"Parada LGBT de Nova Iorque marca os 50 anos de da Rebelião Stonewall" by Brasil de Fato is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Nearly £4 million in government funding for educational LGBT bullying programmes in schools has quietly been cut, say LGBT activist groups.

The news comes as a blow to many on the cusp of Anti-Bullying Week 2020 and the anniversary of Section 28’s repeal, with ministers acknowledging that “LGBT youth face more hardships than ever at school in 2020,” the BBC reported.

‘We are committed to tackling it.’

The Government Equalities office published an LGBT Action Plan in July of 2018 after the shocking results of the 2017 National Survey of LGBT People were released to the public.

The survey received more than 108,000 responses, with 21% of respondents currently in education reporting experiencing a negative reaction involving someone “revealing their LGBT identity without their permission” and 19% as being a direct target of “verbal harassment, insults or other hurtful comments.”

The Government’s preceding action plan outlined their commitments to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in England and Wales by establishing a £4.5 million ‘LGBT Implementation Fund’. This went on to successfully provide over 1200 schools with educational programmes to support both students and teachers in tackling the ongoing bullying of LGBT individuals in their communities.

‘Lifelong Effects’

Homophobic tendencies are most likely to develop in school children, and could lead to physical violence in adulthood if formal LGBT education is not accessible, ministers have been warned. The news comes just a year after two 28-year-old lesbian women on a London bus were targeted in a brutal attack for their sexuality and left needing hospital treatment.

Drag performer Divina De Campo, 35, of West Yorkshire, became a voice for LGBT youth going through bullying after they spoke out about their own experiences in a 2019 interview with the BBC.

"The teachers felt like they couldn't talk about it. Nothing was said about gay people at all."

They went on to describe the long-term effects bullying had on their life after leaving school: "I'm constantly worried that people don't like me or that they're making fun of me. And I always carry with me the idea that I'm not good enough, that there’s something wrong with me."

Similarly, Twitter user Ashley N was vocal about his views on the long-term effects of the decision to axe funding: “This is abhorrent. It's 10 years since I left school. I'm still affected by the bullying I experienced throughout my school years. LGBTQ children need and deserve to be protected.”

‘Celebrating differences’

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson released a statement via twitter regarding Anti-Bullying week following the news: “I want children to be able to celebrate their differences.”

“Working together, we can make sure every child grows up feeling confident and free to be themselves.”

However a recent report from Diversity Role Models, an organisation committed to providing inclusive education services in schools, shows that only “27% of secondary school students say their school would be safe for LGBT+ individuals to ‘come out’.”

Clare Balding, patron of Diversity Role Models, said: “The figures suggest that LGBT+ pupils or those from LGBT+ families may not feel safe at school.”

“Many may think it’s not a problem if something negative is described as ‘gay’ but the micro-aggressions add up and the negative connotations build.”

“This report is crucial in finding a way forward because the answer lies in education, language and behaviour.”

The Government Equalities Office stated: "The anti-bullying grant fund, which provided 2,250 schools across the country with materials and training, was always due to end in March 2020."

However, this will be the first time since the funding was announced in 2014 that it will not be extended.