Dustin Lance Black urged people to make the world beautiful at School Diversity Week launch
The new initiative was launched to end homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in schools
By Steve Brown
Dustin Lance Black has urged people to “make this a more beautiful nation” at School Diversity Week launch.
The screenwriter – who is expecting his first child with husband Tom Daley – called for a more beautiful world for all at the launch of the initiative set up by Just Like Us with the help of Prime Minister Theresa May.
The week-long scheme aims to raise awareness of LGBT+ issues in schools and other educational establishments 30 years after the introduction of Section 28.
While speaking in front a group of students at Parliament, Dustin said: “We’re here today to continue to share those stories of hope throughout this country.
“That’s the power of personal story and the power of what you’re doing with this organisation… [sharing] stories of hope and collaboration – the spirit that says in our difference we are great and in our combined difference we are unbeatable.
Thirty years after Section 28 banned the “promotion” of homosexuality at school, Prime Minister @theresa_may helped launch LGBT+ School Diversity Week 2018 today with a powerful message of support to the 450,000 pupils and teachers taking part. pic.twitter.com/GIMRzjjO4z
— Just Like Us (@JustLikeUsUK) May 22, 2018
“Continue to lead with that hope that says locked arm and arm with our beautiful differences, we can succeed, we can thrive and we can make this a more beautiful nation, a more beautiful world for all, not despite our differences, but thank God for them.”
Section 28 was introduced in the Local Government Act of 1988 by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and forbade schools to promote the ‘teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship’.
Thursday (May 24) marks the 30th anniversary since the law was placed but now three decades later School Diversity Week will attempt to “end homophobia, biphobia, transphobia” across UK schools.
Just Like Us CEO Tim Ramsey said: “Growing up, I never heard a teacher say anything positive about LGBT issues – it made school a lonely and frightening time.
“This year, 30 years after Section 28 banned homosexuality in the classroom, we want even more schools to join School Diversity Week and take action to end homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.”