A bit of culture this way comes

Swindon isn't a place that is known for being particularly tolerant to anyone.  Well, unless you happen to be white, English and from "round here".

So imagine my surprise when I came across this.

As a gay man considered a foreigner by many in Swindon, despite being Scottish, I think this represents a huge step forward, both for library system here and the town itself.  I haven't yet been in to Central Library to have a look at their LGBT collection, but as I work quite close it's on my list of exciting lunchtime activities to do this week.  I'm cautiously hopeful that it will be a collection and not just one or two books on a shelf, and represent a real step forward for LGBT education in Swindon.  Let's face it, it's in dire need.

For various reasons we weren't able to make it along to the showing, which was disappointing for both of us.  Having wanted to see A Single Man for a while now, Central Library showing it has given me the impetous to push it to the top of my list.

Seeing the library do something so positive makes me think back to something similar I tried to do that fell flat on it's arse.

My last job was with a local FE college, so the students who attend tend to be those who have dropped out of school for various reasons, may have issues that make main stream schooling difficult, or people who just didn't get the grades they needed to go to an HE college or university.

Over the course of the year I had delivered several sessions to students on equality, nothing heavy or particularly detailed, just touching on the issue.  The response I got was frightening because so many of the young people were narrow minded, unaware of wider social issues and by and large just discriminatory.  And these were students who wanted to be teachers, nurses or work in similar fields.  Needless to say I was terrified. 

It was clear that a lot of these young people had barely travelled outside of Wiltshire, some outside of their own towns and hadn't engaged with anyone else that wasn't "like them".  That should have been my first clue.

In my naïveté, I had thought it would be a good idea to mark this year's LGBT History Month by holding an open showing of the film Milk.  For anyone who hasn't seen it, it's the biopic of Harvey Milk who was an LGBT activist and politician.  It's a fantastic piece of cinema, and a film that's had a huge affect on me.  Man was I short sighted.

Having gotten some of the teaching staff on board, three or four classes were brought down, all Level 3, so those students who are supposedly ready to go to university. 

The showing was horrendous.

They struggled to keep their attention on the film, were restless, didn't care about the underlying issues that it raised and generally disrespected the whole experience.  Now I respect everyone's right to an opinion, and some of those watching the film may be opposed to LGBT rights or same sex relationships and that is their right. 

But I took great offence when almost the entire hall CHEERED when the scene depicting Harvey Milk's assassination was shown.
This isn't a rant about how homophobic these students were, or anything like that. 

I'm sure the majority of them aren't.  This is a comment on education and tolerance.  And not just education on LGBT issues, but any diversity issue.  I'm pretty sure that if I'd shown Monsters Ball or Schindler's List the reaction would have been the same. 

Education comes from lots of places.  The media, home, peer groups, schools, colleges and universities.  Hell even grafiti on the street. 

Considering this area is so lacking in this, I applaud Swindon Central Library for taking such a bold and brave step forward.