1. What did the Romans ever do for us? Steve Slack Director Centre for HIV & Sexual Health Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Apart from sanitation, roads, medicine, education, wine, aqueducts….

2. The Declining Significance of Homophobia

3. “In my study in the United Kingdom, homophobia is condemned and openly gay students have happy and productive school lives…. No LGBT student experienced any overt homophobia at their high schools, and their heterosexual peers argued that homophobia was equivocal to racism” M McCormack 2012 The Declining Significance of Homophobia

4. That’s So Gay! “My research suggests that the use of this phrase (that’s so gay) is less regular than other research documents…. Boys argued that their pro-gay attitudes prevented it from being interpreted as such. Zak said, “I say it all the time. But I don’t mean anything by it. I've got gay friends” M McCormack 2012

5. That’s so gay…. “Lewis was insulted by the suggestion that the phrase could be interpreted as homophobic. He said “What? So saying ‘its so gay that I got homework’ means that I think my homework is a guy and so is attracted to other guys? That’s doesn’t make any sense.’ “ M McCormack 2012

6. Collins Concise Dictionary Gay (gei) adj 1a homosexual b(as n): a group of gays 2. Carefree and merry: a gay temperament 3. Brightly coloured: brilliant: a gay hat 4. Given to pleasure esp in social entertainment That’s so gay….

7. So homophobia has declined…?

8. Homophobia is ‘on the decline’ One in eight gay people stated that they experienced a hate crime or incident …Apart from… 55% of LGB young people experience bullying at school …Apart from… 96% of LGB young people in school hear words like ‘poof’ or ‘lezza’ in the classroom …Apart from… Almost one in four young people surveyed by Stonewall had tried to take their own lives …Apart from… 56% said they self harmed (Stonewall 2012) ….apart from….

9. Reports on homophobic attacks in London soar by 28% (London Evening Standard 2011) …Apart from… Three men in Derby receiving prison sentences for stirring up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation (Pink News Feb 2012) …Apart from… October 2012 Nick Griffin (BNP) tweets the private address of a gay couple who won a court battle against the owner of a B&B and proclaims the right to discriminate ….apart from….

10. Thankyou Steve Slack Director Centre for HIV & Sexual Health  www.sexualhealthsheffield.nhs.uk  Sheffield.chiv@nhs.net @CentreHIV