In a monumental decision, Scotland has become the first country in the world to mandate LGBTQ teaching in its curriculum. This landmark law will ensure all students in public school learn about LGBTQ identity, history, and movements, as well as tackle issues such as homophobia and transphobia. And the most powerful thing is that there will be no opt outs or exemptions to this teaching. Scottish ministers accepted this decision which was brought up by the Time for Inclusive Education campaign.
Deputy first minister in Scotland, John Swinney, spoke on the decision, “Scotland is already considered one of the most progressive countries in Europe for LGBTI equality. I am delighted to announce we will be the first country in the world to have LGBTI-inclusive education embedded within the curriculum.”
A TIE study found that 9 in 10 LGBTQ Scottish youth experience homophobia at school and 27 percent reported an attempted suicide after experiencing bullying. Jordan Daly, the co-founder of TIE said, “This is a monumental victory for our campaign, and a historic moment for our country. The implementation of LGBTI inclusive education across all state schools is a world first. In a time of global uncertainty, this sends a strong and clear message to LGBTI young people that they are valued here in Scotland.”
This is truly a huge moment in history. Think of your baby gay self, and how much pain and confusion an education like this could have saved you. How much untapped knowledge this curriculum could have given you. Queer culture has such a rich history, that unfortunately many of us are unaware of—thanks to the erasing and avoidance of teaching it. Well, not anymore in Scotland. We at GO applaud Scotland for this life-saving, powerful, and inclusive decision. We hope that other countries will follow suit so that we can live in a world with less hate, less ignorance, and more love, more empowerment, more understanding. LGBTQ movements are the reason we are here today and we shed rainbow tears of joy thinking about the youth learning about our beautiful history.
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