The UK government has cut funding to projects aimed at tackling the bullying of queer kids, reports the BBC. Correspondent Ben Hunte revealed that the government made the decision to cut funding last March, contradicting an earlier pledge to tackle the problem, which it acknowledged causes a disproportionate level of harm to LGBTQ+ youth.
In the report, Hunte speaks to the father of a bullied gay teen, who describes the decision as “a disaster” and argues that the projects are definitely needed, because the schools “just don’t have the money or skills to do it themselves”.
Anti-queer bullying remains a big problem in Britain’s schools. According to Stonewall’s most recent school report, almost half of queer pupils face bullying in schools as a result of their identity. This number shoots up to 65% for trans kids, with two out of five people in this demographic having attempted to commit suicide often as a result of bullying and lack of support.