Emma Thompson slams homophobic bullying as she backs LGBT education campaign
Emma Thompson has spoken out in support of the protection of LGBT+ youth in schools, backing the Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) campaign, which aims to eradicate homophobia and transphobia in the education system.
The actress, known for her roles in An Education and Harry Potter, has described bullies of LGBT+ youth as ‘prehistoric’, stating that “any young person who is indulging in homophobic bullying is a teenage dinosaur”, STV News reports.
TIE reports that over half of youth who identify as LGBT+ are regularly self-harming, with 1 in 4 having attempted suicide. According to the report, 99% of LGBT+ pupils in Scotland are commonly hearing ‘that’s so gay’ within their schools.
Thompson joins a growing list of supporters for the campaign, including CEO of anti-bullying charity Ditch the Label, and transgender model Jai Dará Latto, who recently appeared in Channel 4’s Tattoo Fixers.
“It’s not cool, it’s not intelligent and it’s not attractive. Let the rainbow live. We are all in this together and if you’re young, you know that better than anyone. Get rid of the old, get in with the new – get rid of homophobia,” adds Thompson.
The TIE campaign have stated that they will “continue to campaign until we live in a society where we are no longer required.”
Words: Georgios Hadjimichael
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