he UK government’s new guidance restricting teachers from encouraging trans young people to explore and understand their identity feels like a deeply worrying step backwards.
As a gay man who grew up under Section 28, it feels painfully familiar. Back then, teachers were effectively prevented from talking positively about LGBTQ+ lives. The message many of us received was clear: stay quiet, stay invisible, and don’t ask questions about who you are.
We know what happens when young people are denied language, support, and representation. Shame grows in the silence. Confusion becomes isolation. Many of us are still unpacking the impact of those experiences decades later.
That’s why it makes me both sad and angry to see echoes of that same approach returning today. Trans young people deserve understanding, support, and the opportunity to explore their identity in a safe and affirming environment, not more silence and fear.
I find it particularly disappointing that this is happening under a Prime Minister who once built his career around human rights.
We should have learned from Section 28, not be repeating it.
