So why then do so many parents make the damaging assumption that their children will be heterosexual and cisgender? And why do some parents – albeit a minority – think that talking about LGBTQIA+ inclusion in school isn’t completely vital to children’s happiness?

Let’s look at the evidence. 

LGBTQIA+ children are twice as likely to face depression and experience suicidal thoughts during their childhood. This isn’t because they’re LGBTQIA+, of course, but a result of the environments they grow up in. 

The evidence also shows that LGBTQIA+ inclusion in schools actually benefits all pupils, including those who are not LGBTQIA+. LGBTQIA+ inclusive education, which can be as simple as saying “LGBTQIA+ people exist” and “some people have two mums or two dads”, makes young people happier. In fact, independent research by Just Like Us found that all pupils who learn about LGBTQIA+ topics are less likely to face depression and, even, less likely to have suicidal thoughts. That’s why the charity runs School Diversity Week, a celebration of LGBTQIA+ inclusion in schools, every year.

While we know the majority of parents are already supportive of LGBTQIA+ inclusive education in schools, there are some who are reluctant to get on board, even with something that can actually make their children happier. 

Unsurprisingly, this refusal often stems from an increasing climate of fear. 

In the past few years, the UK media has fallen into a dystopian frenzy and politicians have tied themselves in knots over a fabricated culture war that’s “anti-woke” and anti-trans, all while turning a blind eye to austerity, crumbling school buildings, climate change, an NHS close to breaking point, and more. 

This obsession with stopping LGBTQIA+ young people from having their voices heard and living their lives freely, safely and happily has even gone so far as to become a point-scoring battle in the run up to the election. Trans young people have never been spoken about so much by politicians, but most of the rhetoric is negative, punitive and rarely constructive.