The first ever LGBQ+ Champion has been appointed to Monmouthshire County Council.
Cllr. Ian Chandler said: “I am delighted to be the Council’s Champion for the LGBTQ+ community in Monmouthshire. Despite the great progress that I have seen in my lifetime, LGBTQ+ people in the UK still face discrimination when accessing public services, at work and in education. Shockingly, two-thirds have experienced verbal, physical or sexual abuse, and nine in ten secondary school teachers say that pupils in their schools have suffered homophobic bullying. This has to change and I want to support LGBTQ+ people in Monmouthshire to have their voices heard.
“Like many LGBTQ+ people, I was nervous about finally ‘coming out’ publicly. I was fortunate that my family and friends are very accepting of me being non-binary and have given me lots of support in my journey. I want everyone, whatever their sexuality or gender identity, to feel able to live as their authentic selves with pride and without fear.”
Read the full article on the Monmouthshire County Council website.