May 24, 2023
Just Like Us Pride Collaboration
Pride is an important month for people all over the world; a chance to celebrate LGBTQIA+ culture and the queer community openly and joyously. That's why our next collection will be in collaboration with Just Like Us.
For this collection, 20% of net profits will be donated to Just Like Us to help the LGBTQIA+ community thrive.
To shine some light on the subject, we had a chat with Just Like Us to discuss the problems younger people are facing in the LGBTQIA+ community...
1) Who Are Just Like Us?
Just Like Us is the LGBT+ young people’s charity in the UK. Our vision is of a world where LGBT+ young people can thrive to champion LGBT+ equality and inclusion in schools UK wide. We work with thousands of primary and secondary schools every year to support them to become more LGBT+ inclusive places. We have established three main programmes that are designed to significantly improve the lives of LGBT+ young people. Our Ambassador Programme supports LGBT+ young people aged 18 to 25 year olds to deliver school talks which champion LGBT+ inclusion and tackles anti-LGBT+ bullying. Our Pride Groups programme trains school staff to support their LGBT+ pupils to set up and run student-led LGBT+ and ally groups. School Diversity Week is the annual UK-wide celebration of LGBT+ equality in schools. As of 2022, 4,950 schools (representing 3.5 million pupils) have taken part. Just Like Us set up and runs the event, providing schools with free resources, all sending a clear message that being LGBT+ is something to be celebrated.
2) What are the problems young people are facing?
Key findings from our 2021 report states:
- LGBT+ young people are three times more likely to self-harm and twice as likely to have depression, anxiety and panic attacks, as well as to be lonely and worry about their mental health on a daily basis.
- LGBT+ pupils are twice as likely to be bullied (43% compared to 21% of their non-LGBT+ peers). 1 in 5 (18%) LGBT+ young people haven’t told anyone they’ve been bullied and just 21% told a teacher at school.
- LGBT+ pupils feel far less safe at school. Only 58% of LGBT+ pupils have felt safe at school on a daily basis in the past 12 months, compared to 73% of non-LGBT+ pupils.
- 48% of pupils have had little to zero positive messaging about being LGBT+ at school in the last 12 months.
- 91% of LGBT+ young people have heard negative language about being LGBT+ in the past year
- 1 in 4 (25%) LGBT+ young people are facing daily tension at home, compared to 15% of non-LGBT+ young people.
- 1 in 5 LGBT+ pupils (19%) are either unsure or do not think their school or college would be supportive of them coming out
The full report can be found here.
3) What can we do to support the LGBTQIA+ community?
If you would like to join our Ambassador Program to champion LGBT+ equality and inclusion in schools UK-wide, Click here. To sign up as an ambassador you have to be LGBT+ and aged 18-25. Once trained, ambassadors deliver school talks to thousands of pupils every year, acting as positive role models to LGBT+ young people and encouraging non-LGBT+ young people to become effective allies.
Just Like Us are proud to say that 276 schools across the UK now have Pride Groups, each supporting around 10 or more LGBT+ and ally young people. That means around 2,760 young people have a safe place to go in school where they can be themselves.
You can also keep updated on our work, new projects and access exclusive feedback on our impact, by signing up for our newsletter. Together we can help stop anti-LGBT+ bullying, ensure all UK schools are delivering LGBT+ inclusive education, and create a more positive and hopeful future for LGBT+ young people.
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