Hormones

This evening I went to see the film, Blue Jean. It's a film open to different perspectives; mine was that I came out worrying about allyship.

I was around and angry in 1988 when the Thatcher government passed the oppressive Section 28 law which ruled that local authorities "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".

I'd taught in college and school classrooms and it was totally obvious to me that people cannot learn effectively if they are attacked for who they are. As well as undermining and frightening people, this legislation meant that funding for all sorts of important initiatives in education and the arts was cut. I was completely opposed to it but until this evening I hadn't taken on board quite what an assault it was on gay people working in education. For me it was another political battle (of which there were very many in the 80s) but for a gay teacher it became impossible to be both true to who you were and keep your job. I think I appreciate the film most for that humbling insight.

The parallel with now is the widespread public and governmental assault on trans people and I've come out wondering how I can be a more useful ally this time round.


Black and white in colour 265