In September, it became compulsory for schools across England to teach LGBT-inclusive lessons as part of the curriculum. Pupils in secondary schools will now learn about sexual orientation and gender identity while primary schools will share an awareness of different families, such as those with same-sex parents. While the news has been a long time coming for LGBT+ people, it was not without controversy. Last year, parents in Birmingham protested the move saying it was not ‘age-appropriate’ to teach young children about LGBT+ people. A recent survey by research company Kantar found that while the overwhelming majority of people are happy to have gay or bisexual colleagues or neighbours, four in ten people still do not want pupils to be taught about LGBT+ inclusivity. Earlier this week, LGBT+ charity Just Like Us launched a #YoungerMe campaign highlighting the need for inclusive education and positive role models with the community. For many LGBT+ people, such as Rhimano Rangeley, being out at school was never an option and the presumption of being queer always came with bullying. “Being LGBT+ in school was so hard,” Rhimano told the Manchester Evening News . “I experienced a lot of bullying in high school from many people, both from people I knew and people I didn’t.” Rhimano, who is pansexual and trans, said that having LGBT-inclusive education while he was at school would have ‘changed everything’. “I know if I had learned about gender dysphoria, I would have realised that it was something that I was experiencing,” he says. “The more social acceptance there is, the easier it will get as we are starting to actually learn about ourselves within schools.” Drag queen Divina De Campo, who recently appeared as a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, had also experienced bullying at school. “I didn’t experience any issues until I went to high school,” Divina tells the M.E.N. I’ve always been as camp as Christmas, I was as gay as it gets, but high school was when people started calling me gay and queer. Whoever was there in the corridor during every break would be shouting and staying stuff to me – it was consistent.” Divina, whose real name is Owen, went to high school between 1993 and 1999. His sisters also attended school at the same time and remembered how bad things had been. “I know it was a horrible time but I hadn’t really realised the extent of it until recently when I spoke to my sister about it,” she explains. “She said she had a very clear memory of me walking into the dinner hall and the whole place shouting and jeering at me at lunch time. “There were so many adults in the room who did nothing and the school itself took no steps to address any of it because, at the time, if you did then you risked losing your job.” Section 28 became law in May 1998 and was only properly repealed in 2003. Between this time, it was illegal for schools to promote the ‘teaching’ or ‘acceptability’ of homosexuality. “Because of Section 28, I never had the experience of being able to talk openly about being gay with the other kids in school,” Divina adds. “I remember I got through it all because I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I wasn’t going to be around these people forever. “I knew I’d be able to go away and achieve what I wanted. For the few years I was at high school, I could put up with it. “I felt that I’d rather it was me going through this than someone who might not be able to cope as much and would end up hurting themselves, which is what unfortunately happens a lot of the time.” As part of the #YoungerMe campaign, Just Like Me has invited influencers and LGBT+ advocates to share messages with their younger selves. Over the next few months, advocates will also be giving school talks to inspire the next generation to be more open about who they are.