The UK’s largest teaching union, the National Education Union (NEU), has called for schools to support drag queen events to create safer spaces for LGBT students. During its annual conference, the NEU passed resolution 34 titled “Raising the aspirations of LGBT+ students in our schools”.
As such, the conference highlighted “LGBT+ inclusive education” and the apparent lack of spaces where students can discuss their gender or sexuality. Drag Queen History.
The movement also claims the government is creating a “hostile” environment for transgender people by using Article 35, which allows the British government to block a Scottish Parliament bill from receiving Royal Assent, to block the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Act.
According to Christian todayThe bill changed the process of obtaining a “gender recognition certificate”.
In this regard, the teachers’ union acknowledged that some schools had “developed good practices” regarding LGBT curricula and LGBT student spaces since the repeal of Article 28, which prohibited the promotion of homosexuality through teaching or published material.
In this way, they affirm that it is the union’s educational duty to “publicly raise the aspirations, hopes and dreams of LGBT+ students and to encourage all schools to create LGBT+ spaces”, creating spaces for these students “against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in schools”.
“Initiatives such as drag queen story time and inviting LGBT+ teachers into schools can help challenge the dominant multiculturalism and curriculum in education,” the conference agenda continued.
Finally, NEU is committed to sharing and disseminating teaching resources and strategies that help members support successful and positive school experiences for all LGBT+ students, including trans and non-binary students.
