Stoke Newington School, a secondary school in north London, has said that it has nearly managed to completely eradicate homophobic bullying from the school by introducing gay history lessons.

Using these lessons to teach pupils about well-known gay historical figures such as wartime code-breaker Alan Turing, gay authors Oscar Wilde and James Baldwin and artist Andy Warhol, music teacher Elly Barnes said she developed the lessons with colleagues five years ago after becoming aware of how pupils were frequently using “gay” as a derogatory term.

Following the success within the Stoke Newington School the plan now is to extend the scheme by teaching hundreds of teachers how to “educate and celebrate” being gay with Ms Barnes aiming to “eradicate homophobia from all schools” by giving staff the confidence and resources required to tackle the prejudice that all to often exists.

Talking about the changes the lessons had made, Barnes said:

“Many schools haven’t even begun to deal with homophobia,”

“Some still think being gay is illegal in parts of the country. By looking at famous LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] people in history, we’ve changed opinions and we have had a number of pupils come out.

“We have also changed the language used in the school. I used to hear the word gay used all the time as a derogatory term. Now we hardly hear it.”

A report by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission earlier this month found two-thirds of lesbian, gay and transgender students had suffered homophobic bullying with 17 per cent had received death threats. It also found that nearly half of secondary school teachers in England believe homophobic bullying is commonplace with only one in six believing that the school promoted the rights of gay pupils.

Via This Is London

We always love discovering people out there trying to make a difference and make the world a less homophobic place which is exactly what a brand new campaign “Red Card Homophobia” is trying to do.

Describing their mission as being “to increase awareness of and end homophobia in football (soccer) and promote equality, regardless of sexual orientation, in the beautiful game”, their website explains that the campaign was started by a group of devoted football fans who came together via football internet forum and decided that they wanted to do what they could to make the game beautiful not only in terms of game play but also in terms of acceptance, tolerancve and equality.

Committed to making the difference “Red Card Homophobia” are looking to use every online tool they can to do so with Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, and Tumblr and Livejournal accounts already in action and the group planning to spread the message offline and globally as well.

You can find out more about the campaign and what you can do to help on the official Red Card Homophobia website.

Think Boy Butter founder Eyal Feldman is a man who is  focused on sex lubricants and nothing else? Well shame on you for being so narrow minded because this fine specimen of a man has proven himself to be far more than that by swimming across across Israel’s six-mile (10km) Sea of Galilee, the largest body of water in the country for two charities!

Choosing two very diverse but equally important charities, the Jewish Home for the Aging and SAGE (Seniors Active in a Gay Environment), after recovering from his amazing feat  Eyal last week presented a check for $1,750 to SAGE’s Executive Director Michael Adams.

Big congrats to Eyal for his achievement. He’s our new hero.

Boy Butter lubricants are available in the UK at LoveHoney.

Leading the campaign for this apology are Jacqui De La Maziere, (ex-Royal Navy), Roger Garford (ex-Royal Air Force) and Jean MacDonald (ex-Army), all dismissed prior to the lifting of the ban of gays serving openly in the military back in 2000, who are looking for it not only for their experiences of being interrogated and dismissed from the armed forces because of their sexual orientation, but also the many others who suffered the same treatment.

Originally writing to the Queen for an apology, the trio were informed that it is not something that she is able to intervene in due to her position as a constitutional sovereign and that she had requested Senior Correspondence Officer to send their letter to Prime Minister David Cameron MP, in order for him to consider their approach and the points raised.

The move to ending the ban on gays in the military in the UK occurred back in 2000 when gay naval officer Duncan Lustig-Praen won a landmark case in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) concerning his dismissal from the Navy due to his sexual orientation. Alleging that this and the intrusive manner of the investigation was a violation of his right to privacy, the winning of this case saw the government immediately suspend the ban and then remove it totally.

Speaking about the relevance this case has to their plight for an apology, De La Maziere said:

“…because Duncan and his three colleagues were the first test case they got good settlements, but for many of us who followed the damages were pitiful considering we were being dismissed from what would have been a twenty two year career.”

“It’s not about the money, it’s about recognising the long lasting effects of the dismissals and the interrogations.”

Prior to the ban interrogations focused on discovering whether you were gay or not could last between 2 to 18 hours and would be undertaken by the same trained officers that interrogated terrorists, something which De La Maziere says has unsurprisingly had a long term impact on those involved which included:

“… having to come out to parents prematurely, to self harm, to loss of career and ongoing work prospects, to homelessness. Some people were given electric shock therapy and sent to military prison. Yet, we’ve never been offered any counselling or support.”

Whilst the group are looking to see if there are any other avenues open to them to take the case further, De La Maziere says that it is however a formal apology which is most important to them stating:

“an apology would be a mental healing and a chance for people finally to put it to rest and move on.”

Via The Lesbian & Gay Foundation Photo credit: Theodore Scott

Kenneth Howell, a professor at Illinois University who was fired after sending an email to his students about homosexuality and the Catholic Church telling them it violated Natural Moral Law, has now been offered a new position by the University despite the fact that he is taking legal action against them saying that the firing infringes on his academic freedom.

Now it might sound strange to hear a man is taking legal action against an organisation for discrimination when in effect what he was doing in the first place was just that, but the reality is this is far from a one off as these ten examples proves:

1.  Lillian Ladele

Lillian Ladele, a former registrar for Islington council resigned in 2007 after being told she faced the sack for refusing to officiate civil partnerships. Acting to then sue the council saying that she was being discriminated against because of her religious belief Ladele, who said her rights were “trampled” by gay couples had her case and appeal to the Supreme Court turned down.

(Via Pink News)

2.  Jennifer Keeton

After telling fellow students that she believed homosexuality was a life choice and immoral Jennifer Keeton was told she needed to attend diversity sensitivity workshops in order to qualify as a counsellor. Keeton is now sueing Augusta State University for violating her constitutional rights

(Via The Advocate)

3. Peter Labarbera

Following a Holiday Inn in Naperville cancelling an “Americans For Truth About Homosexuality” event (for which he had no contract with them) because the hotel felt the chance of protests would  have a negative impact on a wedding party being held there Labarbera decided to sue them for religious discrimination saying they did it because  Labarbera’s group is against homosexuality.

(Via Daily Herald)

4. Csaba Marosan

Bringing us bang up to date, Marosan has just filed a complaint with the state human rights division in New York claiming he has been ostracized by administrators at the college where he is a Professor because he, unlike them, was not gay.

(Via ABC News)

5. Orville Nichols

Orville Nichols, a civil marriage commissioner from Saskatchewan decided to sue the provincial government back in 2008 because he had to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Saying it violated his religious rights and he should be able to deny services to whoever he liked.

(Via Slap Upside The Head)

6. Michael Savage

Michael Savage, the shock jock, who was fired from MSNBC after telling a caller “You should only get AIDS and die, you pig!” announced in 2009 that he was going to sue the British Government after Jacqui Smith banned him from entering the country because of his exteme view.

(Via The Independent)

7. Heidi Zamecnik

17 year old Heidi Zamecnik filed a federal suit against her Indian Prairie School District 204 Board of Education, Superintendent Howard Crouse, and high school officials from stopping her wearing an anti-gay t-shirt saying it was her right to do so after other students had previously worn ones in support of homosexuality.

(Via CBS Chicago)

8.  Ruth Malhotra

Malhotra went to court back in 2006 so she could seek to be given the right to be intolerant towards homosexuality saying that her Christian faith compelled her to speak out against homosexuality.

(Via LA Times)

9. Denise Haye

Sacked after posting homophobic comments on  gay Christian website, Denise Haye took Lewisham Council to court saying that she felt it unfair that she had been dismissed even though she had used her work computer and work email address to post on the site.

(Via The Voice)

10. Susan Comstock

Susan Comstock decided back in 2006 that it would be a good idea to sue her union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada for supporting the federal same sex marriage bill saying that the fact some of her union dues had obviously gone to supporting this meant their religious freedom was violated.

(Via Slap Upside The Head)

When the University of Michigan published findings of a new study looking at the impact that same sex relationships had on teenagers earlier this week, the response was sadly underwhelming. News of happy gay teenagers wasn’t a good enough headline to grab the attention of the mainstream media or readers more interested in what celebrity had done what naughty gay thing or some horribly homophobic story that get us all gasping. And that has meant what are actually very useful findings in supporting our LGBT youth have ended up being ignored.

Carried out by researchers headed up by Professor Jose Bauermeister, assistant professor at Michigan University’s School of Public Health, the study saw 350 lesbian, gay and bisexual teenagers from three New York drop in centres for the LGBTQ community interviewed over a two year period to assess how high the levels of depression and anxiety that they were experiencing were in comparison to heterosexual teenagers. Bringing together the findings in a paper entitled “Relationship trajectories and psychological well-being among sexual minority youth” the reality is that many of us would have expected to see the LGB group be the weakest in terms of self esteem and positive self identity. The reality though was quite the opposite was true.

Finding that same sex teenagers of both genders actually tended to have higher levels of self esteem than their heterosexual counterparts, the study also found that being in same sex relationship also acted to reduced levels of internalised homophobia with this positive impact occurring in as short as one month for girls with the boys feeling the same benefit but taking that little bit longer. One surprising finding though was that in the case of LGB teens who were in opposite sex relationships and suppressing their sexuality that whilst there was no real positive aspect, there was no real negative impact either leading the researchers to sugges that there was some form of protective element about it for those involved.

Interesting and thought provoking these findings do act to prove many assumptions that both the LGBT community and heterosexual community often hold, but the question is, as with all studies, is there anything in these findings that can really be applied to real life to make the situation for LGBT youth coming to terms with their sexuality any easier?

Put simply the answer is yes.

What this research has acted to do is reveal something that we don’t hear very often. That the teenage years of an LGBT person can be happy times, that they can be filled with positive memories and life affirming experiences and aren’t as a matter of course all about facing homophobia both externally and internally. It has shown that if same sex relationships are able to flourish at the times when teenagers are learning to come to terms with their sexuality, it won’t like many believe act to confuse them more, but has the ability to do quite the opposite and make them feel more comfortable about who they are as a person.

It is important though to recognise that whilst the University of Michigan research makes it appear that all LGB teens these days are more confident and happily entering into same sex relationships. The reality is this isn’t something that is a wider spread thing. More teenagers are hiding who they are than being out and proud. The reason Bauermeister and his researcher were able to get such positive results was because they used a sample of teenagers who actively attended LGBT drop in centres. Now by no means am I saying these teens aren’t troubled by their sexuality in any way, but the fact they’ve made a conscious decision to embrace their sexuality to at least some degree to attend the centers proves they do already have some confidence in who they are as an LGBT person and therefore feel more confident about entering into same sex relationships. For each one of those there will be 100s more too scared to make that first step out of the closet, let alone out the front door.

So what can done to make sure that the findings of this research are replicated with a much larger percentage of LGBT teens? The first thing has to be a more positive attitude towards same sex relationships at a young age from parents, teachers and the media.  The case at the moment is that this isn’t what is happening. People are more obsessed with what could happen to a teenager by being part of a same sex relationship than actually the benefits a teenager may get. Parents, for example, all too often will try to move their child away from a same sex relationship not necessarily because they feel it is wrong to be gay, but because they want to protect their child from the abuse that they may face from others for being in one. The reality though, as this study has shown, is that letting them be in the relationship acts to have far more benefits than disadvantages.  It not only allows them to really explore these feelings they are having in a secure and loving environment, but by making it something that doesn’t have any barriers to it also doesn’t make them feel that it is something that is wrong.

And that is the most important thing of all. LGBT teenagers make up the highest percentages of depressed and suicidal youth and that’s because of one thing – they feel that being LGBT is something that isn’t right, they not only feel that people don’t like them for who they are, they in the majority don’t think they are either. Now that is a very different gay teen to the one that the University of Michigan is talking about, but the reality is that the fix to the problem isn’t big. It’s all about positive attitudes. It’s about allowing teens to really feel that they can explore their feelings without judgement. It’s about creating positive role models in dramas that do just that. It’s not wrapping our teens in cotton wool until we think they’re old enough to truly deal with their sexuality because by the time they reach that point the scars are going to be too deep to ever really heal.

And that is why this story didn’t deserve to be just another page filler and front page news.

Photo credit: Kamshots

If there’s one sport in the UK that is perceived to have a big problem concerning homophobia it’s football. Apparently completely void of any gay footballers since the suicide of Justin Fashanu back in 1998, the reality is no-one believes that there isn’t a gay footballer in the professional football leagues, so why is this sport in such denial about the issue of homosexuality? Some say it has to do with the response of the fans in the stands. Others attribute it to how it would change the dynamics of a team if they found out one of their team mates was gay and then there’s perhaps the biggest problem of all. The media and how it would act to make a life that had been secret for so long suddenly very very public.

So what is the real truth about the issue of homophobia and football, and more importantly what do we need to do to make a change? Well that’s no easy question to answer, but let’s give it a go.

Speaking to The Justin Campaign following his documentary “Inside Sport – Football’s Last Taboo” BBC Radio 1 DJ and sports presenter Mark Chapman made it clear  that there is one truth about  homophobia. That it is real, and is an issue that needs to be dealt with, but for him it’s not just about inclusiveness, Mark also believes that it would be good in terms of level of performance, citing how the additional stress of hiding your sexuality could easily act to impinge on how well you perform.

So whose fault does he think it is? For Chapman some of the blame has to go to the football authorities for their lack of action, though not for how they deal with homophobic abuse because he doesn’t actually believe that to be the issue. For Mark, he believes the problem is when sportsmen actually come out citing how it was only once Gareth Thomas came out “he started getting abuse about taking it up the arse”, and so therefore the solution is to educate both supporters and teams that this isn’t acceptable so when a player does come out, they come out and accepted, not suddenly going from being just another talented footballer to the harassed one.

So how does Chapman feel the problem should be solved? By growing up. I know what you’re thinking that’s far too throwaway and simplistic, but the reality is what Chapman is saying is true. The problem with negative responses to homosexuality, particularly concerning sport, isn’t because of religious beliefs, it’s down to people acting like they’re still in the playground and thinking it’s amusing to shout insulting things at other people. It’s because they think they’re being clever and when if no-one strict headmaster in the form of the FA is going to come out and tell them that it isn’t funny, that it’s offensive and they wouldn’t like it if people did it to them they aren’t going to stop. It’s too much fun for them.

And part of the reason Chapman isn’t so fussed about the fans is because he doesn’t seem them to be the problem. He puts that down to one thing. The media and their increasingly intrusive behaviour.  A player coming out and be called “faggot” or “poof” on the pitch by supposed fans would be hard, but the real negative result of coming out? That would be the media on your doorstep. The media at your parents. The media writing about the boyfriend you never actually had and the blurred photos every time you step out of a gay club. And the sad reality is none of us can talk our way out of this one. It is going to happen, with the only conciliation being eventually it will die down. Eventually people will get bored. The problem is though we’re talking about people and their lives. It’s all very well to say once three or four people come out everything will quieten down for the rest of us, but these three or four people are real people, people with emotions, people with families. People who are truly going to suffer to make it easier for the next generation of gay footballers. It’s not an easy sell is it.

Or maybe it is if Staffordshire University research is anything to go buy with a survey of 2,000 supporters finding only 7% felt there was no place for homosexuals in football, and according to senior sociology lecturer Jamie Cleland, that  homophobia “… should be stomped out and they felt that it brought shame on football”.  And it didn’t end there  with Cleland also highlighting interesting discovery that could lead the media to find out that sensationalising and outing footballers would act not to sell them more papers, but have quite the opposite effect with many calling great transparency and saying “they would prefer it if gay footballers came out because they don’t think they would have to put up with that much abuse.”

Still though it’s going to take a very brave gay footballer to be the first to dip his toe in coming out water and see just how bad it really might be.

Reading Pride, which is to be held on 4th September 2010 have just announced Agnes as their headline act. Best known for her “Release Me” single which charted at number three in the UK and ended up in the top ten across Europe, Agnes will be performing at the main Pride event at Kings Meadow which will also see the traditional market stall section as well as a picnic area for families sponsored by Alternative Families Show 2010.

Other music entertainment includes Scooch, who managed to stop us finishing last in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2007 (we’ll ignore that we came 23rd out of 24), who will perform their Glee hit show as well as Drag with No Name, Dave Lynn, The Boy George Experience and many many more.

Free for all to attend thanks to sponsorship from Unison, The NHS (Royal Berkshire Foundation Hospital) Reading Borough Council and Out in the City and Penta Hotels, the event starts at the Civic Centre at 11.30am with the Reading Pride Parade before ending up at Kings Meadow park at 12pm.

You can find out more about the event at the official Reading Pride website.

Whilst most of the LGBT community will tell you that whilst coming out isn’t going to be the easiest thing you’ll ever do, they will however still tell it’s an important thing that everyone needs to do in order to be able to truly feel proud of who you are. Well that is unless you’re one of these five who would quickly turn you around, walk you straight back into the closet and close the door.

1. Rupert Everett (Gay Actor)

Ah the darling Mr Everett. Rupert is well known for his little grumpy outbursts so we should feel privileged he’s blessed a rather negative one on his own community.

“It’s not that advisable to be honest. It’s not very easy. And, honestly, I would not advise any actor necessarily, if he was really thinking of his career, to come out…The fact is that you could not be, and still cannot be, a 25-year-old homosexual trying to make it in the British film business or the American film business or even the Italian film business.”

‘It just doesn’t work and you’re going to hit a brick wall at some point. You’re going to manage to make it roll for a certain amount of time, but at the first sign of failure, they’ll cut you right off.”

(Via Daily Mail)

2. Todd Holland (Gay Director)

In response to a question at the 2009 Taking It to the Streets: LGBT Directors Get Political panel at Outfest about the competitiveness of Hollywood and whether young actors should be out of not, Holland was very certain of this answer (though he did apologize through GLAAD later on)

I say, Stay in the closet.”

(Via Pink News)

3. John Amaechi (Gay Retired Basketball Player)

Maybe we’re being a little harsh with John Amaechi for this one, but whilst we agree that it’s not a good idea to come out before you’re ready, it is important if the sports world is ever going to change it’s attitude to homosexuality that everyone doesn’t wait out of fear, not lack of confidence of their own sexuality, until they’re retired to come out.

“I get into trouble sometimes with the gay community by saying it is not the job of sports stars in the closet to come out.

“That is not how change happens. For an under-prepared and psychologically stunted individual who plays sports at a high level to come out before they are ready is like being born prematurely.”

(Via Manchester Evening News)

4. Joan Rivers (Honorary Gay)

Okay Joan Rivers isn’t actually gay, but if anyone is worthy of becoming an honorary gay it’s her, though perhaps we should retract that with her belief that you’re really not going to have a career if you’re openly gay.

“It’s part of the game. If you’re going to be a romantic idol and try to get every teenage girl to love you, then you’d be an ass to come out and say you’re gay. That’s why Ricky Martin was so smart — he did what he did, he made his millions, and then he said, “Guess what, everybody? I’m gay, I’m having this life, and here are my children.” It didn’t matter anymore because he didn’t have to bring in 16-year-old girls. “

(Via The Advocate)

5. Anonymous Gay  TV Producer

John Barrowman claimed in this autobiography “I Am What I Am” that a gay producer told him it would better for him to stay in the closet if he wanted to achieve long term success, asking him:

“John, we wondered if you really wanted to reveal that you’re gay? We think it might change how people feel about you.”

John told him to shut up and that he was proud of his big gay self (well okay he didn’t say it quite like that..)
(Via Pink News)

Photo credit: That Guy Who’s Going Places

Words on a page can be incredibly powerful, but sometimes there’s nothing more moving, nothing more likely to create that lump in your throat, and create that fire in your heart than seeing those words being taken off the page, wrapped with emotion and passion and delivered as speeches that you’ll remember long after you’ve lost the book or web address of those powerful words you once read.

And there’s no better example of just that than these impassioned LGBT rights speeches:

1. Philip Spooner’s Testimony In Case For Marriage Equality In Maine

Philip Spooner is a hero for what he did for his country in the World War II and is a hero all over again for this impassioned speech in support of gay marriage in Maine. Articulate and emotive, Philip speaks of how he’d always been brought up to treat everyone as equal, something one of his four sons is far from being and for one simple reason only. He’s gay.

2. Jay Bakker On Gay Marriage

As powerful as Jay’s speech is, what is even more powerful is the response to his congregation when he comes out in support of gay marriage. Quoting the words of Martin Luther King “it’s not the words of your enemies that you will remember but the silence of your friends”, if this video clip doesn’t move you nothing will.

3. Lieutenant Dan Choi Speaking At Obama Dinner Protest

Speaking out not against what is being said, but what isn’t allowed to be because of the conditions and restraints policies like Don’t Ask Don’t Tell put on people, this is just one of many powerful speeches by Dan Choi that can’t help but bring out the LGBT activist in you.

4. Billie Myers At The National Equality March In Washington

Speaking at the National Equality March in Washington, this speech by biusexual singer / songwriter Billie Myers is powerful not just for it’s words, but how this isn’t just another speech. This is about her and her life and how it, like so many lives of the LGBT community, is filled with obstacles and difficulties that she is forced to face based purely on one thing – her sexuality. Watch then read the equally extraordinary blog post she wrote to accompany it on her blog.

5. New York Senator Diane Savino On Marriage Equality Bill

Speaking before the vote for Marriage Equality in New York, Senator Savino dismantles the arguments against gay marriage in style, with perhaps her most important, yet at the same time most simple point of all being “We have nothing to fear from love and commitment”.