Local, national and international news

NEW STUDY REVEALS PREVALENCE OF CYBERBULLYING AND ITS PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT ON NONHETEROSEXUAL YOUTH

9th March 2010
A new national online survey of 444 junior high, high school and college students between the ages of 11 and 22, included 350 self-identified non-heterosexual subjects. 54 percent of the LGBT and allied youth reported being victims of cyberbullying in the 30 days prior to the survey. This included electronic distribution of humiliating photos, dissemination of false or private information, or targeting victims in cruel online polls. Among the non-heterosexual respondents, 45 percent reported feeling depressed as a result of being cyberbullied, 38 percent felt embarrassed, and 28 percent felt anxious about attending school. More than a quarter (26 percent) had suicidal thoughts. Co-authored by Robyn Cooper and Warren Blumenfeld of Iowa State University, the study is being published in this month's special LGBT-themed issue of the International Journal of Critical Pedagogy. Click here for further information.

U.S. SURVEY FINDS SHARP DROP IN CHILDREN'S BULLYING

8th March 2010
A recent study, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, found that the percentage of children who reported being physically bullied over the past year had declined from nearly 22 percent in 2003 to under 15 percent in 2008. Those reporting they'd been assaulted by other youths, including their siblings, dropped from 45 percent to 38.4 percent. There have been several initiatives to reduce bullying and the Olweus Bullying Prevention Programme, is one of the largest. It has been implemented in several thousand American schools. It is a comprehensive program that includes forming an anti-bullying committee, training staff to intervene immediately if they observe bullying and meeting with students and parents when problems occur. Click here for further information.

SUPPORTIVE FAMILIES, HEALTHY CHILDREN

28th February 2010
The Family Acceptance Project have recently published an excellent booklet aimed at showing parents of LGBT young people how their response to them coming out can seriously damage their children; there are also suggetions on how best to support their children. The publication is in simple language and includes lots of positive images and positive messages for parents. Click here to access Family Acceptance Project to download the publication.

GALYIC MEMBER STANDS FOR ELECTION FOR CALDERDALE YOUTH PARLIAMENT

20th February 2010
Andrew Greenwood, a member of GALYIC and the GALYIC Youth Council Secretary, is standing in the forth-coming youth parliament elections for Calderdale. Andrew, who used to attend Calder High School and is currently at Greenhead College, Huddersfield, is one of six candidates. The elections will take place next Thursday, 25th February at schools and youth centres throughout Calderdale. Good luck Andrew!

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION BACKS CAMPAIGN TO STOP HOMOPHOBIA IN FOOTBALL

20th February 2010
The English F.A. are supporting a campaign by the Justin Campaign initiative, Football v Homophobia launched yesterday to coincide with LGBT History Month. The Justin Campaign was founded to show that ten years after Justin Fashanu's tragic suicide in 1998, homophobia is still very present in the world of professional football. Click here for more information and here to access the Justin Campaign..

NEW FEDERAL LAW TO PROTECT GAY AND LESBIAN STUDENTS IN USA

20th February 2010
In response to homophobic bullying and in particular the murder of 15 year old Larry King, a new law is being introduced in the USA. The Student Non-Discrimination Act will mean that gay and lesbian students in public schools could not be excluded from participating in or be subject to discrimination under any educational programme that receives federal assistance. Discrimination would include harassment, which is defined as acts of "verbal, nonverbal or physical aggression" as well as intimidation or hostility based upon a student's actual or perceived sexual orientation. Schools that fail to enforce the protections could lose their federal funding. Students and their parents also would be allowed to sue them and seek monetary damages. Click here for more information.

EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL TACKLES HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING

20th February 2010
East Sussex County Council are using LGBT History Month to launch a new programme to tackle homophobic bullying in schools. The Council are working with Stonewall to develop the programme.
East Sussex County Council's Lead Member for Children and Families, Councillor Meg Stroude, said, "All our young people have the right to attend schools and youth clubs without the fear of being bullied or discriminated against. It is not just gay and lesbian young people who experience homophobic bullying and using sexual preference as an insult is both cowardly and ignorant. Everyone should be offended by this sort of bullying and is not something that is welcome in East Sussex." Click here for more details.

ANNE LISTER PRESENTATION BY GALYIC

19th February 2010
Members of GALYIC gave a presentation about Anne Lister at the LGBT History Month Pre-Launch event at the British Museum in London. A video of their presentation is now available on line. Click here to access it.

GALYIC ON RADIO LEEDS

12th February 2010
Helen Whitehouse, Crisis Intervention Worker and Amber, a member of GALYC, were interviewed on Radio Leeds today. Click here to access the interview, fast forward to: 1.09.23-1.22.33.

SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL BOARD OK's NEW GAY SUPPORT PROGRAMME

10th February 2010
Despite cut-backs in other areas, the School Board in San Francisco has agreed to fund a new programme to support students who are LGBT. There will be a district position to manage LGBT youth issues. The programme will also require the district to keep tabs on harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation and distribute educational packets every year to parents encouraging them to discuss sexuality, gender identity and safety with their children. It is suggested 13% of middle schools and 11% of high school students identify as LGBT. In addition, 43 percent of those middle schools students who identify as LGBT - 430 children - said they didn't go to school because they didn't feel safe compared with 11 percent of heterosexual students Click here to access story.

LESBIAN AND BISEXUAL WOMEN'S HEALTH SURVEY IN CALDERDALE AND KIRKLEES

9th February 2010
The Brunswick Centre, funded by NHS Calderdale, Kirklees and Calderdale and Kirklees Councils have commissioned Huddersfield University to conduct research into the health and social care needs of lesbian and bisexual women in Calderdale and Kirklees. Click here to access the on-line survey.

FILMS ON MENTAL HEALTH TO BE SHOWN AT LESBIAN AND GAY FILM FESTIVAL

5th February 2010
Cooltan Arts will be showing three of their films about LGBTs and mental health at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. One film profiles the work of Cooltan Arts, a charity which uses creativity to enhance wellbeing for those with mental distress; the second covers a walk around some of the famous LGBT spots in London; whilst the third includes an interview with Maggie Hambling talking about her work, sexuality and mental health. Click here for further information.

US SURVEY FINDS HEALTH CARE DISCRIMINATES AGAINST LGBT PEOPLE

5th February 2010
When Health Care Isn't Caring is the title of Lambda Legal's Survey on Discrimination Against LGBT People and People Living with HIV. The survey is the first to examine refusal of care and barriers to health care among LGBT and HIV communities on a national scale in the USA. It is hoped that the data will influence decisions being made about how health care is delivered now and in the future Click here for further information.

THE SECRET DIARIES OF MISS ANNE LISTER

5th February 2010
A BBC film made about Anne Lister, the 19th century lesbian who owned Shibden Hall in Halifax, will open the 24th London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival on 17th March. The film stars Maxine Peake as Anne Lister. Click here for further information.

SUICIDAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG LGB YOUNG PEOPLE

5th February 2010
A new study from Canada which will be published in the February edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, has found that it is young people who self-identify as LGB or are unsure of their sexual orientation who are at risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts compared with those young people who identify as heterosexual but still have same-sex attractions or behaviour.
The researchers suggest that same-sex attraction/fantasy or behaviour per se does not increase suicidality and recommend further research to examine the link between anti gay sentiment and suicidality, as well as individual factors that lead to nonheterosexual identity expression in an adverse environment. Click here for further information.

NEW RESEARCH ON RUNAWAYS IDENTIFIES LGBT YOUNG PEOPLE AS VULNERABLE

4th February 2010
A new report entitled Commissioning, Delivery and Perceptions of Emergency Accommodation for Young Runaways has just been published by The Department for Children, Schools and Families.
Based on research by the Children's Society and York University, the report says there are significantly higher than average rates of running away amongst a number sub-groups of young people - disabled young people, young people who had difficulties with learning, and young people identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual.
The report also suggests that some young people are at greater risk than others whilst away from home and these include young people in some minority groups (including disabled young people, young people born outside the UK, and young people who identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual).
In relation to emergency accommodation, the research acknowledges, this diversity highlights the importance of services being culturally sensitive and able to respond to a range of needs. It also raises questions about whether particular models of emergency accommodation might be more or less appropriate for particular sub-groups of young runaways.
The findings also identify a significant research gap in relation to diversity issues in relation to other subgroups of young runaways including disabled young people and gay, lesbian and bisexual young people. Click here for further information.

BOOK LIST FOR LGBTQ CHILDREN AND TEENS

3rd February 2010
The American Library Association's Rainbow Project has just published a list of books they recommend are suitable for children and young people to read. The books recommended were found to be of exceptional quality and impact. Click here for further information.

SMOKING SURVEY AMONG LGBT YOUTH REVEALS STAGGERING RATES

3rd February 2010
The State of Ohio has just published a survey which revealed that 80 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in Northeast Ohio are current users of tobacco, this is more than three times the national average for the general youth population. Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed indicated that they had unsuccessfully attempted quitting in the past, with a majority stating that a significant reason they returned to smoking was that they were continually around peers who smoked. In response to the high levels of tobacco use amongst LGBT young people, Healthy Ohio have developed a specific project called ButtOut. Click here for further information.

FILM TACKLES HOMOPHOBIA IN SCHOOLS

2nd February 2010
Peer Productions have produced a film to tackle homophobia in schools. The film, called The Homophobia Project, explores what it would be like to live in a world where everyone is lesbian or gay, and where despite one in nine secondary school students questioning their sexuality, being straight is still viewed as something dirty or wrong. Click here for further information.

NEW AMERICAN STUDY FINDS SEXUAL MINORITY YOUTH BULLIED MORE THAN HETEROSEXUAL YOUTH

27th January 2010
A new study by doctors at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that sexual minority youth are bullied two to three times more than heterosexual youth. Sexual minority youth are more vulnerable to a variety of physical and mental domains such as bullying or suicidal thoughts.
"There is a need for health care professionals, and others who work with children, to be aware that sexual minority youth are more likely to be victims of bullying and other forms of violence," said Elise Berlan, MD, lead author and physician in Adolescent Medicine at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "Parents should also take time to communicate with their children about sensitive topics such as sexuality, peer relations and violence." Researchers looked at the relationship between sexual orientation and bullying from the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), an on-going study of American adolescents, which included information on more than 7,500 adolescents.
While examining the 2001 results, the study also showed that youth identifying themselves as gay or lesbian were less likely to bully others and more likely to report being bullied than heterosexual teens. Children that are different from the social norm often become targets of social isolation, harassment and bullying.
Recommended strategies to identify this type of abusive behavior include encouraging clinicians to routinely inquire about sexual orientation and their experiences with bullying, interpersonal violence and abuse; screening sexual minority youth for depression, suicidality and involvement in high-risk behaviors; and increasing the support of school policies to ensure a safe learning environment for all students.
"Students, parents, schools and community organizations can work to create environments that are supportive and accepting of all students, regardless of their sexual orientation," said Berlan, also a faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. "Schools, in particular, need to work to increase the awareness of bullying." Click here then featured article on right.

LESSONS FIGHT ANTI-GAY PREJUDICE IN CORNWALL

27th January 2010
New lessons have started in Cornish schools aimed at cutting the number of suicides among gay people. Click here for more information.

RESEARCH SHOWS LACK OF SUPPORT FOR TRANSGENDER AND GENDER-NONCONFORMING YOUTH IN U.S. SCHOOL SYSTEMS

23rd January 2010
Transgender children are some of the most vulnerable students in America's schools. Nobody knows how many there are, and very few educators know what to do with them. Despite extensive advocacy efforts, trans youth are subjected to bullying and harassment in the classroom; diagnosed with nonexistent learning disabilities and psychological problems; and generally misunderstood by their doctors, teachers, and classmates. Click here for more information.

BBC TO SURVEY PUBLIC ABOUT ITS PORTRAYAL OF LGBs

23rd January 2010
The BBC has commissioned an investigation into how lesbian, gay and bisexual people are portrayed on television, radio and on-line. Click here for more information.

STONEWALL PRODUCE FILM TO TACKLE HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING

23rd January 2010
Stonewall have produced a film called FIT which is being sent to all secondary schools in Britain next month. The film is based on a play written by Rikki Beadle-Blair. Click here for more information.

INTERNATIONAL SAME-SEX HAND HOLDING DAY

23rd January 2010
Next Saturday, 30th January 2010, is the fifth international same-sex hand holding day. Sshh (same-sex hand holding) is a silent revolution taking place across the world. Click here for more information.

NEW SAFE SPACE KIT PRODUCED BY GLSEN

23rd January 2010
GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) have produced a Safe Space Kit for schools in the USA to tackle homophobia. Click here to access report.

GAY MUSLIM YOUTH MADE HOMELESS BY FAMILY VIOLENCE

11th January 2010
The Albert Kennedy Trust has had an increase in the number of young Asian gay Muslims contacting them for support. Some have been forced to go to Pakistan to marry against their will, others have been threatened with violence and some beaten up. This is a problem throughout the UK but is often hidden for fear of family violence. It is likely that this is the tip of the iceberg. Click here to access BBC News item. A programme will be broadcast on BBC's Asian Network Reports at 12.30 and 1800 today.

NEW FIVE YEAR PROJECT TO SUPPORT HOMELESS LGBTQ YOUTH IN ARIZONA

9th January 2010
As a result of a research project the University of Arizona's Southwest Research Institute for Women has just received a grant of $1.75 million from the Substance Misuse and Mental Health Administration to develop a five year project targeting homeless LGBTQ young people. Click here to access further information.