Latest news with #JustLikeUs
Telegraph
13 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
My daughter's school wanted her to learn about trans rights. So I kept her at home
Sarah Jones* has a happy, energetic, sporty daughter named Emma. She has just turned nine and loves nothing more than pulling on her football kit and running to the local park, a ball tucked under her arm. If Emma had been born a decade earlier, Jones would have seen this as little more than a carefree phase in her daughter's childhood. Now, she worries someone might suggest Emma was born in the wrong body. 'Emma isn't girly,' says Jones. 'She plays competitive sports and doesn't wear dresses; she's fantastic. But these conversations around gender identity are very harmful to children who don't conform to stereotypical ideas of it. I don't want her to think that just because she doesn't wear pink, she should be a boy.' So when Jones received a letter on Monday afternoon informing her that her daughter's school would be celebrating Schools Diversity Week for the next three days – and that Wednesday would be dedicated entirely to discussions, workshops and a Pride march – she was alarmed. The letter said parents would be welcome to come to the school at Wednesday lunchtime to discuss the events taking place. 'I work full time and was given hardly any notice to come in,' says Jones. 'And what good is a meeting on the day itself?' Launched in 2015 by the LGBT+ young people's charity Just Like Us, Schools Diversity Week has since become a fixture in thousands of schools across the UK. Primary and secondary schools use this time to celebrate the idea that families come in many forms and encourage young people to embrace differences – with the week often culminating in 'Rainbow Friday', when pupils and teachers are encouraged to wear their brightest clothes. This year, Rainbow Friday falls on Friday 27 June. In many communities, the initiative has been embraced as a moment of celebration and inclusivity. Not age-appropriate But when Jones looked through the websites the school had encouraged parents to visit ahead of Diversity Week, she was dismayed to find certain sections focused heavily on trans rights. This included sites like The Proud Trust, which offers a trans inclusion toolkit for schools on its website. Much of it, she says, was not age-appropriate. Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at the Sex Matters campaign group, thinks parents are right to be worried. 'I believe in open-mindedness up to a point, but not so open-minded that your mind falls out,' she says. 'I have two adult sons and one is straight and one is gay and I absolutely support children learning that families come in all shapes and sizes. But one of the worst things you can do to a child is plant the seed of bodily discomfort just a few years before puberty, a time of huge physical and mental change. To tell them these feelings of distress mean you're in the wrong body is downright wicked, and yet schools are doing so all over the country in the name of diversity and inclusion.' Jones – who has already butted heads with the school over trans issues – knows this all too well. During last year's Pride events, her daughter's class read a picture book about a transgender man that included an illustration of a post-mastectomy body. 'I was horrified,' she says. 'The school told me they weren't showing the images, just reading the text, but for me, that wasn't enough.' Scarred by this, Jones decided to keep Emma* and her younger brother at home on Wednesday. 'It's the first time I've kept them off school for a reason other than illness. If I knew the kids were only learning about gay and lesbian rights, I would happily have sent them in, as I don't have an issue with any of that. But I can't take the risk.' Louisa Martin* found herself in a similar situation this week when she decided to keep her sons, aged six and eight, home during their school's Pride celebrations. It was a decision she found personally upsetting, as her brother – with whom she is very close – is gay. 'I won't risk damaging my sons' 'I couldn't be prouder of my brother,' she says. 'It broke my heart keeping the boys home: they know a lot more about gay rights than most of the kids in their class because of their uncle – but I will not expose them to radical gender ideology. It teaches them that if they feel unsettled in their minds, then their bodies have to change. I dread to think what would have happened to my brother if this had existed in his day, and I won't risk damaging my sons.' The irony, of course, is that most activities during Schools Diversity Week are ones that most parents would support. Both women say they would have welcomed the chance for their children to understand why the word 'gay' should never be used as an insult, and to learn that boys and girls don't have to adhere to narrow stereotypes. But when Jones met the school's head of diversity and inclusion – a former form teacher of Emma's – she became convinced she had made the right decision. 'She had pride flags all around her desk and refused to hear me out. I said, 'I don't think you can change sex,' and she just shook her head and said, ' Trans women are women.' She wouldn't budge an inch.' Martin, meanwhile, had to navigate the more personal pain of telling her brother she had withdrawn her boys for this particular week. 'He understood,' she says. 'He was sad, of course. These events should mark how far we've come since our school days in the 1980s. We would both love it to be a happy milestone.' Instead, it has become a reminder of how complex progress can be.
Powys County Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Jonathan Bailey ‘so proud' to support LGBT diversity week in UK schools
Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey has said he is 'so proud' to support LGBT+ diversity week in UK schools. The initiative, launched by the LGBT+ young people's charity Just Like Us, is an annual celebration of LGBT+ equality, running from June 23-27 in primary and secondary schools across the UK. The 37-year old actor and patron to the charity, who has previously been open about his own sexuality and experience coming out, has said that he wished he had a similar initiative while he was at school. Bailey said: 'School Diversity Week is an incredible initiative that creates the inclusive environment every young person deserves. 'Growing up, I wish I had something like School Diversity Week to let me know it was OK to be myself. 'I would have loved to see LGBT+ inclusion celebrated in schools – it would have made such a difference in feeling seen, supported, and accepted. 'This week gives pupils the chance to learn, have fun, and embrace diversity, helping to build a future where all young people can be themselves without fear. I'm so proud to support Just Like Us in making that a reality. 'Thank you to every school, every teacher and pupil taking part because you are helping make the world a brighter and more joyful place for all LGBT+ young people and their friends.' Bailey is also known for starring alongside pop star Ariana Grande and singer Cynthia Erivo in the film adaptation of the musical Wicked, playing the charming Prince Fiyero. He added: 'I am immensely proud to be in a position to support Just Like Us and increase the volume and awareness of what they're setting out to achieve, which I think is incredibly important. 'Children deserve the right to feel acknowledged and supported in who they are at such a vital time in their lives.' The star previously joined the likes of singer Jessie Ware and DJ Annie Mac to back a campaign launched by the charity that urged parents to become LGBT+ allies and help combat homophobic language in primary schools. Laura Mackay, chief executive of Just Like Us, said: 'School Diversity Week is an opportunity for school communities to come together and celebrate the differences that make us all special. 'LGBT+ young people still face significant barriers at school, at home and in the wider world, but each school that celebrates and prioritises LGBT+ inclusion shows them that they are valued, seen and safe. 'We are so grateful to our patron Jonathan Bailey for taking such a strong stance on supporting LGBT+ young people and improving inclusion in schools, and also to every educator who is making sure that pupils have a supportive environment in which to learn, both during School Diversity Week and all year round.' School Diversity Week runs from June 23 until 27.
Leader Live
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Jonathan Bailey ‘so proud' to support LGBT diversity week in UK schools
The initiative, launched by the LGBT+ young people's charity Just Like Us, is an annual celebration of LGBT+ equality, running from June 23-27 in primary and secondary schools across the UK. The 37-year old actor and patron to the charity, who has previously been open about his own sexuality and experience coming out, has said that he wished he had a similar initiative while he was at school. Bailey said: 'School Diversity Week is an incredible initiative that creates the inclusive environment every young person deserves. 'Growing up, I wish I had something like School Diversity Week to let me know it was OK to be myself. 'I would have loved to see LGBT+ inclusion celebrated in schools – it would have made such a difference in feeling seen, supported, and accepted. 'This week gives pupils the chance to learn, have fun, and embrace diversity, helping to build a future where all young people can be themselves without fear. I'm so proud to support Just Like Us in making that a reality. 'Thank you to every school, every teacher and pupil taking part because you are helping make the world a brighter and more joyful place for all LGBT+ young people and their friends.' Bailey is also known for starring alongside pop star Ariana Grande and singer Cynthia Erivo in the film adaptation of the musical Wicked, playing the charming Prince Fiyero. He added: 'I am immensely proud to be in a position to support Just Like Us and increase the volume and awareness of what they're setting out to achieve, which I think is incredibly important. 'Children deserve the right to feel acknowledged and supported in who they are at such a vital time in their lives.' The star previously joined the likes of singer Jessie Ware and DJ Annie Mac to back a campaign launched by the charity that urged parents to become LGBT+ allies and help combat homophobic language in primary schools. Laura Mackay, chief executive of Just Like Us, said: 'School Diversity Week is an opportunity for school communities to come together and celebrate the differences that make us all special. 'LGBT+ young people still face significant barriers at school, at home and in the wider world, but each school that celebrates and prioritises LGBT+ inclusion shows them that they are valued, seen and safe. 'We are so grateful to our patron Jonathan Bailey for taking such a strong stance on supporting LGBT+ young people and improving inclusion in schools, and also to every educator who is making sure that pupils have a supportive environment in which to learn, both during School Diversity Week and all year round.' School Diversity Week runs from June 23 until 27.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey 'proud' to support LGBTQ+ diversity in UK schools
Jonathan Bailey is supporting the powerful initiative run by Just Like Us. LGBTQ+ equality will be celebrated in UK primary and secondary schools from June 23-27 Bridgerton sensation Jonathan Bailey has expressed his immense pride in backing the UK's LGBTQ+ diversity week in schools, a powerful initiative by Just Like Us, shining a spotlight on LGBTQ+ equality from June 23-27. The annual event champions LGBTQ+ equal rights within primary and secondary schools nationwide and holds personal resonance for the-37 year-old actor and charity patron who has been candid about his journey of coming out. Reflecting on his own past, Bailey remarked: "School Diversity Week is an incredible initiative that creates the inclusive environment every young person deserves." Hailing the transformative impact such support would have had on him as a student, he commented: "Growing up, I wish I had something like School Diversity Week to let me know it was OK to be myself." The acclaimed actor confessed: "I would have loved to see LGBT+ inclusion celebrated in schools – it would have made such a difference in feeling seen, supported, and accepted." With great enthusiasm for the educational event, he said: "This week gives pupils the chance to learn, have fun, and embrace diversity, helping to build a future where all young people can be themselves without fear. I'm so proud to support Just Like Us in making that a reality." Extending gratitude to participants, he added: "Thank you to every school, every teacher and pupil taking part because you are helping make the world a brighter and more joyful place for all LGBT+ young people and their friends." Beyond these advocacy efforts, Bailey has dazzled audiences with his acting chops, recently cast with pop phenomenon Ariana Grande and vocal powerhouse Cynthia Erivo in the much-anticipated cinematic remake of the musical Wicked, where he rouses hearts as the dashing Prince Fiyero. He expressed his deep pride in supporting Just Like Us, saying: "I am immensely proud to be in a position to support Just Like Us and increase the volume and awareness of what they're setting out to achieve, which I think is incredibly important. "Children deserve the right to feel acknowledged and supported in who they are at such a vital time in their lives." The star has previously joined forces with singer Jessie Ware and DJ Annie Mac in a charity-led campaign calling on parents to become LGBT+ allies and tackle homophobic language in primary schools. READ MORE: Trump administration scrap suicide helpline for LGBTQ+ youths in 'devastating' move Speaking about the importance of School Diversity Week, Laura Mackay, chief executive of Just Like Us, commented: "School Diversity Week is an opportunity for school communities to come together and celebrate the differences that make us all special. "LGBT+ young people still face significant barriers at school, at home and in the wider world, but each school that celebrates and prioritises LGBT+ inclusion shows them that they are valued, seen and safe. "We are so grateful to our patron Jonathan Bailey for taking such a strong stance on supporting LGBT+ young people and improving inclusion in schools, and also to every educator who is making sure that pupils have a supportive environment in which to learn, both during School Diversity Week and all year round." This annual celebration of diversity in education is set to take place from June 23 until June 27.
North Wales Chronicle
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Jonathan Bailey ‘so proud' to support LGBT diversity week in UK schools
The initiative, launched by the LGBT+ young people's charity Just Like Us, is an annual celebration of LGBT+ equality, running from June 23-27 in primary and secondary schools across the UK. The 37-year old actor and patron to the charity, who has previously been open about his own sexuality and experience coming out, has said that he wished he had a similar initiative while he was at school. Bailey said: 'School Diversity Week is an incredible initiative that creates the inclusive environment every young person deserves. 'Growing up, I wish I had something like School Diversity Week to let me know it was OK to be myself. 'I would have loved to see LGBT+ inclusion celebrated in schools – it would have made such a difference in feeling seen, supported, and accepted. 'This week gives pupils the chance to learn, have fun, and embrace diversity, helping to build a future where all young people can be themselves without fear. I'm so proud to support Just Like Us in making that a reality. 'Thank you to every school, every teacher and pupil taking part because you are helping make the world a brighter and more joyful place for all LGBT+ young people and their friends.' Bailey is also known for starring alongside pop star Ariana Grande and singer Cynthia Erivo in the film adaptation of the musical Wicked, playing the charming Prince Fiyero. He added: 'I am immensely proud to be in a position to support Just Like Us and increase the volume and awareness of what they're setting out to achieve, which I think is incredibly important. 'Children deserve the right to feel acknowledged and supported in who they are at such a vital time in their lives.' The star previously joined the likes of singer Jessie Ware and DJ Annie Mac to back a campaign launched by the charity that urged parents to become LGBT+ allies and help combat homophobic language in primary schools. Laura Mackay, chief executive of Just Like Us, said: 'School Diversity Week is an opportunity for school communities to come together and celebrate the differences that make us all special. 'LGBT+ young people still face significant barriers at school, at home and in the wider world, but each school that celebrates and prioritises LGBT+ inclusion shows them that they are valued, seen and safe. 'We are so grateful to our patron Jonathan Bailey for taking such a strong stance on supporting LGBT+ young people and improving inclusion in schools, and also to every educator who is making sure that pupils have a supportive environment in which to learn, both during School Diversity Week and all year round.' School Diversity Week runs from June 23 until 27.
