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Nick Clegg brands 9-year-old girl who wrote heartfelt letter to gay teacher an LGBT role model for British adults

The anonymous child's written response to her teacher's revelation was 'compassion, affection and respect all rolled into one', the Deputy PM said

Jenn Selby
Friday 19 December 2014 11:27 EST
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Thousands were touched by the heartfelt letter one nine-year-old girl wrote to her teacher that went viral this week.

He told his class he was gay during a lesson on homophobic bullying.

“Even though you’re gay, I will always treat you the same way as I do now,” she wrote by way of response to his revelation.

“I still think about you the same way as I used to.

“You’re a great teacher and these are just some of the word’s (sic) that I would describe you as: great, amazing, fantastic, brilliant, awesome and brave.”

And it’s exactly such a compassionate attitude towards sexuality, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg pointed out during a Facebook Q & A earlier, that British adults could do with learning from.

“I think the letter from that wonderful 9 year old says it all – compassion, affection and respect all rolled into one,” Clegg said. “A model for us adults!”

The teacher in question had told Pink News that the girl who wrote the letter delivered it to him among the dinner money, doctors appointment and school trip slips one morning.

Reading it, he said, brought tears to his eyes.

“When I thanked her she just shrugged and repeated something one of the boys in the class had said during the lesson, ‘It’s just your life’,” he said. “Then she went back to her maths.

“I’ve had a lot of letters and cards over the years, but this one I know I’ll keep forever.”

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