Government pledges £1million to tackle homophobic bullying

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has announced £1 million of funding, which is being put towards tackling LGBT bullying in schools.

Mrs Morgan, who is also Minister for Equalities, said: “I am determined to do all I can to consign homophobic and transphobic bullying to the dustbin of history.”

She added, “The fantastic work being done by charities across the country, supported by the Government, has shown that tackling homophobia and transphobia in the classroom is possible and doesn’t have to be difficult.

“Today’s announcement will allow this vital work to continue and help even more schools to end this bullying once and for all.”

Despite having opposed marriage equality in 2013, Morgan has made homophobic bullying one of her top priorities since taking the Education portfolio in the Conservative government. She had previously delivered a £2 million package in October 2014 to tackle the same issue.

NICKY MORGAN

Stonewall Chief Executive Ruth Hunt said the funding – which has been announced less than a month after the government rejected recommendations for mandatory, inclusive sex and relationship education in schools – was “crucial” to teaching young people about the importance of inclusivity and acceptance.

A government report released in November 2015 showed school bullying in general had “plummeted” over the past ten years, and although a Stonewall report in 2014 showed homophobic bullying was also down, Morgan told an education conference in November 2015 that it remains a major barrier to LGBT youth in Britain.

“The tragic fact is that young people who suffer homophobic bullying often pull back from school life,” she said. “Their life chances are completely screwed because of the fear that come with being who they are. We cannot underestimate the effect that homophobic bullying has on young people.”

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