U.K. schools told
to be tough on homophobia

Teachers who ignore the casual use of "gay" and "queer" among students are promoting the homophobic bullying that has become prevalent in U.K .schools, a government minister said Thursday, according to The [London] Times.

Speaking to the U.K. gay rights organization Stonewall, Kevin Brennan, the recently installed children's minister, said faculty members have an obligation to end the use of homophobic language that is supposedly "harmless banter," reported The Times.

His comments came after the release of a study from the Schools Health Education Unit that suggests nearly half of British teachers disregard the use of homophobic language. According to The Times, Brennan believes that such language should be addressed in the same manner as racist slurs.

"To ignore this problem is to collude in it. Turning a blind eye to casual name-calling, looking the other way because it is the easy option, is not acceptable--not only because it is disrespectful and hurtful but because it is often the precursor to more serious bullying. We need to create a culture where homophobic bullying is as unthinkable as racist bullying," the newspaper quoted Brennan as saying. He was particularly adamant about the use of "gay" as a synonym for "bad," which he says contributes to an environment which can be hostile to LGBT students.

Brennan told The Times that the British government is in the process of developing a new curriculum "so that children and young people are taught about the importance of equality and diversity in ways that are appropriate to their age." He hopes schools will take a lead role in increasing tolerance among U.K. citizens.

Research commissioned by Stonewall finds that homophobic bullying is a widespread problem in U.K. schools. Nearly two thirds of LGBT students in secondary school--or 150,000 young people--have been the victims of disparaging remarks. In parochial schools this proportion rises to three quarters. Thirty percent of LGBT students reported that adults--both faculty and staff--have contributed to the use of homophobic slurs. (The Advocate)