Exploring Homophobia and Transphobia in Primary Schools in Ireland Aoife Neary Sandra Irwin-Gowran Eileen Mcevoy Contents
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Limerick Institutional Repository Exploring Homophobia and Transphobia in Primary Schools in Ireland Aoife Neary Sandra Irwin-Gowran Eileen McEvoy Contents Acknowledgements 01 Contact Details 01 Glossary of Key Terms 02 Summary of Key Findings 04 Introduction 05 Methodology 08 Key Finding 1 09 Key Finding 2 13 Key Finding 3 15 Key Finding 4 19 Key Finding 5 22 Concluding Words and Future Directions 25 Exploring Homophobia and Transphobia in Primary Schools in Ireland Contents Acknowledgements Acknowledgements 01 Thank you to all of the school leaders, teachers and parents who gave so generously of your time, effort and Contact Details 01 reflections. This study would not have been possible without you. Glossary of Key Terms 02 Thank you to the Irish Research Council ‘New Foundations: Engaging Civic Society’ strand for funding this study and enabling this valuable collaboration between the School of Education at the University of Limerick Summary of Key Findings 04 and the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN). Introduction 05 Methodology 08 Key Finding 1 09 Contact Details Key Finding 2 13 For further information about this report, please contact the Principal Investigator: Key Finding 3 15 Dr Aoife Neary, Lecturer in Sociology of Education, School of Education, Key Finding 4 19 University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick. Email: [email protected] Key Finding 5 22 Tel: +353 (0)61-202075 Concluding Words and Future Directions 25 Web: http://www.ul.ie/soedu/node/971 For more information about the research partner, the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), please contact: Email: [email protected] Tel: +353 (1) 672 8650 Web: www.glen.ie The LGBT Helpline offers support to LGBT people and their families. They can be contacted at 1890 929 539 or at www.lgbt.ie Copyright © Aoife Neary. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, without written permission of the author. This report should be referenced to: Neary, A., Irwin-Gowran, S. and McEvoy, E. (2016) Exploring Homophobia and Transphobia in Primary Schools, Limerick: University of Limerick and Gay and Lesbian Equality Network. 01 Glossary of Key Terms Biphobia: is prejudicial or discriminatory attitudes and/or behaviour directed at bisexual people, whether intended or unintended. Bisexual: A man or woman who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to people of either sex. Cisgender: a person whose gender identity and biological sex assigned at birth align. Coming Out: A term used to describe the process through which a person realises that they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and may begin to disclose this aspect of their identity to others. Gay: A man or woman who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to people of the same sex. Many gay men prefer to be called ‘gay’ rather than homosexual. Gender: A term that is often used to refer to ways that people act, interact or feel about themselves, which are associated with boys/men and girls/ women. The term ‘gender’ is distinct from ‘sex’, see definition below. Gender Dysphoria: Refers to strong persistent feelings of identification with the opposite gender and discomfort with one’s own assigned sex that results in significant distress. Gender Expression: This refers to the way a person expresses gender to others through behaviour, clothing, hairstyles, mannerisms, voice, physical characteristics, social interactions, etc. Gender Fluid: This refers to a gender identity which varies over time. A gender fluid person may at any time identify as male, female, gender neutral, or any other non-binary identity, or some combination of identities. Some individuals refer to themselves as gender fluid, gender queer, or gender non-binary. Gender Identity: A person’s identification as a man or woman, regardless of the sex listed on their birth certificate (assigned birth sex). Some individuals may have a sense that they are some other gender, a combination of genders or gender non-conforming. Gender Non-binary / non-binary: An umbrella term for gender identities that fall outside the gender binary of male/female, man/woman. This includes individuals whose gender identity is neither exclusively male nor female, man nor woman, a combination of or between genders. Similar to the usage of transgender, the non-binary umbrella may describe people using one or more of a wide variety of terms. It is always best to be led by the individual’s preferred identity and pronoun (she/her; he/him; they/them). Gender Recognition Certificate: This is provided for in the Gender Recognition Act (2015) and issued by the state to an individual who requests to have his/her preferred gender recognised. The Gender Recognition Certificate can be used to retrospectively and prospectively amend all official certificates to reflect the preferred gender. For further information on the specific requirements necessary to apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate see Section 8. Gender Transition / transition are terms to describe the experience by which a person goes from living in the gender assigned at birth to living and identifying in their preferred gender. For most young people this transition does not involve medical intervention but does involve a process of ‘social transition’ whereby the young person begins to live and identify as the gender consistent with their preferred gender identity. Transition might include social, physical or legal changes such as coming out to family, friends, co-workers and others; changing one’s appearance; changing one’s name, personal pronoun and sex designation on legal documents (e.g. birth certificate, driving licence or passport); and medical intervention (e.g. through hormones or surgery). Heterosexual: A person who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to people of the opposite sex, colloquially known as ‘straight’. Heteronormativity: the assumption that everyone is heterosexual; that men should be masculine and women should be feminine and that men and women are a complimentary pair. Heterosexism: Giving preferential treatment to heterosexual people through overt and subtle, active and passive, intentional and unintentional means. Homophobia: Refers to prejudicial or discriminatory attitudes and/or behaviour directed at lesbian, gay and bisexual people, whether intended or unintended. Homophobic Bullying: Refers to bullying of any form that has the added dimension of being based on actual or perceived sexual orientation. 02 Exploring Homophobia and Transphobia in Primary Schools in Ireland Homosexual: The formal or clinical term that was coined in the field of psychology to describe a person who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to people of the same sex. Intersex: An umbrella term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that does not fit the typical definition of the female or male sex. Although intersex individuals do not always identify as transgender, or do not consider themselves to be covered by the transgender umbrella, many of the issues experienced by transgender people are common to intersex people and for this reason the guidance in this resource can be applicable to students who are intersex. LGBTQI: An acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people. Lesbian: A woman who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to women. Pansexual: a person who experiences sexual, romantic and/or physical attraction for members of all gender identities and expressions. Preferred Gender: Refers to an individual’s deeply held internal gender identity, as distinct from the sex assigned at birth. Sex: Refers to the biological status accorded at birth as male or female. The designation of a person at birth as male or female is based on their anatomy (genitalia and/or reproductive organs) or biology (chromosomes and/or hormones). Sexual Orientation: Refers to an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women or both sexes. Three sexual orientations are commonly recognised – heterosexual (straight), homosexual (gay or lesbian) and bisexual. Some people do not experience attraction to either men or women and define themselves as asexual. Transgender: An inclusive term describing people whose gender identity, or gender expression, is different from the sex listed on their birth certificate (i.e. their assigned birth sex). People under the transgender umbrella may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms – including transgender. It is always best to be led by the individual’s preferred identity and pronoun (she/her; he/him; they/them). The word ‘trans’ is commonly used by transgender people and it is acceptable to use this shortened term when referring to a person who identifies as transgender. Some transgender people who live in their preferred gender simply see themselves as a man or a woman, rather than a trans man or a trans woman. Some transgender people may be under the care of doctors in undergoing hormone treatment to change their bodies, some undergo surgery as well. But not all transgender people can or will take those steps, and a transgender identity is not dependent upon medical procedures. Transphobia: Refers to prejudicial or discriminatory attitudes and/or behaviour directed at people who are transgender or people whose gender identity or gender expression differs from the traditional binary categories of ‘male’ and ‘female’, whether intended or unintended. Transphobic Bullying: Refers to bullying of any form that has the added dimension of being based on actual or perceived gender identity. Transsexual: This is a now less-used term that has its origins in the medical and psychological communities. It is still preferred by some people who have permanently changed, or seek to change, their bodies through medical interventions.