Friday May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).

Around the world a range of events will be held to send a clear message that homophobia and transphobia have no place in our lives.

Friday 17 May also marks a year to the day that my...

Farewell LGBT History Month 2013 - how quickly it seemed to pass. I must confess that I have always held certain reservations about these themed days, weeks and months, especially when applied to educational settings. I would much rather see schools be required to offer fully embedded inclusive curriculums representing...

Stories have always played an important part in my life, from my Father reading me Bible stories as a child, to enacting stories as an actor and as more recently as a teacher exploiting the power of stories to develop the speaking and listening skills, imagination, empathy and vocabulary of...

Goodness me, this has been an interesting few weeks.....

Waking up at 3am on a Sunday morning to find a message from an ex-pupil congratulating me on entering the Independent on Sunday Pink List was an unexpected experience, as was reading that I was 'much nominated' and that pupils had...

One of the great privileges in undertaking my work in tackling homophobia in schools is that it brings me into contact with a wide range of people, from school staff and governors, parents and children to ex pupils, ministers and the odd 'celeb'.

Recently I delivered a presentation at the...

Just before the school Summer holidays I attended a training course for teachers in South London. During the the lunch break I was approached by a female teacher in her mid 40s.

'Are you Shaun Dellenty?' she enquired with a slight reddening of the neck.

'Yes I am' I replied...

I was on an unusually quiet London Underground train last week, when I overheard the following conversation between a smartly dressed young lady and her beau:

'Did you see that gay Olympian?' she asked, 'he's quite fit'

'No' her beau replied and after a couple of beats added;

'I don't...

This week, a journalist in a popular newspaper used the word 'gay' in a manner that reinforced negative connotations; yet again I was reminded me that there is still a long way to go in ending the use of the word gay as a pejorative term.

The use of...

Recently I was speaking to a Newly Qualified Teacher, who expressed surprise that all schools are not tackling homophobic bullying; she asked me why some head-teachers are 'dragging their heels' over something that potentially affects all pupils.

Up to now there has been no strategic national approach to staff development...

Way back in 2004 an Institute of Education research document found that "homophobia is evident in schools in a number of forms - from the use of inappropriate language, to serious physical violence". If this was so clearly evident way back in 2004, why is the issue only just creeping...