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African sexuality and the legacy of imported homophobia

In June, Botswana overturned colonial-era laws which criminalised homosexuality, with the judge, Michael Leburu, declaring that “the anti-sodomy laws are a British import” and were developed “without the consultation of local peoples”.It was viewed as a massive success and a historic moment across the continent. Despite this the more than half of the countries in Africa outlaw homosexuality, with four enforcing the death penalty. At a time where we see more and more countries worldwide becoming…

Teachers in England need more support on LGBT-inclusive education

Every child and young person deserves an education that sets them up for life, reflects the diversity of our world, and affirms that they are valid and deserving of respect.From this school year, statutory Relationships and Sex Education will become a reality in all of England’s schools – a huge step forwards in supporting every child and young person to thrive.As part of this, all secondary schools will be required to teach about sexual orientation and gender identity, and all primary schools…

New research: bi people less likely to be 'out'

Only one in five bi people (20 per cent) are out to all their family compared to three in five gay men and lesbians (63 per cent)Two in five bi people (42 per cent) hide or disguise their sexual orientation at work for fear of discriminationResearch gives insight into the unique experience of bi people  Stonewall, the UK’s leading charity for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality, has released new research that shows bi people are significantly less likely to be out…

Vaneet speaks about #BisexualMenExist and why bi visibility is so important

CW: asylum, mental health.Today is Bi Visibility Day and we've asked Vaneet Mehta, a bi activist, to tell us what it means to him. This year, Vaneet's hashtag #BisexualMenExist trended worldwide and helped countless people see themselves reflected in society. Today is Bi Visibility Day, a day that has been celebrated since 1999. This is a day to recognise bisexual history, celebrate the bisexual community, and talk about the issues and experiences that bisexual people face. While bisexual…

Everyone should feel welcome in sport – and that includes trans people

Sport has the power to change lives.From kicking a ball around in the park at the weekend to elite competition, sport at all levels helps people come together, work as a team, push themselves, and achieve amazing things. Lesbian, gay, bi and trans people should all have the opportunity to be part of sport, and we surely have a lot to offer to the sporting community.Right now, many LGBT people feel unwelcome in sport, often from an early age, with bullying and harassment driving some people away…

It’s #ButchAppreciationDay, and this is what butch means to me

What is butch? Traditionally, in lesbian culture, the word ‘butch’ refers to a woman whose gender expression and traits present as typically ‘masculine’. Being butch is about playing with and challenging traditional binary male and female gender roles and expressions. The contemporary Western idea of butch gained a formal identity in 1940/50s American underground lesbian bars, where the butch/femme dynamic both mirrored and subverted the expected gender norms of mainstream…

New report tells us how the public actually feel about trans people

Today, the Equality and Human Rights Commission published a new report on public attitudes to trans people – drawing on data from the British Social Attitudes Survey.At the moment, trans people’s lives are an almost constant part of our media narrative. But while the media can help reflect societal views and trends, it doesn’t give us a true impression of how people are thinking and feeling about things in real time. That’s why this data is so important.So, what does it tell us?Well, this data…

The fight for marriage equality is not over

As Northern Ireland celebrated its first same-sex marriages in January this year, we rejoiced in having made marriage equality a reality throughout the UK.But, that’s not quite the case. In the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas territory, same-sex marriage is still banned, as it is for many British Overseas Territories. And in many there is no legal recognition of same-sex partnerships at all.Last week (27th July 2020), we were concerned to hear that the Cayman Islands’ legislature failed to…

Groundbreaking research on lesbian, bi and trans exclusion across 21 countries - Out of the Margins

Today, Stonewall launches a report from the Out of the Margins network. Between February and September 2019, the network documented the profound exclusion facing lesbians, bi women and trans (LBT+) people, showing the hardship, discrimination and violence experienced by their communities across the globe.The network built through the Out of the Margins project spans 21 countries. Using the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a template, they produced research…

The journey to becoming an LGBT inclusive school

I teach in a large secondary academy in Derbyshire. As a safeguarding lead, I receive a high volume of concerns from staff and parents about our students. This can involve anything from feeling low to experiencing family issues, mental ill health and self-harm. To make sure I can do the best for my students, I’m always looking for opportunities to improve my understanding of our young people and how I can improve their life chances.This is what led me to attend Stonewall’s ‘Creating a…