First Proper Post
It took time, effort, strength and patience to eradicate the ridiculous amendment known as section 28 from the Local Government Act. It was ridiculous, and thoroughly outdated, even when legislated by the Tories under Thatcher’s reign in the late eighties, and especially so by the time the Labour Party finally managed to get it repealed in 2003, after many, many successive defeats in the House of Lords. Up until 2003, in this apparently developed country, there was an actual, written piece of legislation which stated this;
(1) A local authority shall not—
(a) intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality;
(b) promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.
What even is that!?
There are literally so many things wrong with this, how anyone could possibly think this was a good idea, I do not know (yes, I am looking at you, the Queen who allowed this to go through. And also Maggie Thatcher. But none of us are really surprised about that are we?) A pretended family relationship… how demeaning, tactless and false is that!? The backlash, the footprint that this wrinkly old fossil of a law has left has obviously been damaging in the years that have followed- it literally told us that being accepting of a homosexual lifestyle was so wrong, so irresponsible, that it was made illegal.
At the time, the results were as disastrous for young LGBT people as one might expect. Local councils withdrew funding from youth groups which provided a safe haven for LGBT individuals, and provided support and counselling for those who felt alone in dealing with feelings which their family and friends didn’t care to understand or accept. Libraries refused to stock gay literature, plans for information booklets detailing how young people dealing with mental illnesses, alcohol, drug and family problems could find help were withdrawn from local authorities’ priorities- people were living in fear of breaching section 28.
Of course something this severe would have damaging, long-lasting effects on the views of families, communities and authorities. We could be leaps and bounds ahead of our time in setting up more LGBT groups in schools, and having a more inclusive curriculum in our PSE (Personal and Social Education) lessons. It has now been 12 years since the repeal, making it, I feel, ridiculous that we barely receive any information regarding non-heterosexual relationships and families in our schools. Time, and society are moving forward, if slowly; 7% (340) of children in England were adopted by same sex couples in 2014, up from 6% (230) of children in the previous year; there are more LGB (no T, the four transgender candidates which stood unfortunately did not win their seats) MP’s in Westminster than ever before, and more than in any other Parliament in the world; 2.7% of young people in a recent survey by the Office Of National Statistics identify as gay, or lesbian in the UK, a figure which is even greater within capital cities.
Some people are gay. Some people are lesbian. Some people are bisexual, and some are transgender. We know this. We can’t deny it, nobody can, not that we’d want to. Why is information and education that relates to them often forgotten in schools despite the fact that it is perfectly legal, would probably reduce the burden on other services and would solve several other equality issues in society to include it? The Labour Party had plans to make it mandatory to teach all-inclusive, LGBT sex education to all pupils. But as we all know, it was a Conservative majority. They have no such plans, and in fact, do not mention Personal and Social Education lessons in their manifesto at all. In fact, the only subjects mentioned, are Maths and Science. They don’t believe that Sex Education (SRE) should be mandatory.
In a society where all of the emphasis is on exams and results, as opposed to the provision of life skills and support, schools will decide that this “pointless”, grade-less subject is not worth teaching. We will return to a time of confusion and isolation, where some people’s only source of information with regards to personal and social education will be the warped and distorted reality which they can find on the internet. Their norms and values will be the makings of Facebook, and Tumblr. Their sexual expectations will derive from PornHub.
What can we do about this? Well, being trapped in a Conservative majority government, very little. Which is why we need to get them out. There are many ways to show your discontentment with a party which cares very little for its country’s youth, its elderly, its ill and disabled. Its women, its working class, its students, workers, animals. I’m beginning to question who, besides the richest, do they care about?? Not me, or my family, and probably not you, or yours.
There have been protests going on all over the country, and though largely unreported, they are still vital in displaying our unwillingness to conform to the unfair system, the relentless cuts proposed, the failure to make steps in the way of halting tax-dodgers, and the policies which hit those most vulnerable in society. Do your bit however you can- tell friends and family of the unfair policies, sign a petition, join the opposition, tweet something, share something. Let’s get the #ToriesOutNow, for the people who won’t survive another 5 years of falling under the radar.
http://www.baaf.org.uk/res/statengland
Mae-be Tomorrow 