“What happened to you?”…“What’s wrong with you?”…”I pity you.”

These are some of the most common questions and statements I receive from both adults and children. And with an inner desperation to prove myself beyond these tropes and stereotypes, I recognise that it shouldn’t be my job to challenge the idea that my body is an open book. A book upon which non-disabled people want to validate or confirm the very real fears about disability.

Now more than ever, people in Hong Kong choose to identify themselves as Hongkongers rather than as Chinese, and it’s a question I often ask myself. What’s the difference?

Diversify your classroom… with our five top tips.

Create an inclusive culture of dignity, human rights and respect. Where everybody is accepted and staff and students are treated fairly and equally.

Now that school leaders can start to look forward to welcoming back all of their young people in September, they should be asking themselves how they can begin making positive strides towards creating a truly inclusive educational environment. For many, this means it’s time to get uncomfortable. As educators we need to be prepared to open the dialogue around diversity and inclusion with our students, arming them with knowledge and an open mind, basically equipping them with the essential tools needed to navigate the complex and diverse world around them.

"We have existed in Britain and been pioneers, inventors, icons. And then colonialism happened, and that has shaped the experiences of black people - but that is not all we are." – Lavinya Stennett, founder of The Black Curriculum

It’s a quote that perfectly sets the tone for this piece, as the urge to raise certain points has become harder to ignore. Within the British education system the rhetoric has pretty much stayed with slavery and its abolition. This has meant that so many, particularly those who are privileged, have not sought to educate themselves further than the lessons the school system has afforded them. As a result the rest of history is largely ignored.

Let’s talk numbers. 45% of LGBT+ pupils and 64% of trans pupils are bullied about their identity in British schools, this is a harsh reality outlined in statistics published by Stonewall, 2 in 5 trans pupils have attempted to take their life, as have 1 in 5 LGB (who aren’t trans) pupils.This illustrates that the society we have created for our children is not accepting of them which has devastating consequences. Every day young people face prejudice, discrimination, violence, poor mental health, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, a lack of positive representation in the media and the list goes on, and on, and on.

Are you listening? Pride matters. Now more than ever.