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Haters will hate, but this school will continue to work towards equality.
A rainbow crossing was installed outside Woodside High School, in London's Wood Green, last week to mark LGBT+ History Month after a campaign from its students.
How’s that for a before and after?!?! We love our rainbow crossing!!!! @LGBTHM @haringeycouncil https://t.co/5CMcCIIG5D— Woodside High School (@Woodside High School) 1580908976.0
And while the move received dozens of supportive messages online, the school revealed in a tweet that it had received over 200 homophobic messages in just four days. Really people? In 2020?
But those negative messages can't stop this school from doing the good work.
"The hundreds of abusive messages regarding Woodside's work on equality will not deter us from continuing our work," Woodside High head Gerry Robinson said. "In fact, it only encourages us further for we do not want our students to go out into the world and face such hate."
"Never has there been a more important time to stand up to hate in all its forms, and education is a key part of that," he said.
The school said the abusive messages had been received online and they are not understood to have come from parents of students. So, they're just online trolls.
Woodside has received support from Haringey Council, which funded and installed the crossing.
There is no room for hate here in #Haringey. #IAmHaringey @CllrSeema @LGBTHM @WoodsideHigh 🏳️🌈🌈❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 https://t.co/VgSsGeDHsG— Haringey (@Haringey) 1581356330.0
"There is absolutely no place for division in our borough," Seema Chandwani, the council's cabinet member for neighborhoods, said.
"We're very proud of these young people for lobbying so strongly about an issue that really matters to us all. We stand in solidarity with them, and the LGBTQ+ community here in Haringey and beyond, against discrimination and prejudice of any kind."
Our rainbow crossing has been up less than 4 days & we have had over 200 abusive messages. This may seem shocking t… https://t.co/0Ey0q3HiGQ— Woodside High School (@Woodside High School) 1581155153.0
People on the internet showed their support.
@WoodsideHigh @LGBTHM Nothing but support for you 🌈— David Guest (@David Guest) 1581360796.0
@WoodsideHigh @LGBTHM Solidarity. Such abuse is disgusting. Please keep doing what you are doing. We'll stand with you.— Joshua Dixon (@Joshua Dixon) 1581170474.0
@WoodsideHigh @LGBTHM The rainbow crossing is amazing. Stand by your values and keep up the good work. 🌈— Rei Murasame 村雨れい (@Rei Murasame 村雨れい) 1581447213.0
@WoodsideHigh @LGBTHM Guys you are amazing, never stop shouting loudly, never be silenced by bullies xxxx 🌈🌈🌈🌈— Tammy Palmer 🔶 (@Tammy Palmer 🔶) 1581181007.0
@WoodsideHigh @LGBTHM Wow, powerful, emotional, inclusive, supportive, heartfelt. Simply the perfect video, to sho… https://t.co/NlOvL4lW9j— Phoenix (@Phoenix) 1581253185.0
The school has a long history of campaigning on LGBT issues. In 2017 it was awarded the Stonewall School Champion Gold award, in recognition of the school's work to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.
The rainbow crossing, installed on February 5, is the first of its kind outside a school in the UK, Robinson said.
"This rainbow crossing stands for our commitment to championing equality, for our children's rights to be respected and able to thrive as themselves, in school and beyond," she added.