‘I was sent to the school nurse to sort out my LGBT issues’
Exploring gender identity and sexual orientation in primary schools
Julie Wharton, Senior Lecturer, University of Winchester Why talk about gender identity and sexual orientation in school? http://www.portsmoutheducatio npartnership.co.uk/wp- content/uploads/2018/04/1.157- Trans-Inclusion-Guidance-for- Schools-and-Colleges-PROOF- 5.pdf Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 was a controversial amendment to the UK's Local Government Act 1986, enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of the UK by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.
The amendment stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". http://lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/wp- content/uploads/2014/05/1384014531S28Background.pdf
LGBTQI+ Aims: to explore gender identity and sexual orientation and consider some of the ways in which school can support children with some of the areas discussed today. Activity
asexual http://itspronounced metrosexual.com/wp- content/uploads/2012 /03/Genderbread- 2.1.jpg Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2013)
Teachers should:
• establish a safe and stimulating environment for all pupils, rooted in mutual respect • promote good progress and outcomes • have a good understanding of how a range of factors can inhibit pupils’ ability to learn, and how best to overcome these
Part 2
• Teachers should have regard for the need to safeguard pupils’ well-being • Teachers must have proper regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in which they teach
Effectiveness of leadership and management
how well leaders and governors promote all forms of equality and foster greater understanding of and respect for people of all faiths (and those of no faith), races, genders, ages, disability and sexual orientations (and other groups with protected characteristics), through their words, actions and influence within the school and more widely in the community As defined by section 4 of the Equality Act 2010 www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15. (Ofsted, 2018:43) A whole school approach
What are you already doing to ensure that you are promoting equality in terms of LGBT+?
What good practice is already in place? Developing a whole school approach Strategies to support
Use of language
Guys? Androcentric language
‘A key feature of androcentric language is that it involves the deployment of semantic and pragmatic values that sit alongside communicative strategies which exploit a particular knowledge of and understanding about gender, which has a certain impact on women’s sense of identity and place in culture and society.’ (Martin & Papadelos, 2017:40).
Can you think of ways that our language in schools is androcentric? Strategies to support
Gender neutral play ‘From a developmental perspective, it is important to examine children’s understanding of gender as a social category because it is typically the first collective social identity that children learn and is associated with a range of stereotypes used by children and adults to make inferences about others.’
(Zosuls et al., 2009:688) https://www.teachers.org.uk/equality/equality-matters/breaking- mould
Strategies to support
Toilet ‘As a trans person going to the toilet in public is scary. I used to get really anxious, which made me need to go even more. I used to go the whole day holding it in just out of fear. Many trans people face violence and ridicule when they go to the toilet of their gender.’
(Lee, 2015:online) Pronouns
He She They Sie…
HE/SHE HIM/HER HIS/HER HIS/HERS HIMSELF/HERSELF zie zim zir zis zieself sie sie hir hirs hirself Respecting a child or young person’s request to change name and pronoun is a pivotal part of supporting and validating that young person’s identity. It is also important to consistently use preferred pronouns and names in order to protect a child or young person’s confidentiality, and to not ‘out’ them in ways that may be unsafe and exposing. Some trans* children and young people may wish to change their name to make it in line with their chosen gender identity. Although they may not have changed their name legally, individuals have the right to choose the name by which they are known to staff, friends and family.
(East Sussex, 2014:23) Strategies to support
Curriculum – including stories http://www.educateandcelebrate.org/resources/ Strategies to support
Role models
Strategies to support Uniform Scenarios Resources
• Stonewall https://www.stonewall.org.uk/ • Inclusion for all http://www.inclusionforall.co.uk/ • Educate and celebrate http://www.educateandcelebrate.org/ • R U Coming Out? https://www.rucomingout.com/stories.html • Gendered Intelligence http://genderedintelligence.co.uk/ • PSHE Association https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/ • Jigsaw PHSE www.jigsawpshe.com • Just like us http://www.justlikeus.org/about https://w ww.bbc.co .uk/progra mmes/p0 56rbqt What will you do next? References
Department for Education (2011) Teachers’ standards available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-standards [accessed 20.05.18]
East Sussex (2014) Trans Inclusion Toolkit available at https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/assets/media/East%20Sussex%20schools%20transgender%20toolkit.pdf [accessed 31.05.18]
Lee, A. (2015) ‘It’s time for gender neutral toilets everywhere’ available at https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/anna-lee/gender-neutral- toilets_b_8227236.html?guccounter=1 [accessed 31.0518]
Martin, P., & Papadelos, P. (2017). Who stands for the norm? The place of metonymy in androcentric language. Social Semiotics, 27(1), 39-58
Ofsted (2018) The School Inspection Handbook available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-from-september-2015 [accessed 29.05.18]
The Equality Act 2010 available at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20 [accessed 30.05.18]
Yates-Harold, J. (2018) Portsmouth Trans Inclusion Guidance for schools and colleges available at http://www.portsmoutheducationpartnership.co.uk/wp- content/uploads/2018/04/1.157-Trans-Inclusion-Guidance-for-Schools-and-Colleges-PROOF-5.pdf [accessed 18.05.18]
Zosuls, K. M., Ruble, D. N., Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., Shrout, P. E., Bornstein, M. H., & Greulich, F. K. (2009). The Acquisition of Gender Labels in Infancy: Implications for Gender-Typed Play. Developmental Psychology, 45(3), 688-701