Schools must support drag queen story time and create LGBT+ safe spaces in schools, a teaching union has voted.
One teacher told the National Education Union conference that Rishi Sunak was encouraging hate and abuse with his opposition to changes in gender recognition laws in Scotland.
The union supported a motion that said it was its educational duty to encourage all schools to set up LGBT+ spaces to challenge the homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in schools.
It also said that: “Initiatives like drag queen story time and inviting LGBT+ authors into schools can help challenge the heteronormative culture and curriculum that dominates education.”
It vowed publicly to support initiatives such as drag queen story time to develop a more inclusive atmosphere in schools and also to create more inclusive resources.
This included drawing up a guidance booklet on how to set up an LGBT+ space or lunch club so that more schools participate, and these spaces become normalised.
Teachers said that many pupils went through school experiencing little or no LGBT+ inclusive education. The motion added that giving a voice to trans pupils was more important than ever in the current climate.
Shelby Millard, a teacher from Sutton, southwest London, who spoke during the debate, said: “The fact that Rishi Sunak has used section 35 to stop the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Act is sickening.
“He is supporting the far right attacks on drag queen story time. He is saying hate and abuse is fine. We won’t stand for this.”
Kacey de Groot, a drama teacher, said an LGBT+ inclusion charter was being published shortly and urged teachers to take it into their schools.,
An amendment successfully added to the motion said the government was creating a hostile environment for trans people through the use of Section 35 to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.
It said: “This has encouraged the far right to organise further attacks on drag queen story time and has created an atmosphere where hate crime can thrive.” It said materials in schools should include specific reference to the experience of trans and non-binary students.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Empowering all young people to develop positive attitudes from their time at school is essential — especially at a time when young people are targeted online with intolerant and divisive ideas from figures like Andrew Tate.
“The NEU is committed to sharing and disseminating teaching resources and strategies to help members support success and positive school experiences for all LGBT+ students, including trans and non-binary students.
“The government is seriously failing to support trans people which means the creation of LGBT+ spaces and networks in schools and colleges is now more necessary.”
No 10 said of the comments about Sunak: “We took action on this bill because it has real implications for how these issues are treated on a UK-wide basis. This includes impacting single-sex spaces and services and the creation of two-gender recognition regimes in the UK.
“We have a long-established UK-wide equality framework that protects everyone — including transgender people — from discrimination, harassment and victimisation and advances equal opportunity for all.”