LGBT TEACHERS
LGBT TEACHERS
FIGHT BACK AGAINST INTERNATIONAL HOMOPHOBIA & TRANSPHOBIA
Sheila Caffrey (Bristol NUT)
The debate at NUT CONFERENCE on international homophobia and transphobia is an important opportunity to highlight the growing repression against LGBT people in a number of countries. It is also vital that the trade union movement – especially teachers - opposes these attacks.
Some, including LGBT people themselves, may feel that recent legislative reforms have brought equality here in Britain. But legal freedoms do not abolish prejudice – especially at a time when recession is starting to grip.
The hangover from years of government-sanctioned homophobia is still felt by many young people, especially in the form of homophobic bullying in education.
The main parties have all made comments against homophobic bullying but hot air from them won't solve anything. In fact their educational policies are likely to make it worse. Privatising schools into Academies lets unaccountable sponsors take control. If the sponsor has anti-LGBT views, as may well be the case with some church and business backers, then students can wave goodbye to any decent education on LGBT issues, policies to deal with homophobic bullying or sex and relationship education in general.
Even in community schools, there may be few resources to help equip teachers and staff on how to deal with homophobic bullying or provide education on relationship issues.
Prejudice and violence is still a very real issue in the UK, but in some countries LGBT people are facing government repression and attacks by right-wing and fundamentalist forces.
Members of the CWI, the Committee for a Workers’ International, the international body to which the Socialist Party are affiliated, have been to the fore in opposing repression and calling for LGBT activists to link their struggle to a wider movement of oppressed peoples facing economic and social discrimination.
Once again, the 2007 Pride march in Moscow was broken up. This was another in a long line of brutal repressions of opposition activities that are a hallmark of Putin's regime. Members of 'Socialist Resistance', (CWI in Russia), were arrested alongside Russian and international protestors.
The Pride demo in Jerusalem has faced vicious threats and homophobic propaganda by reactionary Jewish and Arab organisations. Maavak Sotzialisti (CWI in Israel) campaigned for proper stewarding to protect the event and produced leaflets outlining the reactionary role of the homophobic campaign against the demonstration being used to divide workers, Jewish and Arab, alike.
In Poland, the mayor of Warsaw has banned a Pride parade and encouraged neo-fascists to attack gays. CWI members in Poland are active alongside August 80, a leftward-moving trade union with its main base amongst miners. It has initiated a new left-wing anti-capitalist party, formed a committee to defend victimised workers, but has also championed gay rights and abortion rights. STOP THE TESTING TREADMILL
FIGHT BACK AGAINST INTERNATIONAL HOMOPHOBIA & TRANSPHOBIA
Sheila Caffrey (Bristol NUT)
The debate at NUT CONFERENCE on international homophobia and transphobia is an important opportunity to highlight the growing repression against LGBT people in a number of countries. It is also vital that the trade union movement – especially teachers - opposes these attacks.
Some, including LGBT people themselves, may feel that recent legislative reforms have brought equality here in Britain. But legal freedoms do not abolish prejudice – especially at a time when recession is starting to grip.
The hangover from years of government-sanctioned homophobia is still felt by many young people, especially in the form of homophobic bullying in education.
The main parties have all made comments against homophobic bullying but hot air from them won't solve anything. In fact their educational policies are likely to make it worse. Privatising schools into Academies lets unaccountable sponsors take control. If the sponsor has anti-LGBT views, as may well be the case with some church and business backers, then students can wave goodbye to any decent education on LGBT issues, policies to deal with homophobic bullying or sex and relationship education in general.
Even in community schools, there may be few resources to help equip teachers and staff on how to deal with homophobic bullying or provide education on relationship issues.
Prejudice and violence is still a very real issue in the UK, but in some countries LGBT people are facing government repression and attacks by right-wing and fundamentalist forces.
Members of the CWI, the Committee for a Workers’ International, the international body to which the Socialist Party are affiliated, have been to the fore in opposing repression and calling for LGBT activists to link their struggle to a wider movement of oppressed peoples facing economic and social discrimination.
Once again, the 2007 Pride march in Moscow was broken up. This was another in a long line of brutal repressions of opposition activities that are a hallmark of Putin's regime. Members of 'Socialist Resistance', (CWI in Russia), were arrested alongside Russian and international protestors.
The Pride demo in Jerusalem has faced vicious threats and homophobic propaganda by reactionary Jewish and Arab organisations. Maavak Sotzialisti (CWI in Israel) campaigned for proper stewarding to protect the event and produced leaflets outlining the reactionary role of the homophobic campaign against the demonstration being used to divide workers, Jewish and Arab, alike.
In Poland, the mayor of Warsaw has banned a Pride parade and encouraged neo-fascists to attack gays. CWI members in Poland are active alongside August 80, a leftward-moving trade union with its main base amongst miners. It has initiated a new left-wing anti-capitalist party, formed a committee to defend victimised workers, but has also championed gay rights and abortion rights. STOP THE TESTING TREADMILL
posted by socialistteacher at 8:38 PM
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