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Someone I know needs help with…

Identity

What is identity?

Your identity is the unique things about you that make you who you are. Identity can mean different things to different people. It might be about your social circle, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, where you live, what music you listen to, religion, or just whether you feel like you belong. Simply put – your identity is ‘who you are.’  If you know someone who is confused or struggling with their identity, this might make them feel lonely or worried. Talk to the person, ask them questions and find opportunities to celebrate their strengths and individuality.

 

Some things you can do to help:

  • talk to the person in a non-judgemental and accepting way
  • ask them questions about how they feel and what you can do to support them
  • let them know that you value them for who they are
  • educate yourself about the impact of identity on mental health
  • in shared spaces, make sure displays and resources celebrate and include a range of different identities
  • find real life examples of different identities through books, films and tv, and offer to share these with them
  • encourage them to celebrate what makes them different.

 

Discrimination

There are three types of discrimination: direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and discrimination based on disability.  Find out more about the different types of discrimination (hyperlink to https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/what-discrimination )

 

It’s often easy to recognise when someone is directly discriminating against someone you know.  Having a disability, being from an ethnic minority or being part of the LGBTQ+ community does not mean they will definitely experience discrimination. A lot of discrimination though, like institutional racism, is harder to see. If the person you know is being disadvantaged or treated differently from others, it might make them feel like they’re not important or don’t fit in. They might feel upset, depressed, angry, ashamed of their identity, or like they want to change the way they look or act.  Sometimes they might feel able to challenge systems and people that don’t treat them equally because of their identity, and sometimes they might not. As long as it is safe to do so, try to respect their choice and support them with it.

 

Your right to be you is protected by law

You might have heard of protected characteristics, these are:

 

The Equality Act 2010 (hyperlink to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance ) is a law that protects people with protected characteristics from discrimination (i.e. being treated unfairly for being different).

 

It is important to recognise and celebrate our differences.  The world is made up of so many diverse identities and we grow together by better understanding the beauty of ourselves and others.