MINISTERS faced a heartfelt call at the SNP's conference to pass a law immediately to make it a legal obligation to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues in the school curriculum.
The call was made as the party's conference in Aberdeen backed moves to tackle discrimination against LGBTI students and to support victims of homophobic bullying in schools.
Delegates voted for the Scottish government to establish a group to work with the Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) campaign to look at making it a legal requirement that LGBT issues are part of the school curriculum.
SNP member, Gaela Hanlon who described herself as 'gender fluid', said the government should pass the legislation immediately, as she talked about her own experiences of being bullied.
Gaela Hanlon, said: "Our cheers mean nothing unless we do something about this - we need to move forward."
She said: "All we've managed to do is agree a basic principle for eduction. It's not good enough. We need this legislation now as so many have suffered for too long. Allow us to have the resources to educate and liberate. We must show our solidarity."
A motion from the party's youth wing, SNP Youth, called for "there to be legislation and teacher training to ensure curriculum inclusion, recording of bullying, and monitoring of steps to tackle LGBTI discrimination in all of Scotland's schools".
However, education secretary John Swinney's ministerial aide Jenny Gilruth and senior SNP MSP Christina McKelvie won support to alter the motion during a debate at conference yesterday.
The amendment from MSPs Gilruth and McKelvie replaced the call for legislation and instead said the Scottish government should establish a group to work with the TIE campaign and others to "take the necessary steps" on the issue.
SNP MP Hannah Bardell, who is openly gay, backed the amended motion which was overwhelmingly supported. She said: "Let's pass this, so that no LGBTI young person ever feels like they don't belong."
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