Stonewall December Newsletter

Dear Supporter,  A message from Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive Last month we launched a new campaign with Will Young and Mumsnet to tackle homophobic language in Britain’s schools. The campaign, devised by young people, is in response to research conducted for us by the University of Cambridge that showed that 99 per cent of gay young people still regularly hear phrases like ‘that’s so gay’ and that 84 per cent of those young people are distressed by it.   We know that homophobic language has a devastating impact on gay young people’s self-esteem.  With your support, we’ve already been able to send our resources to over half of all secondary schools in Britain. But we know there’s still much more to do. We want to ensure that every secondary school can access our posters and new guidance for teachers and young people. You can help us make this possible: Make a donation – just £5 allows Stonewall to send these materials to a secondary school, ensuring that hundreds of pupils understand why it’s wrong to say ‘that’s so gay’. Simply text GAY to 70500 to donate £5 or click here to donate online. Buy a ‘Gay. Let’s Get The Meaning Straight’ t-shirt to show your support to young people.   Take action to help tackle homophobic language in your local school or workplace. Find out how by visiting our website.  Since we launched the campaign we’ve received cross-party support and commitments from schools up and down the country to tackle the problem. With your support we’ll be able to turn those commitments into real action so we can realise our ambition that every single child in Britain should be able to reach their full potential – regardless of their sexual orientation. With best wishes, P.S. There are still 20 days until Christmas – which means plenty of time to finish your shopping. If you’re shopping online please consider using EasyFundraising which donates a percentage of your purchase to charity at no extra cost to you. And of course, don’t forget to visit www.stonewall.org.uk/shop for lots of gift ideas! News Train the trainer to tackle homophobic bullying                                         In September, we piloted a new training programme for primary and secondary school teachers: Train the Trainer. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and we are delighted to announce the programme will be coming to a city near you in 2014. Our Train the Trainer courses provide pastoral, PSHE and anti-bullying leads with all they need to train other staff in their schools to tackle homophobic bullying and celebrate difference. We will hold these courses all over the country to empower school staff - for more information visit our website. Hate Crime No-one should live in fear of verbal or physical abuse just because of the way they were born. Yet our research into homophobic Hate Crime shows that one in six lesbian, gay and bisexual people have experienced hate crime over the last three years. Gay people still suffer abuse - verbal insults, harassment and physical assault - from strangers, neighbours, workmates and even family. Much more needs to be done to end homophobic hate crime once and for all. Help us stamp out hate crime once and for all. Go to ourwebsite to make a donation today. Stonewall's Flagship Workplace Conference returns Booking is now open for Stonewall's 2014 Workplace Conference in London. The conference, supported by Barclays, is the must-attend event for Diversity Champions and HR professionals and will give you the tools you need to stay at the forefront of best practice in sexual orientation equality and diversity. Taking place on 11 April at London's QEII Conference Centre highlights include brand new topics such as service delivery, empowering line managers and global network groups. New themed sessions cover introductory, practical, innovation, inspirational and global content. To view the full programme and book your place, visit our website. Scotland Marriage Update  On 20 November the Scottish Parliament said an overwhelming 'I Do' to the principles of the Marriage and Civil Partnerships (Scotland) Bill with 98 MSPs voting in favour. There were 15 who voted no and 5 abstentions. Although we are heartened by the size of the vote at Stage One there is a tremendous amount of work still to do to make sure no wrecking amendments make their way into the Bill at Stage Two.  Opponents of the Bill want to see opt-outs for teachers from discussing equal marriage and same-sex relationships in Scotland’s classrooms. If successful, such amendments will see a return to the days of Section 2A in Scotland. We need your help to ensure this doesn’t happen and that we keep up the pressure on MSPs to see as a big a majority as possible at the final vote of the Bill which we predict will happen early next year.  To find out more about our work on equal marriage in Scotland visit our website.     Wales Gay. Let’s get over it./ Gay. Mae’n amser delio â’r peth. Stonewall Cymru launched the new anti-homophobic language campaign in Wales. Working with School Champions, three additional posters were specially commissioned challenging the use of the word ‘gay’ in Welsh as well as English. The campaign gained the immediate support of Education Minister Huw Lewis. The First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones went further and told the National Assembly that homophobic language was ‘totally unacceptable’ and that he supported the campaign. Stonewall Cymru’s Diversity Champions got involved in the action. The Chief Executive of Cardiff & Vale University Health Board took to twitter to declare his own support and Dyfed Powys Police reported that the campaign had dominated their social media reach. Events & Fundraising Seasonal Greetings Send friends and family a Stonewall card this year and support our work at the same time. Cards are 10 for £6.50 and feature the iconic ‘Some People are Gay. Get Over It!’ bus. Visit our webshop for these and more great present ideas. Happy New Year Thinking of hosting a New Year’s Eve party? Why not ask friends to donate what they’d normally spend on tickets to a bar or club to Stonewall. Get in touch with Rachel Mann on 020 7593 3477 for more information and ideas.  Stat of the month 51% ... of bisexual women say they have had negative experiences of healthcare in the past year. For more information read Stonewall'sBisexuality Health Briefing.  Book of the Month Big Table, Busy Kitchen  Allegra McEvedy (Quercus £25) ‘She puts the whole world on your table, and keeps you (relatively) healthy while she’s at it.’  - The Economist/ Intelligent Life Support Stonewall at no extra cost by purchasing online through EasyFundraising Social Media Noticeboard Jobs with gay-friendly employers                                                Featured jobs: Senior Developer – Credit Suisse                                                Graduate & Internship Placements – Towers Watson                                                Various Social Care Vacancies – Calderdale Council                                                Share Schemes 2-4 years’ pqe – Slaughter & May                                                Trade Support Officer – Bank of America Merrill Lynch                                                Expenses Project Lead – Freshfields Stonewall is recruiting! Head of Education Visit Proud Employers for hundreds more jobs with Stonewall Diversity Champions across all sectors Stonewall's free Information Service