Education Minister to Speak at History Month Launch

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Education Kevin Brennan will be a keynote speaker at the pre-launch of LGBT History Month 2009. The pre-launch is held every November, to encourage organisations to start planning community events for LGBT History Month itself, the following February.

Last year's key speakers at the event were Baroness Scotland, the Attorney General, and Barbara Follett, the then Minister for Equality. The presence of both highlighted the generous and continuous support provided to the Month by several government bodies, such as the Ministry for Justice, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Metropolitan Police Service and Metropolitan Police Authority, and the Department of Health. This is the first time however that the education department gives such open and outright support to the Month, which could become a highly efficient tool for schools to tackle homophobia and transphobia in the classroom.

The focus this year will be on education and youth and the event will be held at Stoke Newington School in Hackney. The school was one of the first to embrace LGBT History Month into its calendar and has shared its pioneering ideas in a report on the LGBT History Month website.

Tony Fenwick, co-chair, of Schools OUT and History Month said: "We are delighted that the Department for Children, Schools and Family is taking transphobic and homophobic bullying seriously. It looks like they are going to tackle the challenge."

Annie Gammon, the head of Stoke Newington School, declared herself "delighted to be hosting this vital and exciting event.”

During this year's edition of History Month, at the Schools OUT conference, Kevin Brennan has committed the government to eradicating homophobic bullying from British schools.

Originally published on 5 July 2008