The 'Normal' Test Is Not On The Syllabus

FEBRUARY is lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) history month. It has been celebrated in the UK since 1997 [2005 actually - NOTP] and is based on the premise that, in order to understand the present and the future, the past must first be understood.

In many ways, the month is a celebration of the progression of gay rights over the past 30 years, from the eventual legalisation of sex between two adult men in Scotland in 1980, to the repeal of Section 28 in 2000 in Scotland (2003 in the rest of the UK). In theory, British society is approaching a stage where everyone is treated equally, regardless of their sexual orientation.

However, the harsh reality is that prejudice is a day-to-day fact of life for many LGBT people: particularly young people. The challenge for education establishments is to support those students who may be struggling to come to terms with their sexuality, or who may be victimised because of it. There is also the arguably greater challenge of educating the rest of the student body in order to tackle ignorance and prejudice.

Read the full article in the Scotsman here.