Hollywood actor Sir Ian McKellen has backed a groundbreaking anti-hate project by a group of gay and lesbian Merseyside teenagers which is being rolled out to 100 schools and youth centres across Liverpool.
The star of Lord of the Rings and X-Men has given his support to Project Triangle, a social justice scheme devised and led by Homotopia, Liverpool’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) arts and cultural organisation. A group of 10 LGBT teenagers from Liverpool and Knowsley travelled to Auschwitz -Birkenau to see first hand the effects of hate crime.
Their trip, funded by Government Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF) grant, has been turned into a documentary and education pack to inform young people about homophobic bullying and hate crime, and the parallels with other forms of discrimination and prejudice.
Liverpool's Integrated Youth and Play Service is also backing the pack, rolling it out to more than 20,000 young people.
Sir Ian McKellen said: “I fully support Homotopia’s determination to tackle the violence which defaces the reputation of Liverpool as a friendly, inclusive community.
"Homophobia, in all its manifestations, should always be challenged.
"We are all different, thank goodness: we all deserve to be treated equally with respect.”
Project Triangle was developed in partnership with Merseyside Police, the Armistead Centre, GYRO (Gay Youth R Out) and Mersey Fire and Rescue Service. A documentary of the trip accompanied by a teacher’s resource aimed at Key Stage 3 has been produced by Homotopia and its partners and is now in use across the Liverpool Youth Service.
The project has also been endorsed by the national executive of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Healthy Schools initiative. The young people recently held a black tie premiere for the film at Knotty Ash Community Centre.
YOF is part of the Government’s Aiming High for Young People strategy from the Department for Children, Schools and Families to provide positive activities for young people at times when they most want and need them. Several of the young people’s travel costs for the trip were funded by YOF.
Gary Everett, Director of Homotopia, added: “It’s great news that Ian McKellen has recognised our commitment to challenging homophobia and hate crime.
"He is only one of a few leading actors who are brave enough to be open about their sexuality, which even in 2010, still causes anguish and uncertainty for many in the public eye.”
Experience shows that young people are more likely to get involved in positive activities when they have a say in what is available, and that taking part helps them to learn new skills, as well as divert them from behaviour that might be considered by the wider community as anti-social.
Councillor Marilyn Fielding, executive member for safer stronger communities said: “This is an extremely powerful scheme which is tackling homophobia head on and challenging the views of the narrow minded minority who discriminate against the gay, lesbian and transgender community.”
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