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Gay News: Homophobia: Enough is Enough
By: Nigel Robinson
Cotton: Enough is Enough
Cotton: Enough is Enough
Corrie's Sean: Enough to homophobia
Coronation Street star Antony Cotton and Sir Ian McKellen have made a new advert against homophobia.
The video, for the Lesbian and Gay Foundation’s Enough Is Enough! Campaign, was launched yesterday 17 May to mark the International Day Against Homophobia.
Sir Ian narrates the video while Cotton, who plays the gay character Sean in Coronation Street, is shown with his back towards the camera.
"There's a hatred all around us... targeting our friends, sons daughters... it hurts us because of who we love... it's called homophobia and it has to stop because if it doesn't, one day homophobia is going to hurt somebody you care about," says McKellen.
The camera then pans round to show Cotton’s face which is bruised and bleeding.
Cotton has revealed that he has received letters from children who have been victims of homophobic bullying, as well as prisoners and a soldier in Afghanistan who have suffered homophobic abuse.
A recent survey has revealed that almost two-thirds of school teachers have witnessed or observed homophobic bullying in the classroom.
Cotton said:
“This is an ongoing battle that everyone in the gay community is dealing with and, as with any kind of abuse or hate crime, it's about conditioning and education.
“If you see someone shouting homophobic abuse in the street, call the police.
“No one is born uttering words of hate. It's about education in the broadest sense but it has to start in classrooms.
“Schools need to have an open doors policy where there is at least one sympathetic teacher who pupils can go to and not feel isolated.”
