Homophobic abuse: schools must do more

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/23/homophobic-abuse-schools-must-do-more

Version 0 of 1.

Your piece on the bullying of LGBT people (Alert over rural LGBT hate crimes, 23 June) reminded me vividly of my own experiences. These included shouted abuse in the street, hammering on the front door, intrusion into our property, staring into the window and ugly phone calls. Our tormentors succeeded in intimidating us. We lived in a state of apprehension and worry. Every time we went out or took a holiday, we wondered whether there would be another broken window. The sad thing about all this was that all of our abusers were young people – often very young children. Where did they acquire this hatred?

After trying to reason with them – without success – we eventually discovered how to counterattack our oppressors. We threatened to photograph them and take the photos to the police; by this time there were laws to prosecute hate-mongers. And we had a CCTV system installed with prominent warnings. This worked immediately. Since then, we haven’t had a single malicious experience. But of course this hasn’t changed the mindset of our abusers. Schools could do more to tackle homophobia, but teachers are terrified that they might be labelled as gay. Perhaps parents and the media have scared children with tales of paedophiles. Whatever the cause, it’s clear that the lives of many young people have been blighted by a deep aversion against LGBT people. What a way to live your childhood.Maurice GeorgeOrmskirk, Lancashire