REVIEW 2011

29th December 2011
The biggest and saddest event for GALYIC this year was that we closed our services on 30th November. All of the GALYIC staff were made redundant. Calderdale Young People's Service have taken over running the weekly youth group.
There are some highlights which may turn out to improve the situation for LGBT young people around the world.
Certainly, in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, there has been much more acknowledgement of the vulnerability of LGBT young people to suicide, in the wake of several suicides in the USA and Canada of young gay men, many as a result of homophobic bullying. There also appears to have been an increase in the amount of funding available to help prevent suicides by young LGBTs in these countries.
This cannot, however, be said for Britain. Whilst there has been slightly more acknowledgement of the needs of LGBTs in housing, substance misuse, mental health and the introduction of the Public Sector Equality Duties, I'm afraid I have seen little that suggests Britain is taking on board the vulnerabilities of LGBT youth.
There is an outside chance that the new emphasis by Ofsted on tackling behaviour in schools, including homophobic bullying, might have an effect. But given that many LGBT young people currently are too scared to tell either their schools or their parents it is highly unlikely they will suddenly develop the courage to contact Ofsted.
If this new policy is to work there needs to be a huge publicity campaign and Ofsted must go out of their way to make contact with LGBT youth groups around the country to encourage them to report schools where homophobic bullying is not being tackled.
This sort of programme needs the combined efforts of not just Ofsted but local LGBT youth groups, the local authority, the police and parents, as well, of course, of young LGBT people themselves. But they will need support and in many areas of Britain that support is simply not there.
There is one ray of hope and that is the national Youth Chances research project. The project will launch the first survey for LGBT young people aged between 16 and 25 years in February 2011. They hope to attract 15,000 LGBT young people from across England.
We have never had a national research project about young LGBT people like this before. I would be highly surprised if the findings do not echo other similar research from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and some parts of Europe, as well as small scale studies conducted in Britain by, for example, the Metro Centre and GALYIC.
Perhaps once the findings are published the Government in Britain will start to realise just how little support there is for one of the most vulnerable groups of young people and that their current policies and strategies are doing little to change the situation.
So, for me, Youth Chances is the most up-lifting event that has happened in England this year for LGBT young people.
Internationally, I found the amazing speech given by Hilary Clinton to the United Nations for International Human Rights probably the best speech that I have ever heard given by a politician on LGBT rights.
Happy New Year to you all. Jan Bridget

US STATE DEPARTMENT RELEASES HILARY CLINTON'S LGBT RIGHTS VIDEO

21st December 2011
The US State Department have released a video with extracts from Hilary Clinton's amazing speech made to the UN in Geneva on December 6th in advance of International Human Rights Day, December 19th. Click here to view.

NEW LGBT YOUTH GROUP FOR LOUGHBOROUGH

21st December 2011
Leicestershire County Council have set up a new LGBT youth group in Loughborough. Click here for more information.

PRISON STAFF REFUSE TO DISPLAY GAY POSTER

21st December 2011
The Inspectorate of Prisons recommended that Feltham Young Offenders Institute display gay-friendly images across the Institute last year. On a follow-up visit there were still no positive images visible; it seems prison staff objected to the request. Click here for more information.

POSITIVE FOR YOUTH - NO CHANGE FOR LGBT YOUTH THEN

20th December 2011
The UK Government have just released Positive for Youth, a cross-government policy (vision) for young people aged 13-19 years. Well, I have scanned the report and apart from the usual equality statements which include sexual orientation (and are usually meaningless), there is really only one section which includes an action regarding LGB (I can't find any mention of T) and this tells us that the Government consulted with Stonewall, EACH (Education Action Challenging Homophobia) and Schools Out to update guidance for schools on behaviour and bullying in July 2011 (4.38). Government are continuing to work with these organisations on how schools can tackle homophobic bullying.
We are reminded that the new Ofsted framework places a sharper focus on behaviour and bullying. However, if LGBT young people who are experiencing and/or witnessing homophobic or transphobic bullying currently are afraid of telling either teachers or their parents, why should they suddenly develop the courage to tell an Ofsted inspector??
So are government taking on board the needs of LGBT young people? Are they taking on board the effects of homophobic/transphobic abuse at school and at home? For example, the high levels of self-harm, suicide and other mental health problems? The high levels of substance misuse? The high levels of homelessness? The high levels of abuse within families? If they are, there is not much acknowledgement in their new 'vision.'
Government are setting up a new Youth Action Group to discuss the needs of disadvantaged youth: I wonder if there will be anyone representing (really representing) the needs of LGBT young people? I'm not holding my breath. Click here to access the policy.

US TEEN WHO SHOT CLASSMATE GETS 21 YEARS

20th December 2011
Brandon McInerney, 17, shot his classmate, Larry King, during a school lesson, nearly four years ago. He was sentenced on Monday to 21 years in state prison. The case threw up some very interest ing questions about how the school dealt with the situation. Larry King's father was critical of the jurors, who he called incompetent; the media for not focusing enough on school leaders "bungled" handling of his son's situation; and the school, for not doing enough to stop the feud between the two boys and for not getting Larry to stop wearing heels and make-up. Click here for more information.

UN RELEASES FIRST REPORT ON LGBT HUMAN RIGHTS

15th December 2011
The UN today released its first report on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The report details how around the world people are killed or endure hate-motivated violence, torture, detention, criminalization and discrimination in jobs, health care and education because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
One of the ten recommendations made by the High Commission says member states should "Implement appropriate sensitization and training programmes for police, prison officers, border guards, immigration officials and other law enforcement personnel, and support public information campaigns to counter homophobia and transphobia among the general public and targeted anti-homophobia campaigns in schools. Click here for more information.

HAWAIIN SCHOOL WINS FIRST 'OUT IN SILENCE' AWARD FOR YOUTH ACTIVISM

11th December 2011
A Gay Straight Alliance at Farrington High School in Hawaii has won the first prize in the new Out in Silence award for youth activism. Click here for more information.

CALIFORNIA FAIR EDUCATION ACT COMES INTO FORCE IN JANUARY

11th December 2011
A new law will come into effect in California in January which means schools will have to include LGBT issues in science and history curricula. Click here for more information.

JONAH'S VIDEO

10th December 2011
14 year-old Jonah Mowry made a video about how homophobic bullying is affecting him. The video has been seen by over 7.5m and had an amazing response. Click here for more information and to access video.

GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES TRANS ACTION PLAN

9th December 2011
Yesterday Lynne Featherstone, the Minister for Equalities launched the first ever Government transgender action plan, Advancing transgender equality: a plan for action. It lays out their vision and focus for their commitment to deliver equality for transgender people and includes firm actions across the breadth of social policy aimed at making a real difference to transgender people's lives. The action plan was shaped and developed through active engagement with the transgender community. As part of this engagement Government launched a series of online surveys to ensure they reached the widest possible number of people. In total. 2,172 responses were received - making it the largest form of engagement with the transgender community ever to be conducted in the UK. Click here to access plan and here for a related video.

UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE: HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING REPRESENTS GRAVE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

9th December 2011
A panel discussion on ending violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation was held at UN Headquarters in New York yesterday. Click here for more information and to access video of discussion.

HOMELESS LGBT YOUTH

8th December 2011
Dustin Nisley, a 22-year-old college student studying for his bachelor degree in social work completed this video project for his social justice class. He outlines the difficult and painful experiences many LGBT teens face coming out to parents and then being kicked out onto the streets. Click here to view video.

USA CHALLENGE INTERNATIONAL HOMOPHOBIA

8th December 2011
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered possibly the most important international speech ever on LGBT rights, before the United Nations in Geneva Dec. 6. The speech was made in advance of Human Rights Day Dec. 10. Click here for more information and here for her full speech. Click here to view video of Hilary Clinton's speech.

14-YEAR-OLD'S SUICIDE RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW MUCH RESPONSIBILITY SCHOOLS BEAR FOR PREVENTING BULLYING

30th November 2011
An excellent article stating that young people have, by law, to attend school and it is therefore right that schools create a safe environment for students. The family of 14-year-old Marcus Bell who hanged himself after persistent bullying from different schools, are suing the local school alleging negligence; this is the second such lawsuit filed in Indiana this month. According to the lawsuit, Marcus was singled out because of "his race (colour), (his) perceived homosexuality and emotional disability." Click here for more information.

LESBIAN FIELD HOCKEY MUSICAL

29th November 2011
AllSorts LGBT youth organisation in Brighton are performing a musical to raise funds for the organisation. Click here for more information.

LGBT SURVEY IN HASTINGS

29th November 2011
The University of Brighton are conducting an on-line survey of LGBT people in Hastings to gather information to inform services to better meet their needs. Click here for more information.

HOMOPHOBIA ENDEMIC IN BRITISH PRISONS

28th November 2011
A new report by the Howard League for Penal Reform, calls for new policies and support networks to tackle what it calls "endemic" homophobia from staff and inmates. Click here for more information.

BIRMINGHAM TO GET LGBT HEALTH CENTRE

28th November 2011
A National Lottery funding body has awarded almost half a million pounds to establish an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) health centre in Birmingham, UK. Click here for more information.

GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO PREVENT LGBT YOUTH SUICIDE

25th November 2011
The Victorian government in Australia have made 4 million dollars available to LGBT agencies across the state to help prevent self-harm and suicide amongst LGBT youth. Click here for more information.

GAY TEEN'S DEATH ILLUSTRATES PROBLEMS FOR SCHOOLS

25th November 2011
The shooting of Larry King by Brandon McInerney and the subsequent admission by McInerney has raised questions for schools in the USA as to how to deal with homophobia. Click here for more information.

NEW SUPPORT FOR LESBIAN AND BISEXUAL WOMEN IN CALDERDALE

24th November 2011
Calderdale and Kirklees WomensCentre have begun a new monthly support group which focuses on wellbeing issues through themed group discussions and activities as well as one-to-one sessions by appointment. Click here for more information.

CHAIR OF HOMOPHOBIA CREATED AT MONTREAL UNIVERSITY

24th November 2011
Universite du Quebec a Montreal are planning to study the impact of homophobia on mental, physical and sexual health and have created a Chair of Homophobia to head up the research. The Quebec government have provided a $475,000 grant to help set up the project. Click here for more information.

ANTI-GAY BULLYING REPORTS FLOOD IN

24th November 2011
A new website in The Netherlands has been inundated with reports of homophobic bullying. Click here for more information.

YOUNG, GAY AND HOMELESS

24th November 2011
Resources for homeless youth in New York are being cut whilst nearly half of those who are homeless identify as LGBT. Click here for more information.

YOUTH GETS 21 YEARS FOR KILLING FELLOW PUPIL WHEN HE WAS 14

24th November 2011
Brandon McInerney has pleaded guilty to shooting Larry King. The King family said they supported the sentence but believed school officials hold deep responsibility for what happened. Click here for more information.

SCHOOLS FAILING TO TACKLE HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING

17th November 2011
New research from Sheffield Hallam University has found that schools are not only not tackling homophobic bullying but are perpetuating a hostile environment. Click here for more information and to access report.

HAMPSHIRE POLICE HELP CHALLENGE HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING

16th November 2011
Hampshire police are working with schools, colleges and education authorities across the county on an ongoing basis to encourage young people to report bullying, including homophobic bullying. Click here for more information.

STONEWALL SURVEY OF LGB YOUNG PEOPLE IN EDUCATION

15th November 2011
Stonewall are working with the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge to conduct a survey of young LGB people in schools and colleges to find out about their experiences. Click here for more information.

GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCES WORKING TO A DEGREE

15th November 2011
The Family Acceptance Project have released new research which shows that Gay Straight Alliances help to increase the mental well-being of LGBT young people. However the positive effects of GSAs diminish as levels of LGBT victimisation increases. Click here for more information.

PRE-TEEN GAY YOUTH MORE LIKELY TO HAVE SEX THAN STRAIGHT PEERS

14th November 2011
The Centres for Disease Control report is a compilation of Youth Risk Behavior Surveys from 2001 to 2009 collected by states and cities, in particular those states who include sexual orientation in their surveys which are Boston, Chicago, New York City and San Francisco. The results show that LGB young people are more likely than heterosexual youth to experience pre-teen sex . Click here for more information and to access report.

ADVANCING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND PATIENT AND FAMILY-CENTERED CARE FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY

14th November 2011
A new field guide has been published in Chicago which includes a compilation of strategies, practice examples, resources, and testimonials designed to help hospitals in their efforts to improve communication and provide more patient-centered care to their LGBT patients. Click here for more information and to access guide.

GALYIC CLOSING DOWN

7th November 2011
After 12 years and four months, GALYIC (Gay and Lesbian Youth in Calderdale) is closing down. We have achieved much during this period, both for young LGBTs and their families locally, as well as regionally and nationally. It is with great sadness that we are closing and there are various reasons for this but one of the key elements is funding. GALYIC as it now is will have the last youth group meeting on 24th November and all services will cease at the end of November. The company and charity will close down as soon as possible thereafter. The weekly youth group will continue under the auspices of Calderdale Young People's Service.

ANOTHER GAY TEEN SUICIDE : IT'S NOT BULLYING IT'S SCHOOL MUGGING

18th October 2011
A fifteen year old Ottowan young gay man killed himself last week. He had been consistently bullied at the Catholic school he attended. He had tried to set up a Gay Alliance but someone had torn down his poster. He was isolated and didn't know many young gay people. This article, by Wayne Besen, puts the blame where it belongs: school teachers and administrators. Click here to view article.

$7M TO FIGHT ANTI-GAY BULLYING IN QUEBEC

18th October 2011
The government in Quebec have pledged $7 million dollars to tackle homophobic bullying. Click here to view article.

FURTHER RESEARCH SAYS LGBT YOUTH AT RISK

16th October 2011
Yet another study from the USA has found that LGBT youth are at greater risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, victimization by peers, and elevated levels of unexcused absences from school. The study is published in this month's edition of Educational Researcher. Click here to view abstract.

VIEWERS OF ANNE LISTER PRESENTATION TOPS 30,000

16th October 2011
Over 30,000 people from around the world (mainly women - 78%) have now watched the Anne Lister presentation GALYIC developed for LGBT History month. Thirty have given the video thumbs up and over fifty have said it is a favourite. Viewers come from all over the world including UK, USA, Canada, Germany, France, Ireland, Spain, Netherlands, Australia, Ukraine, Hungary, Finland,Bulgaria, Belgium, Peru, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Austria, India, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Romania. Click here to view video.

MEDIA AND NORFOLK MP PROMOTE HOMOPHOBIA

14th October 2011
Homophobic bullying is a major problem throughout schools in Britain. As from January 2012, Ofsted school inspections will see schools having to show how they respond to the needs of groups of young people who are vulnerable to bullying including bright students; lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual youngsters; disadvantaged children or those from minority ethnic backgrounds and provide evidence of how these groups are progressing.
In response to this initiative a teacher from a church school in Norfolk (who wishes to remain anonymous) has picked up on the LGBT aspect and complained to local MP Elizabeth Truss. The MP said she is going to raise the issue with the Department of Education.
Maybe she will have support from fellow Tory MP for Calder Valley Craig Whittaker, member of the Government's Education Select Committee, who is on record as opposing funding given to Schools Out to include LGBT issues within more traditional lessons such as maths.
Perhaps Ms Truss, and Craig Whittaker, should look at how many young people are on the receiving end of homophobic bullying in schools in Norfolk, Calderdale and the whole of the country and the lasting effects of this on their mental well-being before she tries to stop Ofsted tackling the problem.

YOUTH CHANCES LAUNCH NEW VIDEOS

12th October 2011
The national LGBT research project, Youth Chances, have just launched three new videos and GALYIC features in them all. Click here for Commissioners can join Youth Chances now; here for Youth Chances coming your way; and here to see Get involved in Youth Chances.

HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING WIDESPREAD IN SCHOOLS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

12th October 2011
New research, from the Rainbow Project and Cara-Friend, has found that teachers and non-teaching staff, as well as other pupils, are responsible for homophobic bullying across schools in Northern Ireland. Click here for more information.

INTERNATIONAL COMING OUT DAY

10th October 2011
Tomorrow, October 11th, is International Coming Out Day. Click here for more information.

JULIE'S STORY

10th October 2011
To coincide with World Mental Health Day (10th October) and International Coming Out Day (11th October), GALYIC have put up a new video on You Tube called Julie's Story. Jan Bridget, Service Manager of GALYIC, narrates the true story of Julie who died from a heroin overdose when she was 20 years old. Click here to access video and here for more information about LGBTs and mental health.

WHY ARE SUICIDE ATTEMPTS SO HIGH AMONG LGB TEENS?

8th October 2011
A useful article which looks at the main causes of suicide attempts among LGB young people and gives links to relevant research. Among the causes are parental rejection, homelessness, unsafe schools, ineffective professional support, society-wide homophobia and religion. Click here to access article.

OUTSPORTS 100 MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS IN LGBT SPORTS

6th October 2011
Outsports.com is a website dedicated to all things LGBT sport. They have just published what they consider to be the 100 most important moments in LGBT sports. Click here to access list.

NEW OFSTED INSPECTION RULES INCLUDE HOW LGBT YOUTH ARE PROGRESSING

1st October 2011
As from January 2012, Ofsted school inspections will see schools having to show how they respond to the needs of groups of young people who are vulnerable to bullying including bright students; lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual youngsters; disadvantaged children or those from minority ethnic backgrounds and provide evidence of how these groups are progressing. Click here for further information. Click here to access draft evaluation schedule.

ALLSORTS AWARDED TUDOR TRUST GRANT FOR £75K

23rd September 2011
Allsorts Youth Project in Brighton have been awarded a £75,000 grant from Tudor Trust to develop a campaigning and engagement project for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) youth. The project will be a development on their volunteering programme Young People's Voice that will run for three years and fund a post for an LGBT Youth Engagement Worker.
The grant will provide a platform for LGBT youth to get their voices and experiences heard. One of the main ways they will campaign is by utilising social and digital media, by using Facebook and Twitter more to deliver key messages and engage with isolated youth, writing blogs for the Allsorts website and using You Tube to support our audio and visual campaigns work. Click here to access website.

FOSTER CARE ASSOCIATES PROMOTES FOSTERING TO LGBS

22nd September 2011
The UK's largest fostering agency, Foster Care Associates, have launched the 'Fostering with Pride' initiative targeted at LGB people. Click here for further information.

NEW MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES FOR LGBT IN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

22nd September 2011
A new mental health support service for LGBT people in Queensland has just been launched. Initially counselling will be offered face-to-face in Brisbane but Healthy Communities are hoping to be able to offer telephone counselling for LGBTs who live in rural areas. Click here for further information.

14 YEAR OLD TAKES HIS LIFE IN BUFFALO ON EVE OF BULLYING CONFERENCE

22nd September 2011
A fourteen-year-old gay teen has committed suicide after experiencing on-going homophobic bullying. Click here for article and various short videos.

ANTI-BULLYING LAW IN NEW JERSEY IMPLEMENTED

18th September 2011
The toughest anti-bullying law in the USA is being implemented in New Jersey. It requires most public school teachers, administrators and other employees to attend training on how to spot bullying. It also ensures that all school districts form a "school safety team" to review complaints. All incidents, whether in school or outside the school grounds, must be reported in person and online. School administrators who fail to investigate reported incidents of bullying will be disciplined, and students who bully could be suspended or expelled. School districts will be rated on their efforts to combat bullying. Click here for full article.

EFECTS OF HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING

16th September 2011
Article discusses the need to tackle homophobic bullying in schools. It refers to a 2003 study published in the American Behavioral Scientist, State University of New York at Stony Brook, in which researchers observed about the 28 random school shootings at mostly rural U.S. middle and high schools between 1982 and 2001:
"Most of the boys that opened fire were mercilessly and routinely teased and bullied, and their violence was retaliatory against the threats to manhood," the researchers wrote, adding that "the specific content of the teasing and bullying is homophobia." Click here to access article.

HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING: GO STRAIGHT TO THE LAW

16th September 2011
Young people in East Hanover, New Jersey, can bypass the principal’s office and go straight to the county sheriff's office to report school bullying. Click here for more information.

IDENTIFYING SUICIDE RISK FOR LGBT YOUTH

13th September 2011
The universities of New York and Arizona have been awarded funding to conduct a three-year study with more than 1,000 LGBT youth aged 15 to 21 in three metropolitan areas in the United States. The study will focus on a series of psychological factors associated with suicide. These include a) thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness; b) Identity recognition; c) disclosure. As well as threats such as verbal and physical abuse, the study will also include resilience, including supportive environments, coping mechanisms, and personality characteristics. Click here for more information.

LIVE OUT LOUD

12th September 2011
Live Out Loud’s object is to connect LGBT youth to role models and leaders in the LGBT community, people who are passionate about their life’s work and committed to sharing their stories, insight, and advice with the next generation. Click here for more information.

GAY AND BI TEENS MORE LIKELY TO BINGE DRINK

12th September 2011
New research published in New Zealand has found that lesbian, gay and bisexual teenagers are more likely to binge drink than their heterosexual counterparts. Click here for more information.

MORE BULLYING CASES GOING TO COURTS

12th September 2011
More families of children who are bullied at school are taking their cases to the courts of law in the USA. Click here for more information.

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL

10th September 2011
A new film entitled,"Teach Your Children Well," will be launched on Oct. 16 in Hollywood. The film explores the effects of homophobia, bullying and school violence against young people who identify themselves as LGBT. It includes interviews with teachers, students, experts and parents, including Wendy Walsh, the mother of Seth Walsh, a 13-year-old boy who hanged himself last year as a result of homophobic bullying. Click here for more information.

AMERICAN CELEBS MAKE GIVE A DAMN VIDEO FOR LGBT YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION IN WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION WEEK

10th September 2011
Lily Tomlinson and other celebrities have made a video addressing the need for people to care about the high levels of LGBT youth suicides. The video has been launched to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Week. Click here for more information.

TRUE COLOURS RESIDENCE OPENS ITS DOORS

10th September 2011
A six-storey housing project for homeless LGBT young people in New York opened its doors recently. Click here for more information.

$248K AWARD TO IMPROVE LGBT HEALTH IN US

10th September 2011
The US Health Resources and Services Administration have awarded $248,000 to the Boston-based Fenway Institute to create a National Training and Technical Assistance Center to help community health centers improve the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations. Click here for more information.

YOUTH SUICIDE UP IN IRELAND

7th September 2011
Suicide rates for children in Ireland have doubled since 1993 with LGBT young people being seven times more likely to self- harm. The study found a 40 percent increase in the rate of suicide among boys aged 15 to 17 since 1993, with the number of girls under 18 taking their own lives doubling during the same period. Click here for more information.

YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOUR SURVEY SUBURBAN COUNTY FINDINGS

7th September 2011
The findings of the Youth Risk Behaviour Survey from Cook County has found that 12% of young males and 8% of young females have been teased as they were perceived to be gay or bisexual. The survey also found that 10% of females identified as LGB compared with 4% of males. Click here for more information.

STATE GRANT TO GAY YOUTH GROUP TO MAKE ONLINE SUPPORT SAFE

6th September 2011
Melbourne's Rainbow Network Victoria are to receive a state grant to develop cyber safety programmes. Click here for more information.

US MEDICAL SCHOOLS PROVIDE LIMITED CONTENT ON LGBT HEALTH ISSUES

7th September 2011
A new study has found that 44 medical schools in the USA do not include any content on health issues facing LGBT people. Click here for more information.

ANTI-GAY PREJUDICE INCREASES HEALTH RISKS FOR GAYS, LESBIANS AND BISEXUALS

6th September 2011
New research from New York reveals a link between physical health problems and minority stress. The report, "Minority Stress and Physical Health Among Sexual Minorities," written by David M. Frost, Keren Lehavot and Ilan H. Meyer, will be presented at the American Psychological Association's annual conference in Washington, D.C. Click here for more information and here to access report.

WEAR IT PURPLE DAY

5th September 2011
An estimated 200 educational institutions across Sydney, Australia, took part in this year's Wear It Purple Day, to raise awareness of LGBT youth suicide. Click here for more information.

GAY YOUTH SCHOLAR PROGRAMME LAUNCHED IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

5th September 2011
A scholarship scheme, aimed at LGBT youth, has just been launched in South Australia. Click here for more information.

MOST YOUNG GAY MEN IN COMMITTED RELATIONSHIPS GO FOR UNPROTECTED SEX

5th September 2011
A new study in Chicago, from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, shows that gay young men who are in a serious relationship are six times more likely to have unprotected sex than those who hook up with casual partners. Click here for more information.

NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH TAKES ON LGBT SUICIDE AWARENESS

5th September 2011
In the USA, September is national suicide prevention month. This article highlights the high levels of LGBT suicide in Tennessee. Click here for more information.

NEW RESEARCH PROGRAMME AIMS TO PREVENT LGBTQ YOUTH SUICIDAL BEHAVIOUR

5th September 2011
Philip A. Rutter, an assistant professor at the University of Widener, Pennysylvania, is to embark on a new research programme to examine factors that could help lead to or prevent suicide amongst LGBTQ young people. His goal is to find ways to build up the protective factors such as social support, resiliency, emotional stability, and optimism. Those factors will, in turn, reduce risks, including isolation, poor coping skills, and feelings of hopelessness. Click here for more information.

LGBT PATIENTS: RELUCTANT AND UNDERSERVED

5th September 2011
A very good article which gives an overview of the key health issues facing LGBTs. Click here for more information.

4th September 2011
A report on the state of mental health services for LGBT people in East Kent will be launched on September 20th. The report was compiled by the Metro Centre in collaboration with the East Kent Mental Health and Wellbeing Network, and funded by a Comic Relief grant secured by the Kent Community Foundation. Click here for more information.

MOMENTUM REPORT EVALUATES PROGRESS IN LGBT RIGHTS IN USA

25th August 2011
A new study, using four key indicators, tracks progress of the LGBT movement in the USA. The indicators are changes in cultural, social and political climate; progress on key issues for LGBT Americans; improvements in the lived experiences of LGBT Americans; and the strength and capacity of LGBT movement organizations Click here for more information.

ARE LGBT STUDENTS IN THE US SAFER THAN BEFORE?

25th August 2011
Resulting from the suicides of several American students, there has been greater awareness about homophobic bullying and its link to suicide and better resources made available to challenge homophobic bullying. But will LGBT students be safer in schools as a result? Two LGBT leaders give their response to this question. Click here for more information.

BULLIED GAY TEEN MEETS PRESIDENT OBAMA

18th August 2011
Sixteen-year-old Caleb Laieski from Arizona met President Obama at the President's LGBT reception in June this year. Caleb, just back from his third trip to Washington DC, has recommended the Obama administration appoints an LGBT youth adviser to the President. click here to access story.

STAND OUT AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA

16th August 2011
Young people in Australia are being encouraged to set up groups in their schools to challenge homophobia. Minus 18, Australia's largest support network for LGBT youth across Australia, have launched a resource kit called Pridentity, to help teachers tackle homophobia. For more information and to watch a promotional video, click here.

US SCHOOL DISTRICT SUED OVER GAY 'NEUTRALITY' POLICY

16th August 2011
The National Centre for Lesbian Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Centre have sued Minnesota's Anoka-Hennepin school district, on behalf of five current and former students, who say they were harassed due to their sexual orientation. Click here for more information.

LIBERATION, EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY IN THE CURRICULUM

11th August 2011
The National Union of Students have published the above report which calls for embedding equality issues within the curriculum as much as possible. Click here for more information and here to access report.

LGBTQ CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE STRUGGLE TO FIND HOMES

6th August 2011
Between 25% and 40% of homeless and runaway youth are LGBTQ. These young people are over-represented in the foster care system. Family Builders in Oakland, California, helps to find foster homes for young people, including LGBTQ youth. For more information click here.

GOVERNMENT CONSULTS ON DRAFT SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGY

1st August 2011
The Government have released a consultation document on their draft Suicide Prevention Strategy for England. This can be accessed here. You can see GALYIC's response by clicking here.

WHERE TO TURN: LGBT MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS PACE REPORT

21st July 2011
PACE have recently published a Review of Current Provision in Online and Offline Mental Health Support for LGBT People Experiencing Suicidal Distress. GALYIC are cited as an example of good practice, in particular our Needs Assessment Tool (p56) as well as the work we did with the National CAMHS Support Service developing their Organisational Cultural Competence Self Assessment Tool (p39). Click here for more information.

1-IN-4 LGB TEENS HOMELESS

21st July 2011
The American Journal of Public Health has just published research which quantifies the risk of homelessness among teens of different sexual orientations with population-based data. Click here for more information.

1.1 MILLION AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS FOR LGBTI MENTAL HEALTH WORK

20th July 2011
The national LGBTI Health Alliance in Australia has been granted 1.1m dollars to develop work around improving the mental wellbeing of LGBTI people. Click here for more information.

CALIFORNIAN SCHOOLS MUST INCLUDE LGBT HISTORY - BY LAW!

16th July 2011
The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act has just become law in California. It will bring classroom instruction into alignment with existing non-discrimination laws in California and add the LGBT community to the existing list of underrepresented cultural and ethnic groups, which are covered by current law related to inclusion in textbooks and other instructional materials in schools. Click here for more information.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER CONFORMING TRAITS IN WOMEN ARE GENETIC

7th July 2011
New research from Queen Mary College, London University, strongly suggests that sexual orientation and 'gender conformity' in women are both genetic traits. Click here for more information. Click here to access article.

LGBT PEOPLE AND DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE

6th July 2011
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, has published a report on discrimination in Europe on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. The report says there is an urgent need for all European governments to remedy this situation and take policy and legislative measures to combat homophobia and transphobia. Click here to access report.

MOTHER OF BULLIED SON FILES WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT

6th July 2011
Days after investigators concluded that a California middle school failed to “adequately investigate” the bullying of a gay teen who killed himself after enduring years of anti-gay harassment, the boy’s mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school district. Click here for more information.

LANDMARK EDUCATION BILL PASSED IN CALIFORNIA

6th July 2011
The Californian State Assembly has passed a bill that requires schools to fairly and accurately portray the LGBT civil rights movement and the historic contributions of the diverse LGBT community in social science instruction. Click here for more information.

HOMOPHOBIA WIDESPREAD IN IRISH SCHOOLS

6th July 2011
Acknowledging the widespread homophobia in Irish schools, a week long course, aimed at primary school teachers, has been approved by the Irish Department of Education. Click here for more information.

STONEWALL'S TOP TEN FOR EDUCATION

6th July 2011
The 2011 Stonewall Education Equality Index Top 10 are:
1 Cambridgeshire County Council
2 Brighton & Hove City Council
3 London Borough of Waltham Forest
4 Sheffield City Council
5 Birmingham City Council
6 Hertfordshire County Council
7 Hull City Council
7 Bristol City Council
9 London Borough of Brent
10 Oxfordshire County Council
Click here for more information.

ONTARIO REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR GAY YOUTH IN SCHOOL

6th July 2011
The Premier of Ontario has reaffirmed that it is students, not school administrators, that determine which schools are home to anti-homophobia support groups. Click here for more information.

LGBT YOUTH AT RISK OF FORCED MARRIAGE IN UK

1st July 2011
A new report has cautioned that families in the UK are forcing LGBT young people to get married. Click here for more information.

HEALTH SURVEYS TO INCLUDE QUESTIONS ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN USA

1st July 2011
The US Secretary of Health & Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, committed last week to start the collection of LGBT data as part of federal health surveys Click here for more information.

SCHOOLS DIVERSITY TOUR JUDGED SUCCESS

1st July 2011
A tour of 18 schools across New Zealand by two gay men who are passionate about the plight of glbt youth has resulted in six schools taking steps to form queer-straight alliances. Click here for more information.

HISTORIC SUMMIT TO PROTECT LGBTQ YOUNG PEOPLE

1st July 2011
200 educators and administrators, LGBTQ and youth advocates, Centre staff and student leaders met yesterday at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Centre to develop an action plan to reduce suicide amongst LGBTQ young people. Click here for more information.

BOSTON LGBT SUICIDE PREVENTION

29th June 2011
Over 120 medical and mental health practitioners, social workers, leaders of LGBT organizations, and policy makers met in Boston this week to discuss issues around suicide prevention among the LGBT population. Topics included creating safe spaces for LGBT people from youth through old age, the role of the media, making LGBT mental health a public policy priority, the impact on mental health of both coming out and social stigma, and suicide prevention in transgender communities. Click here for more information.

FEDERAL GRANTS TO STUDY LGBT YOUTH SUICIDE

29th June 2011
Federal grants have been given to universities in New York, Arizona and Philadelphia. The five-year studies aim to collect significant data from the largest ever study on LGBT youth and suicide, including what makes LGBT youth resilient. Click here for more information.

SCHOOL CHRISTIAN COUNSELLING SERVICE PUTTING YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK

29th June 2011
The Australian government are funding a service which is placing unqualified Christian chaplains into schools. Amongst other things, these chaplains are reportedly handing out literature that claims homosexuality is wrong and that condoms are not effective for birth control and promote promiscuity. Click here for more information.

LGB YOUTH ARE BULLIED AND ABUSED MORE THAN THEIR PEERS

23rd June 2011
A new meta-analysis of 37 studies in 18 geographic areas in the USA has found that sexual minority youth are:
Nearly three times more likely to report childhood sexual abuse, compared with other adolescents;
1.3 times more likely to report parental physical abuse than other adolescents;
1.7 times more likely to report being threatened or injured with a weapon, or otherwise assaulted as compared to their peers;
Nearly three times more likely to report missing school because they were afraid.
Studies revealed a high rate of prior sexual abuse among bisexual female (40 percent), lesbian (32 percent), bisexual male (24 percent), gay male (21 percent) and heterosexual female (17 percent) youth, compared to 5 percent of heterosexual male adolescents.
The full article will be published in the August edition of the American Journal of Public Health. click here for more information.

HAVE YOUR SAY: WHAT WOULD MAKE IT BETTER FOR LGBT YOUTH?

22nd June 2011
As part of the Youth Chances Project, young people are being asked what they think would make things better for LGBT young people where they live. To have your say click here.

SCHOOL BOARD DENIES COMING OUT VIDEO

21st June 2011
The Saugatuck School District voted against showing the video "Coming out: What Every Teen (Gay and Straight) Needs to Know" to the 8th grade sex-ed curriculum. Click here for more information and here to access a review of the video and link to video clip.

QUEER: THE ULTIMATE LGBT GUIDE FOR TEENS

21st June 2011
This new book from the US, is aimed at LGBT teens. There are sections on "Am I Queer?" "Navigating your Queer Sphere", "How to Overcome Queerphobia," dating, relationships, sex and lots more including advice on dealing with cyber-bullying, health, LGBT history. Click here for more information.

COMING OUT IN SUPPORTIVE SETTINGS MAKES PEOPLE HAPPIER

20th June 2011
The latest edition of Social Psychological and Personal Science includes research which has found that lesbian, gay and bisexual people who come out in supportive settings are likely to be happier whilst this is cancelled out for those who come out in a hostile environment. Click here for more information.

UNITED NATIONS PASSES RESOLUTION ON LGBT RIGHTS

18th June 2011
On June 17th the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution specifically focusing on violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity and have commissioned research to identify violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Click here for more information.

TWO SPIRITS

18th June 2011
Two Spirits is a recently released film which interweaves the tragic story of a mother's loss of her son with a revealing look at the largely unknown history of a time when the world wasn't simply divided into male and female and many Native American cultures held places of honour for people of integrated genders. Two Spirits tells the story of sixteen-year-old Fred Martinez, a young native American who was murdered because he was two-spirited. Click here to access clips from the film.

FURTHER SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT WE ARE BORN GAY

18th June 2011
Addressing 3,000 neurologists from around the world at the 21st European Neurological Society meeting in Portugal last month, Jerome Goldstein, director of the San Francisco Clinical Research Centre said, "Sexual orientation is not a matter of choice, it is primarily neurobiological at birth." Click here to access more information.

SPECIFIC GROUP FOR LGBTS & SUBSTANCE MISUSE IN BRISTOL

18th June 2011
Research commissioned by Safer Bristol has shown the majority of LGBT people in the city think mainstream services for drug and alcohol misuse do not work well. In response a specific support group has been established. Click here for further information.

LGBTS 3.8% OF AMERICAN POPULATION?

9th June 2011
American demographer Gary Gates, himself a gay man, argues that instead of the usually accepted 10%, there are probably about 3.8% of the US population who self identify as LGBT. He discusses this in a radio programme and is joined by Judy Bradford, a respected LGBT researcher who highlights health disparities between the LGBT population and heterosexuals. Click here to access interview and for more information.

YOUNG GAY AND BISEXUAL WOMEN NOT MONITORING THEIR SEXUAL HEALTH

9th June 2011
New research from the USA has found that young lesbian and bisexual women, compared with heterosexual young women, are not paying enough attention to their sexual health which is making them more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections and cervical cancer. Click here for more information.

MORE SUPPORT FROM US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR LGBT YOUTH

7th June 2011
On the second day of the White House LGBT Youth Summit, the Secretary of US Department of Education, Arne Duncan, reaffirmed the government's support of allowing Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) to form under the Equal Access Act.
David McFarland, Chief Executive Officer of the Trevor Project, welcomed the statement and, in response to the findings published yesterday by the Centre for Disease Control added, "For the first time, the challenges faced by lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are no longer invisible to policy and lawmakers on the national, state and local levels. As a broad population study, the CDC report validates the argument for stronger protections for sexual minority youth, and makes clear that suicide prevention must be an imperative of our federally elected officials." Click here for more information.

SCHOOL DISTRICT IN USA CONSIDERS SEX EDUCATION VIDEO ON COMING OUT

6th June 2011
The Saugatuck School District is considering an anti-bullying suggestion to make gay, lesbian, bi and transgender students feel safe and accepted. It is hoped that members of the School District Board will vote later this month to agree to include the video entitled, "Coming out: What Every Teen (Gay and Straight) Needs to Know" to the 8th grade sex-ed curriculum. Click here for more information and here to access a review of the video and link to video clip.

US HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY OPENS WHITE HOUSE LGBT YOUTH SUMMIT

6th June 2011
Kathleen Sibelius, the US Secretary for Health and Human Services, opened the first ever LGBT Youth Summit at the White House on Monday. In her speech she highlighted the recent developments in the USA to support LGBT young people. She praised the work of young LGBT activists who challenge homophobic bullying in schools, in particular Caleb Laieski who dropped out of school because of homophobic bullying but went on to challenge the system locally and nationally. Click here for more information.

US GOVERNMENT GRANT TO EXPAND GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCES

5th June 2011
The Gay Straight Alliance Network has been awarded funding from the US government to the tune of $285,000 to increase the capacity of schools and community organisations to reach LGBT youth. Click here for more information.

LGB YOUNG PEOPLE MORE LIKELY TO DO RISKIER THINGS

5th June 2011
A paper presented at the first ever White House summit on LGBT young people presented data from 156,000 high school students and found that LGB youth were more likely than heterosexual youth to do risky things such as not wearing a bicycle helmet to misusing drugs and attempting suicide. Click here for more information and here to access report.

WHITE HOUSE HOSTS LGBT YOUTH SUMMIT

4th June 2011
For the first time ever, the White House will be hosting a summit about LGBT young people. The summit will take place on June 6th and 7th. The US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will both speak at the event. Click here for more information.

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SEEKS TO ADDRESS HOMELESS CRISIS AMONG GAY TEENS

2nd June 2011
Where once the words lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender were hardly spoken amongst child welfare agencies in the USA - they didn't exist - since Obama has taken office there have been significant, and on-going, changes. Earlier this year a memo was sent out by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Children, Youth and Families addressing the crisis facing gay teens in the care system and encouraging local child welfare agencies to ensure their protection. This has been backed up with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop resources for local child welfare agencies that address homophobia. At the same time, Congress have reintroduced legislation that would ban discrimination of gay parents in adoption and foster care placements, allowing them to foster and adopt LGBT young people. Click here for more information.

DIARIES OF ANNE LISTER INCLUDED IN UNESCO'S 2011 UK MEMORY OF THE WORLD REGISTER

30th May 2011
On 23 May 2011 twenty items and collections became the second round of inscriptions to the UK Memory of the World Register, The diaries of Anne Lister are one of these items. It is Anne Lister's comprehensive and painfully honest account of her lesbian life and reflections on her nature that have made the diaries unique. They continue to shape the direction of UK Gender Studies and Women's History (not to mention Lesbian History!) Click here for more information.

EFFECTS OF HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING

18th May 2011
New research published in the USA with 245 LGBT young people aged between 21 and 25 years has found that participants who reported high frequencies of victimization during adolescence were, compared to those with low frequencies:
-2.6 times more likely to report clinical levels of depression as young adults;
-5.6 times more likely to report having attempted suicide at least once;
-5.6 times more likely to have had a suicide attempt that required medical attention;
-more than twice as likely to report having had an STD diagnosis; and -more than twice as likely to report having put themselves at risk for HIV infection in the last six months.
The researchers conclude that reducing LGBT-related school victimization will likely result in significant long-term health gains and will reduce health disparities for LGBT people. Reducing the dramatic disparities for LGBT youth should be educational and public health priorities. Click here for more information.

LGBT YOUTH IN SOMERSET LAUNCH CAMPAIGN

13th May 2011
Members of 2BU LGBT youth group in Somerset have launched a poster campaign to tackle homophobia. Click here for more information. Click here here to access 2BU website.

HOMOPHOBIC/TRANSPHOBIC BULLYING RIFE IN CANADIAN SCHOOLS

12th May 2011
New research from Canada shows that homophobic and transphobic bullying are serious problems in Canadian schools and require broad remedial action, according to a new study released this week. Click here for more information.

CAITLIN RYAN LECTURE

11th May 2011
University of California Television have released a video of a lecture Caitlin Ryan of the Family Acceptance Project (FAP), recently gave. Caitlin talks about the work of FAP, the research they have conducted, and how up-lifting it is to work with families who, with support and information, begin to understand, accept and support their LGBT children. Click here to access the video and here for more resources for parents.

UNITED NATION SUPPORTS IDAHO

10th May 2011
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the highest human rights official in the UN system, has released a video and a pamphlet decrying violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals. The video and pamphlet were released for use at events worldwide on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). Click here to access the video and here for more information.

LGBT YOUTH IN RURAL IRELAND MORE VULNERABLE

8th May 2011
A report "Coming Out - LGBT Young People: Challenges and support needs in rural Ireland",was launched in Kildare in April. The researcher, Bernadette Smyth, found that LGBT youth were significantly more likely to experience mental health problems and misuse substances than heterosexual youth. Click here for more information.

GALYIC SPEAK OUT

7th May 2011
17th May is International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Members of GALYIC will share their experiences of homophobic bullying at Hebden Bridge Town Hall (Council Chamber) at 6 pm. Click here for more information and here to find out more about IDAHO.

ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS AND LECTURER'S CONFERENCE URGED TO CHALLENGE USE OF 'GAY' BY STUDENTS

21st April 2011
A fringe meeting at the conference debated whether teachers should challenge young people every time they use the word 'gay' in a negative sense. David Kinnen told the meeting, "If someone says something is 'gay' in my lesson, I will ask them what is happy or homosexual about the thing they are talking about. It makes them think about the use of the word." Click here for more information.

US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES CALL FOR MORE SUPPORT FOR LGBT YOUTH

21st April 2011
The American Department of Health and Social Services have sent out a memo urging welfare agencies to better serve the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth in the foster care system. Click here for more information.

LGB YOUTH IN CONSERVATIVE AREAS MORE VULNERABLE TO SUICIDE

18th April 2011
Research from the USA, published today, has found that LGB young people who live in areas where there is little support and where schools do not tackle homophobic bullying, are more likely to attempt suicide. Click here for more information.

LGBT YOUTH RALLY

16th April 2011
LGBT young people in Tennessee organised a rally to share their experiences to end the Day of Silence, a campaign to raise awareness of LGBT issues. Click here for more information.

YOUTH SPEAK OUT

16th April 2011
iNSIDEoUT a youth-founded, youth-led organisation, led a speak out after the Day of Silence in North Carolina, USA. Click here for more information and here to find out more about iNSIDEoUT.

SCHOOLS MAY TEACH GAY HISTORY

16th April 2011
Public schools in California already have to teach black history and women's history and if a new law is passed they will also have to teach gay history. Click here for more information.

RAINBOW TICK OF APPROVAL

16th April 2011
A Rainbow Tick is being used to help health service providers in Victoria, Australia, offer more GLBTI-friendly care. Six Victorian health services have signed up to pilot the auditing process over the year. The Rainbow Tick accreditation guidelines have been developed by Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria (GLHV) in conjunction with health auditors Quality Improvement and Community Services Accreditation (QICSA). Click here for more information.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED

14th April 2011
Government are seeking opinions as to whether the Equality Act should be scrapped. The new Public Sector Equality Act (which amongst other things) says public services should proactively tackle homophobia and meet the needs of LGBTs) has only just become law: it is the first time in this country that we have had a law like this for LGBTs. It is really important as many people as possible say how important it is to keep the Equality Act. Click here to have your say.

LESBIANS, GAYS, BISEXUALS AT INCREASED RISK FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT

13th April 2011
A new study led by School of Public Health researchers in the USA has found that across 75 different research reports, lesbian and bisexual women may be up to 3 times as likely as heterosexual women to report having been sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and gay men appear to be about 15 times as likely as heterosexual men to report the same. Click here for more information.

UNFINISHED LIVES: REVIVING MEMORIES OF LGBTQ HATE CRIMES VICTIMS

10th April 2011
The above titled book has just been published. Written by Baptist Minister, Stephen V Sprinkle, it tells the stories of diverse victims of hate murders across the spectrum of queer identities, from all walks of life and from all parts of the USA. Click here for more information and here to access Unfinished Lives website.

GAY STUDENTS WIN STRONG ALLIES IN BATTLE AGAINST BULLYING

10th April 2011
Forty young people from 29 states shared personal stories with members of Congress last week. Not only has the President of the USA acknowledged the plight of young LGBTs and homophobic bullying but the U.S. Department of Education now regards school bullying as a civil rights issue. The bullying issue is the most politicized it has ever been. Click here for more information.

PUBLIC SECTOR EQUALITY DUTY BECOMES LAW

5th April 2011
Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (Public Sector Equality Duty) comes into force today. The law introduces a public-sector equality duty which imposes on public authorities a legally enforceable obligation to "have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act". One of the "protected characteristics" defined in the Act is sexual orientation. Public bodies that fail to comply with the equality duty can face action in the civil courts. Click here for more information.

NEW POWERS FOR TEACHERS TO IMPROVE DISCIPLINE

5th April 2011
The government have announced new powers to help teachers improve discipline in schools. Part of the package is putting greater emphasis on safety issues (including homophobic bullying) in Ofsted inspections. Click here for more information.

NEW ZEALAND: PINK SHIRT DAY

5th April 2011
A new campaign has been launched in New Zealand which encourages young LGBT people to write to their Prime Minister to share their stories of homophobic bullying in school. Click here for more information and here to see a video.

WELSH TEENAGER GUILTY OF SENDING HOMOPHOBIC MESSAGES ON FACEBOOK

1st April 2011
An 18 year old youth from Flintshire was given a 12-month community penalty and ordered to pay £85 in costs for sending homophobic messages on Facebook. Click here for more information.

LGBT YOUTH GROUP IN BOURNMOUTH THREATENED WITH CLOSURE

1st April 2011
The LGBT youth group, Space Youth Project, has been running for eight years. It started in Bournemouth then expanded across Dorset. It has recently had its funding reduced and is threatened with closure. Click here for more information.

US INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE CALLS FOR MORE RESEARCH ON HEALTH NEEDS OF LGBTS

1st April 2011
The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to assess current knowledge of the health status of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations; to identify research gaps and opportunities; and to outline a research agenda to help NIH focus its research in this area. A committee of experts was convened by the IOM to consider this task, and its findings are presented in its report, The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding. Click here to access the report. There is a significant section on LGBT youth and health.

NATIONAL YOUTH CHANCES

30th March 2011
You may remember that last year the Big Lottery awarded a grant of half a million pounds to a consortium of the Metro Centre, Greenwich University and Ergo Consulting to conduct a five-year research project into the needs of LGBTQ young people aged 16-25 years. Well, the project has now been going for six months and various things are happening: they have set up a panel of experts to help develop the project and are in the process of setting up a Provider Stakeholder Forum (LGBT youth groups, services with LGBT youth users). Dan Baker is the project manager and he has set up a blog to keep people informed about progress.

ATTITUDES OF YOUNG ADULTS WITH RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

27th March 2011
A recently published study of young people (18 to 25 years old) people with religious beliefs has found that about one-third of the participants (31.6%) believed that heterosexuality should be the only expression of human sexuality, and a bigger proportion (52.4%) thought that it should be the ideal for human sexuality. 58.1% of the participants were committed to treating heterosexuality and homosexuality on equal terms. Click here to access findings.

GOVERNMENT PUBLISH LGBT EQUALITY ACTION PLAN

15th March 2011
Yesterday the government published its LGBT Equality Action Plan. Click here to access.

US GOVERNMENT STOPBULLYING.GOV WEBSITE: LGBT PAGE

11th March 2011
The US government have a website specifically designed to challenge bullying and on the front page there is a link to the LGBT section which is clearly visible and not hidden away somewhere. The LGBT section acknowledges LGBT young people are more at risk for bullying and includes links to masses of resources for young people, parents and educators. Click here to access.

GWINEAR PRIMARY SCHOOL NEAR REDRUTH IN CORNWALL RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD

7th March 2011
A small, village, primary school in Cornwall has won a national award for the way it tackles tolerance. Amongst other things, the school invites people from different backgrounds to speak at assemblies, this has included, for example, the gay father of two children. Click here for more information.

IDENTITY-BASED BULLYING NEEDS TACKLING IN BRITISH SCHOOLS

3rd March 2011
The Commission for Equality and Human Rights have just published Prevention and response to identity-based bullying among local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales.
The report states, "...greater efforts need to be made to challenge overriding prejudice, and to eliminate homophobic and disablist attitudes at all levels of the school and wider community."
The report highlights that LGBT young people may have, "particular needs or issues which should be considered by those tasked with preventing or responding to identity-based bullying." These include, for example, the fear of being outed, fear of teachers being homophobic, or that they will not be taken seriously.
The report adds, "It may also be necessary to provide targeted and specialised support or avenues of support for those who do report LGB bullying." Here are relevant extracts from the report and here is a link to the complete report.

STRONG LINK BETWEEN VICTIMISATION AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE

25th February 2011
New research published in the latest edition of Addiction has found a strong link between victimisation experiences and substance abuse. The researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, found a particularly strong correlation prevalent among gays, lesbians and bisexuals, much more so than in heterosexuals. Lesbian and bisexual women were twice as likely as heterosexual women to report being victimised in their lifetime; three times as many lesbians as heterosexual women reported childhood sexual abuse. Gay men also had higher rates of victimisation and childhood sexual abuse than heterosexual men. The researchers also conclude that LGB youth may use substances to cope with adverse psychological and interpersonal effects of victimisation, increasing the risk for further victimisation from others. Click here for further information.

TEN REASONS WHY LGBT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE HIGHLY VULNERABLE AND TEN WAYS TO TACKLE IT

17th February 2011
A couple of weeks ago Jan Bridget gave a brief workshop at a conference organised by the Commission for Equality Human Rights on Young People's Rights to Fair Treatment. Here is a link to the presentation.

GAY CLASSICAL MUSICIANS

12th February 2011
This article, put together by Kristian Lee, is featured in the American Fort Worth Weekly. Kristian identifies several out lesbian and gay classical musicians and provides links to YouTube videos of them performing. Click here to access stories and videos.

I'M FROM DRIFTWOOD

12th February 2011
I'm from Driftwood is a website (and a book) that tells true stories, both written and filmed, of LGBT people from across the USA. One of the latest films shows the mayor of Houston, Annise Parker, an out lesbian, talking about what is was like being a young lesbian. Click here to access the site, stories and videos.

BLACK WOMYN: CONVERSATIONS WITH LESBIANS OF AFRICAN DESCENT

12th February 2011
Whilst this film came out in 2008 I have only just come across it. It is a feature length documentary which which focuses on the lives and views of lesbians of African descent who live in America. Click here to access more information.

WORKING WITH VULNERABLE LGB YOUNG PEOPLE

10th February 2011
UKYouth are running three training events in London, Birmingham and Durham aimed at professionals and volunteers supporting vulnerable LGB young people in both mainstream and specialist provision. Click here for more information.

THE ESSENTIALS OF SEXUAL MINORITY COUNSELLING

9th February 2011
Pink Therapy is the UK's leading independent specialist therapy organisation working with gender and sexual minorities. They are running a course on 4-9 July 2011 aimed at providing essential training for all therapists who are working with sexual minority clients. There will be extensive guided pre-course and post course reading which is optional and encouraged. Click here for more information.

NEW RESEARCH CALLS FOR A REVOLUTION IN PUBLIC POLICY FOR LGBT CHILDREN AND YOUTH

8th February 2011
The findings of research from the Family Acceptance Project are dramatic and clear and have profound implications for almost every public policy issue affecting LGBT youth and their families. The Project calls for a revolution in the way public and private agencies serve this population. Click here for more information.

NEW MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGY INCLUDES LGB PEOPLE

4th February 2011
The coalition government released its new mental health strategy this week: "No health without mental health: a cross-Government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages." Click here to access strategy and supporting documents.
Within the section, Improving Outcomes in Mental Health: Promoting Equality and Reducing Inequality, the strategy states: "Improving outcomes for lesbian, gay and bisexual people with mental health problems 6.29 People who are lesbian, gay and bisexual all have a higher risk of mental health problems and of self-harm. They also suffer more attacks and violence. Experiences of mental health services are reportedly poor, and monitoring of sexual orientation is patchy, making it less easy to develop tailored service responses. A priority action for securing improved outcomes is to achieve routine local monitoring of access to services, experience and outcome by sexual orientation."
The supporting document, "Delivering better mental health outcomes for people of all ages" states, "As children grow and become young adults, they continue to need a stable and nurturing environment that supports them to develop independence. However, it is important to target children and young people at particular risk of developing mental health problems." The list of vulnerable groups include young lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

GROUNDBREAKING STUDY FINDS PERVASIVE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST TRANSGENDER PEOPLE

4th February 2011
A new study from the USA has revealed pervasive discrimination against transgender and gender-nonconforming people in a variety of fields, including education, employment, housing, health care, and more. Click here for more information.

MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AMONGST LESBIAN, GAY AND BISEXUAL PEOPLE IN ENGLAND

2nd February 2011
The February issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry has published research which shows that LGB people in England are about twice as likely as heterosexuals to experience depression, alcohol dependence, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, suicidal thoughts and self-harm. The results are taken from the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, which included questions on sexual orientation for the first time. Discrimination is likely to be the main cause. One of the authors, Dr Chakraborty, not only calls for "a response by primary care and mental health services", but also, "greater efforts at preventing these problems arising. Click here for more information and here for Journal abstract.

CANADIAN RESEARCH FINDS LGB YOUNG PEOPLE AT HIGHER RISK OF MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS DUE TO HOMOPHOBIA

2nd February 2011
LGB young people are at significantly higher risk of mental health problems due to homophobia according to new research from Concordia University. The findings suggest that the stress of being rejected or victimized because of sexual orientation may disrupt hormonal responses in lesbians, gays and bisexuals. The study examined the link between living in a homophobic environment and 'internalised homophobia. Social support from parents and peers help protect LGB youth. Click here for more information.

EQUALITY ACT 2010: PUBLIC SECTOR EQUALITY DUTY DRAFT REGULATIONS PUBLISHED

13th January 2011
The Government confirmed yesterday that the new public sector Equality Duty will be brought into force on 6 April 2011. The new Duty will ensure that public bodies embed equality considerations into their day to day work. Importantly, it extends beyond race, disability and gender to cover age, sexual orientation, religion or belief and gender reassignment in full. New draft regulations have been published, setting out new specific duties which strip away process requirements and instead focus on increasing transparency and democratic accountability. The draft regulations and guidance for public bodies are available here. The Government will be laying the draft regulations before Parliament for debate shortly.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission have published more detailed guidance which are available here.

LEAD WITH LOVE

12th January 2011
Professor David Huebner, of the University of Utah, has made an on-line video which features four families and tells the stories of how they responded to their children coming out. We hear from the young people, their parents and in some instances their grandparents, as well as specialists who answer common questions parents often ask. The film concludes with some very simple but effective advice: Let your affection show, Express your pain away from your child, Avoid rejecting behaviours, Do good before you feel good. There are also examples of how parents can express these four actions and these can be down-loaded separately as pdf files from the website. You will have to complete a short survey before being able to watch the film Click here to watch the film and download the briefings.

WELSH RUGBY STAR, GARETH THOMAS, TALKS ABOUT COMING OUT ON ELLEN SHOW

8th January 2011
Gareth Thomas is a macho rugby player who spent years trying to come to terms with being gay. Like many LGBT people, he contemplated suicide as a way out but eventually came out to his then wife, Gemma, then his family, then his team mates and finally to the world. Click here to read more about his story and here to see his interview on the Ellen Show.

U.S. SCHOOLS ARE PLEASED WITH BULLYING REFORMS

8th January 2011
After introducing new reforms to deal with bullying in schools as a result of a new law, schools in the USA are evaluating the effects after the first term. Under the law schools were allowed to develop their policies and procedures in line with national standards or adopting the state's standards. Click here to access more information.

GALYIC & BRANCHING OUT LAUNCH NEW BOXING PROJECT

6th January 2011
GALYIC have got together with Branching Out, the local substance misuse service for young people, to develop an exciting six-week boxing project for our female members. The new project will start next Wednesday, 12th January. 4.30-5.30 in central Halifax. Contact GALYIC, 01422.844585 or Branching Out, 01422.842642 for more information.

NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTS SUICIDE RISK AMONGST LGBTS

5th January 2011
A panel of 26 leading researchers, clinicians, educators and policy experts have contributed to "Suicide and Suicide Risk in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Populations: Review and Recommendations" just published in the Journal of Homosexuality. The panel identified stigma and discrimination as playing a key role in elevated suicide risk, in particular rejection or abuse by family members or peers, bullying and harassment, denunciation from religious communities and individual discrimination.
Amongst other recommendations, the panel calls on LGBT organisations to encourage early identification of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and other mental disorders among LGBT people, and campaign for culturally-appropriate mental health treatments, suicide prevention initiatives and substance-misuse programmes. Click here to access more information and here to download full article.

CLARE'S CLEAR OF CANCER

4th January 2011
After having a lymph node removed just before Christmas, Clare Balding, who is one of GALYIC's supporters, has been given the all clear. GALYIC members wish you all the best, Clare. Click here to access more information.

U.S. SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (SAMHSA) PROVIDING GRANTS FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION WORK WITH LGBT YOUNG PEOPLE

2nd January 2011
The U.S. government are making significant grants available to agencies to help reduce suicides amongst vulnerable groups which includes LGBT young people. In order to be eligible, agencies must be culturally competent which means, amongst other things, 1. a history of involvement with the target population or community; 2. staffing the initiative with people who are familiar with, or who are themselves members of, the population/community; 3. the population/community targeted to receive services should be a planned participant in all phases of programme design; and 4. understands the cultural aspects of the community that will contribute to the programme's success and which will avoid pitfalls. Click here to access more information.
Grants under another SAMHSA programme are also available to colleges to help them reduce the vulnerability of LGBT students.