Schools across Lincolnshire are being encouraged to increase support for LGBT+ people
It comes as School Diversity Week has brought LGBT+ education into schools across the UK
An LGBT+ group are calling for there to be better support in schools across Lincolnshire, as a new report has found LGBT+ people who were not supported while growing up are half as likely to be happy in adulthood.
It comes as schools across the UK have been encouraged to educate pupils on LGBT+ equality as part of School Diversity Week.
In a report, by the young people's LGBT+ charity, Just Like Us, has found that LGBT+ people who were not supported while growing up are half as likely to be happy in adulthood.
Rebecca Steven is a part of Scunthorpe's LGBT+ Society and tells us what her experience was like in school…
"So I never actually had to officially come out to anyone. There was never a big conversation for me cause I was really lucky to be raised in a household that was just so accepting anyway, so it was never even a conversation, because nobody would have batted an eyelid at who I would have brought home or anything like that.
"So it was really straight forward for me but I do know others that have had severe struggles in regards to their family.
"I did get bullied in school, because certain things came out about me, which I didn't want to come out, and it was just unfortunate that in senior school I did get bullied for my sexuality. But other than that, it's never even been a conversation.
"I think that's the way it should be though - I don't think we should have to justify who we are, or who we are attracted to, or how we identify. We should just live in a society that just accepts it as it is."
The Positive Futures report identifies a link between lack of LGBT+ inclusive support in childhood and poorer outcomes for mental health, wellbeing and career prospects in early adulthood.
LGBT+ young adults from unsupportive school and home backgrounds were half as likely to feel good about themselves (41% vs 89%), more than four times as likely to ‘rarely or never’ feel close to other people (49% vs 11%), and half as likely to say they are happy in adulthood (43% vs 85%).
Unsupportive backgrounds had a profound effect on the mental health of LGBT+ young adults, making them more than twice as likely to have had suicidal thoughts and feelings (85% vs 39%), more than twice as likely to have self-harmed (71% vs 33%), and significantly more likely to have experienced panic attacks (60% vs 28%) and depression (82% vs 42%) in the past year.
June 26th to 30th is School Diversity Week, where schools are encouraged to take part in a programme which aims to provide their students with knowledge to help LGBT+ equality.
School Diversity Week is Just Like Us' annual celebration of LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) equality in education, celebrated by thousands of primary schools, secondary schools and colleges across the UK.
Just Like Us provides schools with a toolkit of resources across the curriculum, and suitable for all key stages.
Amy Ashenden, interim CEO of Just Like Us, the LGBT+ young people’s charity, said:
“LGBT+ young people deserve to feel safe and supported both at home and at school, and it’s heart-breaking to see the prolonged, devastating impact in early adulthood when this is not the case.
“From their mental health, hopes for the future and career prospects to their relationships with themselves and others, our Positive Futures report clearly shows that supporting LGBT+ children is absolutely vital for their chances of happiness and success as adults.
“We invite everyone who works with or cares for a LGBT+ young person to read the report and be vocal about their support. Young people desperately need to hear that the adults in their lives unequivocally believe that being lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans does not make you lesser than but is in fact something to be celebrated – otherwise we will see another generation facing the heart wrenching outcomes detailed in the report.
“I’d like to particularly call upon teachers to join us in taking part in School Diversity Week this 26-30 June, and show young people that being LGBT+ is nothing to be ashamed of – a message that young people still desperately need to hear in their everyday lives.”
The report also detailed that LGBT+ young adults who were not supported at home or at school also had vastly different outlooks on their futures, and were more than twice as likely to ‘never or rarely’ feel optimistic about it (42% vs 12%).
Additionally, just 17% from unsupportive backgrounds said they were confident they would have a career they enjoy, compared to 48% of those from supportive backgrounds. Unsupported young adults were half as likely to be confident that they will find a life partner (34% vs 70%) and have children, even though they want to (25% vs 49%).
The full report can be found at [www.justlikeus.org ](http://www.justlikeus.org |newtab)