get sites unblocked.

Schools Out conference to launch LGBT History Month

Nigel Tart — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:16:00 +0000

LGBT History Month will have its official launch at the Schools Out conference, in London’s Drill Hall theatre, on Sat 6 Feb. www.drillhall.co.uk

Schools Out conference, Sat 6 Feb, Drill Hall Theatre, London

Nigel Tart — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:18:00 +0000

SCHOOLS OUT CONFERENCE 2010 - 6th February at the Drill Hall, London Inspiring * Provocative * Entertaining as ever! Your unique chance to see the London Premier of the film The Homophobia Project: a powerful tool for secondary schools to raise awareness of homophobia

Survey of bisexual trade unionists

Nigel Tart — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:40:00 +0000

At the 2009 TUC LGBT Conference, delegates agreed that the issues faced by bisexual trade union members had not been ...

Gender Identity, Not Gender Reassignment - personal testimonials neededd

Nigel Tart — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:52:00 +0000

The next stage of the Equality Bill is the House of Lords Committee
Stage which is expected to be on the 11th and 13th of January 2010.

Many trans people and their allies have been working hard to try to
get the protected characteristic amended from 'gender reassignment'
to 'gender identity'. If we are to have even the slightest chance of
any success in the House of Lords, we need more real life examples of
people who fall outside the coverage of gender reassignment and the
discrimination they have experienced.

We need transgender, transvestite, genderqueer, androgyne, neutrois,
third-gender, gender variant and intersex people to share their
experiences. At the moment, politicians just don't understand who
other than transsexual people our gender diverse communities might
include. Please take this opportunity to show them that you exist and
that you deserve equality too.

If you are willing to share your experiences of the gender identity
discrimination or harassment you have experienced, and are happy for
us to include this within an amendment briefing pack for members of
the House of Lords, then please urgently complete our very short
anonymous survey at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7HLTHP2

Media request - why workers are out or not

Nigel Tart — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:08:00 +0000

If you have relevant information for the media professional concerned
please click this link to reply:
mailto:sophie.i.hudson@gmail.com

Request deadline: Friday 11 December, 2009

Contact me by e-mail at mailto:sophie.i.hudson@gmail.com

My request: Hello,

I am doing research for an article about people not coming out to
their colleagues at work for fear of this having a negative effect on
their career progression.

I am looking to talk to or get case studies about a person who has
decided not to come out at work and also a person who has come out at
work and the effect these people feel their decisions have made on
their working life.

The article will also be focusing on homophobia in the workplace. I
will then be pitching the article to the features section of a
national broadsheet and also to some magazines.

Many thanks,

Sophie Hudson

NEWS RELEASE: Sex ed should be universal – and without religious bias

Nigel Tart — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:12:00 +0000

Schools Out, the group campaigning for LGBT equality in education, broadly welcomes today’s announcement that sex and relationships education will be compulsory. Co-chair Sue Sanders has reservations...

film clip competition

sue sanders — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:06:00 +0000

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

National Anti-Bullying Week is approaching fast (16-20 November) and this year’s topic ‘Stay Safe in Cyberspace’ is a great opportunity to get active and creative. Stonewall and the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival are inviting anyone aged 16-21 to participate in the second Anti-Homophobic Bullying Film Clip Competition. For more information and terms and conditions click on the image below or visit www.stonewall.org.uk/filmclip.

It would be fantastic if you could forward this message and the flyer to anyone who might be interested.

We are looking forward to great entries!

Thank you and best regards,

Lydia

Lydia MalmedieEducation Officer
***************************

Rainbow Families - A Touring Photographic Exhibition - Participation Request

littlehuw — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:07:00 +0100

professional photographer looking for same sex couples with children willing to participate in a new project documenting "Rainbow Families" to challenge the conventional concept of the family

The GenderShift Blog - Channel 4 Bodyshock Documentary - Inciting Transphobia?

sue sanders — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:37:00 +0100

I have just finished watching the Channel 4 Bodyshock documentary - “Age 8 and Wanting a Sex Change” and like many of the people who have commented on the Channel 4 web site, I am both shocked and angry by their presentation.

Children of LGBT Parents

sue sanders — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:18:00 +0100

In the next few months Stonewall, in conjunction with leading researchers in the field, will begin a project researching the day-to-day experiences of children aged 4 to 21 who have same-sex parents.

Government Equalities Office Responds to Our Comments on How to Make the Equality Bill Work

zefrog — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:02:00 +0100

In the last LGBT History Month Bulletin we made some comments on the Equalities Office document 'Making it Work'. In particular we challenged the suggestion that monitoring for LGBT employees be made optional and the removal of the obligation to carry out equality impact Assessements as part of the public sector duty.

Objections to elements of the Equality Bill

zefrog — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:01:00 +0100

The proposed Equality Bill, now passed by parliament and on its way to becoming an Act next year, is designed to take all current equalities legislation and unite it in one, all singing, all dancing act. No-one can argue against that. But in the new consultation document: Making it Work, inequality is enshrined in the proposed monitoring process.

crucial to do this summer

sue sanders — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:19:00 +0100

The proposed Equality Bill, now passed by parliament and on its way to becoming an Act next year, is designed ...

TRANS COMMUNITY CONFERENCE 2009

Nigel Tart — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:25:00 +0100

Creative Responses to Education and Equality. Saturday 12th September, Central School of Speech and Drama...

important news

sue sanders — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:05:00 +0100

TUC LGBT Equality Newsletter - Equality Bill and more...

Schools Out call for Pride paraders - news release, 17 Jun 09

Nigel Tart — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:20:00 +0100

Schools Out today called on LGBT education workers and supporters of equality in education to march together at London Pride, on Saturday 4 July...

exciting youth project drill hall

sue sanders — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:46:00 +0100

This one week summer youth theatre is a brand new special youth theatre for kids with LGBT families...

LGBT Youth Podcasting tour to visit five English cities this summer

sue sanders — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:36:00 +0100

15/06/09: LGBT Youth Podcasting tour to visit five English cities this summer

The QueerPod Tour, a volunteering project funded ...

conference on feminism

sue sanders — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:14:00 +0100

Transnational Feminisms Conference - Call for Contributions

False abuse allegations to be wiped from workers' records

Nigel Tart — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:00:00 +0100

Teachers and youth workers who have been cleared of alleged abuse against children will be able to wipe the claims from their records, the government has said.

Education International's IDAHO Statement

Tim — Sat, 16 May 2009 19:45:00 +0100

EI endorses UN statement on sexual orientation and gender identity EI issued a statement on the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia taking place on 17 May, highlighting its endorsement of the United Nations' statement on sexual identity and orientation.

Visiting Fellowships (masculinity and heteronormativity) at Sussex Uni, Jul 09

Nigel Tart — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:02:00 +0100

The Participation, Power and Social Change Team at the Institute of Development Studies, UK, will host six Visiting Fellows (VF) during July 2009, as part of a programme of work on Participation and Development Relations (PDR), funded by the Swedish International Development Agenda (Sida) and Swiss Development Co-operation (SDC)...