Scotland's LGBT teaching resources could soon find their way around the globe

Alongside the Scottish Government, TIE revealed a new website offering lesson plans, worksheets and advice to help teachers incorporate elements of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender history and awareness into the curriculum.

Examples include colouring sheets of Alan Turing, history lessons about space exploration, featuring the first American woman in space, Sally Ride, who hid her sexuality until she died in 2012.

It is the first such resource of its kind to be launched in the world.

TIE founders Jordan Daly and Liam Stevenson told the Herald on Sunday that their seven-year long campaign had been a difficult one, but they were proud to see their efforts translated into action.

They also revealed that teachers and researchers from America, Australia and Ireland are keen to learn more about their work in the hope of mirroring a similar scheme in their countries.

Mr Stevenson explained: "There are people in Wales and in England who have contacted us as they are interested in what we're doing and want to try and do something similar there.

"There's also a teacher in downtown Manhattan who is interested in coming over to shadow us and spent time with us to find out more about our work. She hasn't been able to come over yet because of the pandemic, but she is hoping to bring back what we're doing to Manhattan.

"We're still continuing our work with Purdue University in Indiana, who recognised that the work we were doing was world-leading back in 2017. Through that connection we started gathering data on the impacts of the talks and workshops and training that we were doing already, and could show that it was helping people."

Mr Daly added that activists in Australia and a group in Dublin had also been interested to find out how TIE's work could be translated into their curriculum.

He added: "There is a recognition that the approach we are taking is different because it is proactive.

"Schools often have a reactive approach, if there has been an incidence of homophobic bullying for example. They should of course respond to that but we are trying to tackle the prejudice before it gets to that stage, and help young people to realise that there is nothing wrong with being gay and there are gay people out there."

Asked what has motivated them to keep going with the campaign, despite not securing any funding until this year to pursue their work, Mr Daly explained: "What a lot of people don't realise is that the vast majority of our work has been done on volunteer time, while we've had full time jobs and families and lives.

"For me, the reason that I haven't given up as much as it's been really difficult and really tough, is because I know how much this would have meant for me, and I know how much this means for generations of LGBT young people after me.

"There's almost that kind of responsibility and that desire to get it right for them."

Mr Stevenson added: "What we've learned is that the approach that we're taking is what young people want and it's the approach that young people feel is going to be most effective in schools.

"That's why it was worth hanging on for so long to try and get support to take this work to each and every school that will have us in the whole of Scotland.

"It still goes back to the wild belief that we can change society, and we believe we can still do that. We believe we've got a program and a model to make sure young people are reflected in their education, and it can also make sure that young people see people that are not like them in their education, but in a favourable way."

While the majority of MSPs in Holyrood have supported TIE's ambitions, and hundreds of schools have welcomed them to provide training and advice to teachers and pupils, the organisation has faced criticism from some who do not believe children should be taught about LGBT issues in school.

However, they say they have faced far more extreme remarks online which have had an impact on their personal lives.

Disinformation on social media has seen the pair described as paedophiles and their organisation refereed to as a "grooming" group, attempting to "indoctrinate children" into a gay lifestyle.

Mr Daly explained: "People may not always agree, that's fine, but it is when it things are just completely fabricated and put on social media does it become a problem.

"We do not allow people to reply to our tweets, for example, because of the level of abuse.

"In the real world people are far more supportive, but online it is different."

Alongside the online abuse, the pair, and other members of the organisation, have had to have security training from the police and now have alarms and panic buttons in their homes.

They have also been advised not to post photographs on social media of their houses, and previously were told to change their walking routes in case of threats.

Mr Stevenson explained: " This part of the work we're doing has been difficult. I have a priority alert on my house so if I phone 999 the police have to come immediately, because I'm classed as at-risk.

"That impacts my family too. In October we all have to go for training with the police.

"Ultimately though, we do this because we want to make the world a better place and I'm still convinced that people can make a difference. We know the work we're doing will make a difference to young people, and that's what matters."