Conducted by Just Like Us and VotesforSchools, the study shows the importance of LGBTQIA-inclusive education
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY LINDSAY RYKLIEF
A new study by LGBTQIA young people’s charity Just Like Us reveals that 64% of secondary school pupils would not know how to support a friend if they came out as trans or non-binary.
Conducted in conjunction with VotesforSchools, over 28,000 students were asked the question: “Would you know how to support a friend who came out as trans or non-binary?” One second school student from Yorkshire expressed that some of their peer group feel “unsure” about how to support a friend coming out as trans or non-binary because “it’s such a new topic that feels incredibly sensitive”.
In contrast, when the same question was asked to 16+ students, over half said that they would know how to support a friend who came out as trans or non-binary.
Laura Mackay, Chief Executive of Just Like Us, the LGBTQIA young people’s charity, said: “We know that the trans and non-binary young people we work with are deeply affected by the anti-trans climate right now in the UK, and the support of those around them, including their peers, is vital.”
“Though it is encouraging that by the end of their school years, more young people feel equipped to be allies, at Just Like Us we want all young people to have the knowledge and tools to support their trans and non-binary friends in this harsh climate.”
As part of this new research, primary school students were also asked the question: “Do you know what an ally is?” The answer to this question was overwhelmingly positive, with 80% of students understanding the concept of allyship.
One primary school pupil from Yorkshire told Just Like Us: “I know that if I stick up for someone when something wrong is happening I am an ally. We can be a voice for someone else. Telling someone when you see or hear something that is not okay.”
Just Like Us is the LGBTQIA young people’s charity. You can find out more here www.justlikeus.org.
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