■ Michael Cashman MEP: “It is unacceptable in this day and age, when we have absolute equality under British law”.

BRUSSELS, November 28, 2007  –  West Midlands MEP Michael Cashman, the president of the European Parliament’s all-party ‘Intergroup’ on gay and lesbian rights, has reacted strongly to the report on Monday of an instance of homophobic bullying suffered by gay pupils at an independent school.

“Enough is enough,” he said in Brussels this morning.

“It is time for school headmasters to come together and take strong, unequivocal action to protect not just some but all of their students,” he insisted.

Last year, the Intergroup, in partnership with ILGA-Europe and with the International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organisation, tabled a written declaration on combating homophobic bullying in schools.

“Whilst the declaration itself wasn’t adopted, it was signed by over 200 MEPs highlighting that there is a concern even at European level about the levels of bullying LGBT students have to endure in our schools,” Mr. Cashman said.

“It is unacceptable in this day and age, when we have absolute equality under British law, that the reality is that LGBT students are left to foot the bill for the Tory’s ‘Section 28’ legacy.”

The school where the latest instance of homophobic bullying came from, reacted immediately on learning on Monday of the problem, reported in desperation to UK Gay News by a gay pupil.

“It is not acceptable,” the head master said, pledging to correct the matter.

A spokesperson at the Department for Children, Schools and Families said that the recent guidelines on homophobic bullying publish by the Government applied to state schools, though the independent sector were encouraged to use them.

After Monday’s report was published, UK Gay News has received a report alleging that a school in South West England expelled three gay pupils, who were subjected to homophobic bullying, just before an OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) inspection.

The head teacher is said to have “outed” the pupils to their parents, resulting in two of the teenagers being thrown out of home.

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Posted: 28 November 2007 at 15:30 (UK time)