European LGBT communities face barriers and bullying

A European study by Sheffield Hallam University into the barriers and bullying faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) young people in education and employment has been launched at the European Parliament in Brussels by MEP Michael Cashman.

The West Midlands MEP – Labour’s human rights spokesman in Brussels – said more needs to be done to end bullying at the launch of the new Sheffield Hallam-authored report from the International LGBTQ Youth and Student Organisation in partnership with the Intergroup on LGBT Rights and the Intergroup on Youth.

The study of LGBT people aged 15 to 38 from Croatia, Denmark, the Republic of Ireland, Italy and Poland found 73 per cent had experienced name-calling whilst at school and one in three had considered suicide as a result of homophobia in schools.

Some of those questioned had managed to overcome the bullies and were more motivated to achieve success in their careers.

The study was commissioned by IGLYO, a Brussels-based international NGO, and carried out by Eleanor Formby from Sheffield Hallam’s Centre for Education and Inclusion Research.

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