Young people and staff across Keys Group have recently celebrated LGBT History Month which takes place throughout February. This year’s theme focused on “behind the lens” and celebrates LGBT+ contributions and lived experiences across TV, film, and literature.
As a company striving to be more inclusive, we spoke to staff and young people to find out how they celebrated and received a fantastic response. We enjoyed hearing what everyone had to say, not only from a professional perspective but from a personal perspective too.
New Ways School:
New Ways School, in Birmingham, has recently completed their journey to become a Rainbow Flag school. The award focuses on positive inclusion of the LGBT+ community and it is a whole school inclusive approach that also develops strategies to effectively challenge phobic bullying.
This supports students and staff by:
- Acknowledging that it is usual to have families of different dynamics;
- Acknowledging that it is usual to be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or trans;
- Avoiding the prejudiced use of stereotypes;
- Helps develop confidence/reassurance to be who they want to be;
- Empowering the students and staff to feel safe in our school community;
- School policies have adopted a more inclusive approach to all minority groups.
Usualising our family by Caroline.Howard-Lewis
Caroline Howard-Lewis, Integration Manager at Keys, gave us an insight into her and her partner’s life navigating as a couple in the world of parenting.
“Nowadays with two preschool children, I often feel like I’m an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community rather than part of it. The PRIDE season comes around and I remember that me and my family are still deemed as ‘other,’ meaning that we’re not what most people expect when they first meet us.
Coming out isn’t a one-time process. It intensifies once you have children because when you talk about having children the initial assumption is that you are straight and not in a same-sex relationship. You are immediately put in the ‘straight box’.
Before you are a parent, you can in certain circumstances not “come out,” but once you have children this changes. Mostly, we’re not that different to any other parents and I have the same worries for my children. Do I worry they might be bullied because their parents are gay? Of course, I do, but I also worry about a lot of the same things other parents do.
Our children learn by copying what they see, and so I model being unashamedly proud of us. It isn’t about everyone just using inclusive language, it’s about inclusive thought too.
It’s not just my children who have two mummies. Except they don’t. They have a Mummy & a Mama and my 4-year-old will soon tell you if you get it wrong!
Allies can help with this; educate yourself, build a diverse bookshelf for your children, answer their questions with honesty and empathy, and don’t shy away from difficult conversations. Let them know that families like ours have been usualised – we don’t need to be normalised – we are already normal.”
LGBTQA+ in Asia and Middle Eastern countries by Residential Support Worker Sujitha
“As you may know, transgender and same-sex marriages are not condoned in Islam and are a punishable act under the Shariah Law in many Asian and Middle Eastern countries, making it difficult for LGBT+ individuals to be open and live their lives freely. This is why learning that there is an LGBTQA+ Mosque in Islington called Inclusive Mosque is amazing.
Find out more at https://inclusivemosque.org/about/
I welcome you all to have a look at their values and ethos because having a space like this available for someone who identifies as a different gender or has a preference for the same sex, is Muslim and takes part in Islamic tradition without judgement is everything.”
LGBT+ Film, TV & Literature recommendations:
- Heartbreaker – Netflix
- Disclosure – Netflix
- It’s A Sin – 4OD
- Skye Falling – Mia McKenzie
- Girl, Woman, Other- Bernadine Evaristo
- We Want What We Want – Alix Ohlin
- National laws criminalizing same-sex relations – https://internap.hrw.org/features/features/lgbt_laws/.
- Map of Countries that Criminalise LGBT People – https://www.humandignitytrust.org/lgbt-the-law/map-of-criminalisation/
