Trans campaigners Fox Fisher and Owl have spoken out about their dismal experiences of sex and relationships education (SRE) at school in a bid to make the lessons compulsory and LGBT+ inclusive.
The non-binary couple, who do not identify as male or female, are due to speak at National Student Pride’s annual event this weekend. They are backing the organisation’s call for the government to improve SRE.
Under current government guidelines, it is not mandatory for schools to teach children about non-heterosexual sex and relationships.
“Sex education was just so crap, it just taught you: ‘Use a condom, or else you get pregnant and then you die’,” Owl said.
But an amendment to the Children and Social Work bill, due to be voted on by MPs later this month, would see age appropriate, LGBT+ inclusive and religiously diverse SRE made compulsory for all teens.
Fox and Owl believe that changes could improve the lives of thousands of young LGBT+ people.
“If it [LGBT+ SRE] was talked about in schools, it could prevent so many things,” Owl said.
“It could prevent bullying, it could prevent self-hate, self-harm.”
Fox, who appeared in Channel 4’s My Transsexual Summer, added: “A lot of bullying comes out of ignorance.”
“I think a lot of bullying can be sorted, perhaps in the school system, if they were a little more understanding of LGBT+ issues and promoted them in school actively and said: ‘Actually, this is one of the variations you can define as’.”
National Student Pride’s theme this year is sexual education.
The organisation, which aims to provide a safe space for LGBT+ young people, is calling on education secretary Justine Greening to make SRE inclusive of “all narratives”, including safe same sex, body image and consent.
Communications director Jamie Wareham told The Huffington Post UK: “I’m so fed up hearing stories about how bad people’s sex education is. Young people want it to be better, and they deserve it.
“It’s more than an education issue - it’s a health issue. Good sex education prepares people to have safe and consensual sex that empowers them.”
For more information about Student Pride’s event, due to take place 24-26 February in London, visit studentpride.co.uk.