Today Minister for Education Richard Bruton and BeLonG To launch Stand Up 2016

Minister for Education Richard Bruton TD and BeLonG To Youth Services launched the anti-LGBT-bullying campaign #StandUp2016 today.

Stand Up 2016 runs this week from today, November 14 to Friday, November 18 with last year’s campaign receiving participation from one in four Irish secondary schools.

BeLonG To Executive Director Moninne Griffith said: “Despite the great progress we have made in Ireland with equality legislation and marriage equality, most LGBT students are still facing very tough situations in their schools -rejection, bullying and pressures to hide who they really are.”

Homophobic bullying is a stressor for LGBT young people with statistics revealing that one in three LGBT young people have attempted suicide.

“This has devastating impacts on their levels of self-harm and suicide,” Griffith explained.

Working Hard

Bruton outlined that there is significant work to be done to eradicate homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools.

“I am pleased to stand here at the launch of Stand Up Week 2016 in support of all LGBT students in our second level schools across Ireland,” he said.

“My Department has provided funding for this initiative since 2013 as part of the implementation of the Action Plan on Bullying.

“We will be working hard over the coming year to continue to advance the Action Plan on Bullying and with Minister Zappone on the LGBT Youth Strategy.”

Change In The Air

Stand Up 2016 is one of the initiatives which aim to improve the lives of LGBT young people.

BeLonG To recently launched educational materials for primary school teachers to facilitate them tackling homophobia.

The resources available for the initiative entitled ‘All Together Now‘ can be taught under the SPHE curriculum and will allow teachers to educate children in an attempt to reduce homophobic bullying at an earlier age.

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone wrote a blog post where she revealed that she is “keenly aware” of the difficulties faced by LGBT children.

Zappone has secured €400,000 in funding to help improve the well-being of LGBT young people and implement the LGBT Youth Strategy.

Image: BeLonG To