Students standing up against LGBT bullying
SCHOOLS and youth organisations across county Wexford got colourful when they took part in the annual Stand Up Awareness Week.
Led by the charity BeLonG To Youth Services, the national anti bullying campaign aims to support LGBT young people and their friends in schools and their wider circles.
It comes at a time when research by the charity and the Columbia University revealed that over 70% of Irish students who identify as LGBT feel unsafe at schools, due to both verbal and physical harassment.
‘Despite misconceptions, growing up LGBT+ isn’t all rainbows post the marriage equality referendum. Our findings indicate the intense discrimination, harassment, isolation and stigma that LGBT+ students experience in Ireland.
‘Worse still, the research reveals that some staff members turn a blind eye to, and sometimes even contribute, anti LGBT+ remarks,’ said a spokesperson for the charity organisation.
The research, gathered from an online survey between May and August, was conducted with 788 students aged between 13 and 20, who were from all 26 counties in Ireland.
As part of Stand Up Awareness Week, BeLonG To Youth Services distributed resource packs and posters to all second level schools in Wexford and across the country.
In North Wexford, Creagh College marked the occasion by holding a special afternoon event at the end of the week.
‘All students and staff came in to school wearing a coloured jumper so that the whole school will make up the LGBT+ rainbow flag. First years wore red, second years orange, third years yellow, forth years green, fifth years blue and sixth years purple,’ said Deputy Principal Declan O’Toole.
‘It was such a fun and happy day. All the students really enjoyed sharing their understanding of the importance of standing up against homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying’.
While Gorey Youth Needs held a special Gig Night in Gorey town in support of Stand Up and the free event was open to all ages.
A spokesperson for Gorey Youth Needs explained that the organisation’s LGBT group is one of the most popular and plays an important role in young peoples’ lives.
‘For Stand Up Week we made some rainbow coloured gifts for local businesses in Gorey, and we had such a great reaction,’ said youth worker Wendy Kearney.