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LGBT+ equality

LGBT+ education professionals, pupils and families are vital members of all nursery, school and college communities and of our union.

Every child is entitled to an education that supports the development of their knowledge and skills as well as their personal development towards a healthy adulthood. However, LGBT+ students still face many challenges in education. Education must be inclusive to reduce the barriers and challenges for LGBT+ children and young people and support them to have a sense of belonging and safety in their school.

NEU members at London Pride 2019

LGBT+ inclusion guidance

For members; union reps and officers; heads, senior heads, PHSE and safeguarding leads; school governors/trustees; councillors, local authorities and community leaders.

Read the guidance
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NEU LGBT+ inclusion charter

The NEU LGBT+ charter is a clear, practical, hands-on guide for how educators might initiate work on LGBT+ equality, develop their approach further or add to what they do already.

NEU Pride squares

Pride

The NEU actively takes part in LGBT+ Pride events across the country. Here you can find out how to join other NEU members at Pride events.

Right of trans and non-binary members to self-identify

The NEU remains committed to the important right for people who are trans or non-binary to self-identify.

The NEU recognises trans and non-binary identities and is aware and concerned about the unacceptable levels of discrimination faced by trans and non-binary staff in workplaces and within society. The NEU provides information and advice for all members to use, around LGBT+ inclusion, on how to develop inclusive approaches in schools and colleges, viewing a representative curriculum as central.

The Union’s democratic decisions place this important Union work within a wider agenda of challenging sexism and sex discrimination, and challenging homophobia and stereotypical attitudes about men and women.

The Union believes in the power of education to empower children and young people to identify stereotypes and develop positive attitudes.

Draft DfE guidance for supporting trans children

The Department for Education has released guidance on gender-questioning children that is currently out for consultation. The Union is working on a response to this consultation.

It is important to emphasise that:

  • This guidance is draft out for consultation – there is no need to change any existing policies in reaction to the draft guidance
  • This guidance will be non-statutory and act as a guide for schools.

The Union has some concerns about the guidance.

  • We believe this guidance will make it harder for schools to successfully meet the requirement under the Equality Act 2010, which is a responsibility to promote LGBT+ equality.
  • The NEU thinks that it is not compatible with the DFE Keeping Children Safe in Education, which is statutory.
  • It doesn’t draw on the Teachers’ Standards, which require all teachers to contribute to equitable and inclusive learning environments.

On this basis, we will be completing our response to the consultation to ask the DFE to engage more fully with the education unions.

We encourage members to complete the consultation themselves, in your own words, reflecting on your professional experience and best practice in your settings. 

Complete the consultation

The deadline for the consultation is Tuesday 12th March. The NEU has a LGBT+ inclusion charter to enable education settings to evaluate how their LGBT+ staff members and LGBT+ young people feel in school; what their experiences are; and what barriers exist which all staff need to better understand. 

The NEU has guidance on this issue which has been provided to support schools to meet the learning needs of children and young people:

Advice and guidance

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Sexual orientation discrimination

All teachers and educational professionals have specific protection from discrimination at work on grounds of sexual orientation and civil partnership under the Equality Act 2010.

Transgender flag made with coloured chalk

Transgender discrimination

All trans teachers and educational professionals have specific protection from discrimination at work on grounds of sex and transgender status under the Equality Act 2010, as well as from the unlawful disclosure of transgender status.

Teaching resources

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Every child, every family

This resource will help you to promote LGBT+ inclusion through reading. It’s designed to help you include every child and make sure every child has ways to see their family and relatives represented positively in their school.

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