Scotland has become the first country in the world to embed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender inclusive education across the school curriculum.

All school staff will be given a basic awareness e-learning course on LGBT inclusive education and a toolkit of LGBT inclusive education teaching resources.

A dedicated website will also be launched with resources for information to support young people.

Subjects across age groups will now include LGBT identities, issues and history., focused on promoting equality, reducing bullying and improving the educational experiences of LGBT children and young people.


Scotland is to embed LGBT issues into the school curriculum.

Parents, teachers, young people and LGBT organisations helped to develop the website, e-learning course and teaching resources.

Campaign groups welcomed the move.

A report by charity Stonewall found nearly half of lesbian, gay, bi and trans pupils, including 64 per cent of trans pupils, are bullied at school for being LGBT.

Time for Inclusive Education co-founder Jordan Daly said: "I experienced bullying and prejudice at school for being gay, and it had a detrimental impact on my confidence and wellbeing for some time.

“This new website, and the supporting resources, which have been co-developed with teachers across Scotland, will support teachers to take a proactive, educational approach to tackling prejudice.

"Most importantly, this work will empower young people and provide them with an opportunity I didn't have at school ”“ to feel valued, confident, and proud of who they are."

Councillor Stephen McCabe, Children and Young People spokesperson for local authority umbrella body Cosla, said: “Improving inclusion in our schools is a priority for local government.

"We welcome the materials published today, which will assist schools, teachers and education staff to drive this important agenda forward, ensuring all children and young people receive the support they need.”

National Parent Forum of Scotland chair Margaret Wilson said: “We welcome the roll-out of LGBT inclusive education across the school curriculum.

"With other stakeholders, we have developed an information resource on LGBT-inclusive education for parents and carers to help them to support their children and ensure they have a positive educational experience, using an approach underpinned by children’s rights, kindness and respect.”

An LGBTI Inclusive Education Working Group was established in 2017 to improve LGBT young people’s learning experience and to address bullying and discrimination. The group made 33 recommendations, which the Scottish Government accepted in full.

Children’s minister Clare Haughey said: “I am proud to say that Scotland is leading the way as the first country in the world to embed LGBT inclusive education right across the curriculum. By doing so, we can help young people to reach their full potential and flourish in a diverse and inclusive society.

“The launch of this ground-breaking suite of resources for schools takes us another step forward in ensuring that our curriculum is as diverse as the young people who learn in our schools."

In 2017, delegates at the Education Institute of Scotland (EIS) teaching conference backed proposals to teach LGBT issues in schools.

Scotland decriminalised homosexuality in 1980, 13 years later than England and Wales.

Earlier this year, MSPs launched a consultation on whether conversion therapies, which are used to try and change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, should be criminalised.

Daley arrives at the Attitude Awards

”˜Those 10 countries where you can’t be yourself should not be allowed to compete at the Olympic Games. My mission is to try and change that’

Tom Daley has called for countries that punish being gay with death to be banned from the 2024 Olympics.

Britain’s Olympic diving champion said he was making it his mission to “create change” before the Paris Games in three years’ time.

“There were more out LGBT athletes in Tokyo than any of the previous Olympics combined, which is a great step forward,” Daley told the Attitude Awards in London.

“Yet there are still 10 countries that punish being gay with death that were still allowed to compete at the Olympic Games. I think that is quite shocking to a lot of people.

“I want to make it my mission, hopefully before the Paris Olympics, to make it so that the countries that criminalise and punish by death LGBT people are not allowed to compete.”

According to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association the death penalty is the legally prescribed punishment for consensual same-sex sexual acts in Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and parts of Nigeria.

ILGA say the death penalty could potentially also be imposed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates.

“Those 10 countries where you can’t be yourself should not be allowed to compete at the Olympic Games,” Daley added. “And they definitely should not be allowed to host an Olympic Games.

“The World Cup coming up in Qatar has extreme rules against LGBT people and about women and I think it should not be allowed for a sporting event to host in a country that criminalises against basic human rights.

“So that is going to be my mission now to try and change that.

“I am incredibly lucky to come from Great Britain where I am able to be my true authentic self and compete without worry of ramification.

“And I feel like wherever you are born you should be able to have that stress taken away from you.”

Netflix recently unveiled thrilling glimpses of its upcoming movie, Single All The Way, which will be the first gay holiday romantic comedy. Take a look.



As Netflix has been announcing numerous upcoming projects for this year, it recently gave a sneak peek at the upcoming movie, Single All the Way through social media.

The movie will feature prolific actors namely Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Kathy Najimy, Jennifer Coolidge, Dan Finnerty and more.

Netflix reveals Single All the Way first looks

Taking to Instagram, Netflix recently shared a series of pictures from its upcoming first gay rom-com, Single All The Way, in which it depicted the first looks of the entire cast of the film. Netflix further revealed the plotline of the film in the caption that read, “Peter (@michaelurielikesit) convinces his best friend Nick (@philemonchambers) to pretend to be his boyfriend for the holidays in order to get his family (@kathynajimy & @theofficialjencoolidge) off his back. But when his mom sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer (@ten_minutes_younger), the plan goes awry.” (sic) It was further revealed that the new holiday movie will hit the Netflix screens on 2 December 2021.

View this post on Instagram

Jordan Daly says he was devastated after bullying at school led to someone outing him as gay to his family in a letter shoved through his letterbox.


Coming Out Day - Jordan Daly - 26

Jordan Daly's decision to come out to his mum was cruelly snatched from him ten years ago.

The then aged 16 Glasgow schoolboy was horrified when a stranger found out he was gay and posted a note through the letterbox of his family home.

Jordan, now 26, told the Record: "Before my mum, I had only told a few friends and swore them to secrecy, my mum didn't know a thing.

"She came into my room holding the letter and was in total shock.

"She asked 'Is it true?

"It was terrifying, now my mum regrets how she reacted but it was a big shock.

"To be outed by a stranger was horrible."

Jordan knew he was gay aged 9 when he realised he had a crush on a male singer from his favourite band Steps.

"I remember really fancying Lee, not the girls," he added.

"I grew up in a generation where people would say 'that's so gay' if something was bad.

"At school being gay was a bad thing, it was the butt of the joke, we learned nothing about LGBTQ+ history or role models.

"There was no way I could fully accept who I was and come out to everyone."

Reaching 'breaking point' after a year of bullying from cruel classmates, a 13-year-old Jordan confided in his closest friend.

"I couldn't get the words out, I cried for an hour, I was so panicked.

"I finally came out, but swore her to secrecy. She was accepting but understood that nobody was to know."

After six months, Jordan told two more friends but still couldn't face telling his mum.

He said: "I had no control over the note that was stuffed through our letterbox, so I was forced to come out to her aged 16."

From then Jordan accepted his identity.

After leaving school Jordan began his work with Time for Inclusive Education (TIE); Scotland’s LGBT Inclusive Education charity.

TIE aims to combat homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools with LGBT Inclusive Education.

As TIE grew in scale, Jordan only had one other person he knew he had to come out to, his granddad.

"I hadn't felt ready before," he said.

"But I was 19 and I knew that my work with TIE was going to be in the newspapers.

"I was really scared but my granddad couldn't have been more supportive.

"He said 'I'm happy for you, I still love you.'

"Family have been amazing, I know I'm lucky.

"Now I never really feel like I have to come out or explain myself day-to-day.

"If people want to know about my sexuality, they can ask."

Backed by loved ones, Jordan is now the director of TIE.

Their hard work for inclusive education has paid off as just last month Scotland became the first country in the world to launch LGBT+ education in schools.

"Educating young people is so important," Jordan said.

"I felt I couldn't come out because in school being gay wasn't a good thing.

"To anyone trying to come out, coming out shouldn't have to be a thing, but what I would say is talk to someone.

"Not speaking about how I felt really affected me mentally.

"Protect your mental health and confide in loved ones."

National Coming out Day celebrates LGBT awareness on October 11 every year.

Some good news for a change....



From the Irish Examiner, https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-40706693.html

Quote:Switzerland has authorised same-sex civil partnerships since 2007.

Supporters say passage would put same-sex partners on an equal legal footing with heterosexual couples such as by allowing them to adopt children together and facilitating citizenship for same-sex spouses.

It would also permit lesbian couples to utilise regulated sperm donation.

Fresh from my country, Malaysia.

1,730 LGBT people sent to Jakim rehabilitation camp this year

As of June this year, 1,733 members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community have been sent to a rehabilitation camp run by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), the prime minister said in a parliamentary written reply. Mukhayyam is a govt initiative to get non-heterosexuals to change their lifestyle, sexual orientation.

https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/339381

Sorry, unfortunately I'm not able to extract the full article. I have to subscribe if I want to read the full news.

Anyway my only comment - this coming from a country that still allows under age marriage. 

I'm doing fine. I am out but I don't scream at the top of my lungs telling everyone that I'm gay. I was supposed to be transferred to Panama in 2019 for work by my boss. It was a baby step to get me out from Malaysia and also because I speak a little Spanish. But Covid happened and my boss resigned (She joined WHO).

Loving this news.

Future First Family

   

This is a big victory for LGBTQ rights in Mexico...

https://www.advocate.com/world/2021/8/30...ory-mexico

Quote:Legislators in the northeastern Mexican state of Yucatán have enacted marriage equality for same-sex couples and also cracked down on “conversion therapy.”

Quote:Yucatán's actions follow a steady drumbeat of LGBTQ+ advances in Mexico. Currently, 22 out of 32 Mexican states allow same-sex marriage, including areas popular with American tourists like Sinaloa, Mexico City, Baja California, and Quintana Roo. The nation passed antidiscrimination protections for gay and bisexual Mexicans back in 2003.

Although now downgraded to a tropical storm, live video of Ida making landfall was insane...

https://youtu.be/99S7tMwoHtQ?t=1316

The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel praised the decision as a 'historic move'


Recovered Israeli Covid-19 patients donate blood samples for plasma extraction at Sheba Medical Centre Hospital near Tel Aviv

Israel on Thursday announced the removal of decades-old restrictions facing gay and bisexual men seeking to donate blood, following similar moves by Britain and the United States.

"The prohibition on gay men donating blood was a relic of a stereotype that belongs in the past," Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, himself a gay man, said in a statement.

"Any blood donor seeking to save lives will receive the same treatment, regardless of his gender or sexual orientation," he added.

Many countries across the world impose deferrals or outright bans on blood donations by men who have had sexual relations with other men in the wake of the emergence of HIV and Aids in the 1980s.

But from 1 October, the forms to be filled prior to donating blood will be changed, an Israeli health ministry statement said.

"The clause prohibiting receiving blood from a man who had sexual relations with another man (even a permanent partner) will be cancelled," it said.

Questionnaires will instead include a new clause prohibiting donations from people who "had high-risk sexual relations with a new partner or multiple partners" in the past three months.

Men who have sex with men can currently only donate blood in Israel if over a year has passed since their last sexual encounter. Another option is to have plasma from their blood frozen for four months to ensure the lack of "transmittable diseases", according to Magen David Adom, Israel's national medical first responders which also serves as the country's blood service organisation.

The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel praised the decision as a “historic move”.

"The blood of hundreds of thousands of citizens is not second class," the association said in a statement.

A recent health ministry report said that in 2020 there were 361 HIV-positive people in Israel, 5 percent fewer than the previous year.

Israel's policy change follows Britain's decision in June to allow more gay and bisexual men to donate life-saving blood, and a similar move by the United States last year.