Non-Normative Gender and Sexual Identities in Schools: - Schools Out

D: {Yeah you’re always developing}
AM: …yeah you are always changing, so how do you kind of think you are now…
V: {I was always presumed to be straight, like a straight female who was going to settle
down with like a husband and have little children and…
T: {That’s what the girls think as well, you just haven’t met the right guy}
V:…um especially like, with my Dad, my Dad lives in Liverpool and he set me up with
like this cult, which I now know is a cult because they tell me which other church
meeting they’re for and tell me which Church my Dad runs which actually, he’s now
doing the church services in my bedroom cos he thinks that if he can do the church
service in my bedroom then it will somehow make me like a man….
{laughs}
V: …I know, it’s cos my Dad’s weird, um, which has, I dunno its made me feel a bit shit
to be honest, because its like aren’t parents meant to give unconditional love to their kids
like no matter what and then…
T: {So did he like object to you being gay?
V: Basically yeah [//] I sent my Dad a father’s day card on father’s day and I got a phone
call in fact on Sunday night, I don’t want your card I just want my daughter back, I know
you are only doing this to split the family up [//] if you get that off parents what the hell
are you get off people that don’t even know ya which is like, it I don’t know (sigh).
T: My Dad like pretends its not happening at all so I’m, I sent him a birthday card saying
sorry that I’m gay and he turned round and he went I don’t care, do what you want, I just
think it’s disgusting and I were just like….
V: {love you too daddy!}
T: …yeah.
H: It all starts from the parents.
T: It’s like, you like women, why cant I?
AM: Anyway, so a couple of you have pointed out um some bad experiences with family,
is, is, are there any of you that have actually got good relationships with family?
D: I’ve got a really close relationship with all my family, but my Dad is really really
homophobic and once after a night out me and one of me close mates like came back to
my house and shared a bed…
AM: {right}