The LGBT network is open to all those who self-define as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans. We have time to meet and discuss our campaign amongst ourselves at all Labour Students national events, and we also hold an LGBT Conference.

There are currently very few legislative barriers to LGBT equality and this is because of the phenomenal work of the Labour Government. Already, we have made more progress in this government than any government before. Labour has:

• introduced civil partnerships, in which same-sex couples are granted the same rights as a married couple
• equalised the age of consent
• brought in workplace rights against homophobic and transphobic discrimination
• repealed Section 28 - which sounds really simple, but actually reversed a law of the Thatcher Government which made sure that LGBT lifestyles were taught as an 'unnatural' way of life
• granted adoption rights for same-sex couples
• made it illegal to refuse access to goods and services to someone because of their sexuality
• taken through the Gender Recognition Act, which provides trans people with legal recognition in their acquired gender

Nevertheless, even though the LGBT community has increasingly been given more equality, unfairness still exists:

• Only 6% of schools have any policy which specifically addresses homophobia as a form of bullying which requires attention, reporting and measures to mitigate the effect of it
• Tthere is no guidance to remove the legacy of Section 28, and many schools operate as if it were still in effect

Labour Students' LGBT Campaign believes that as long as discrimination still exists, we will continue to campaign for true liberation and equality for all LGBT people. Therefore, we call on the Government to introduce a national education framework which shows LGBT people as a core part of our society, allowing teachers to see how Section 28 has been repealed and giving guidance on how to teach LGBT issues to children, and follow on educational recommendations which show that normalisation is the key to achieving equality.

For more information on any aspect of the LGBT Campaign, e-mail our LGBT Officer, Alan Scobbie, at lgbt@labourstudents.org.uk.