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

not necessarily about saying well you’re the gay kid in the class, we are gonna have a go
at you for being gay. It’s about being different, it’s about using language in inappropriate
ways.
AM: The use of the language, you use examples that I use as well, gay, poof, dyke,
tranny….
CG: {yep}
AM: …as put down terms in the playground and classroom, do you feel this does
constitute homo/bi and trans bullying?
CG: Well, the use of the word in itself doesn’t constitute bullying. You know research,
have done a lot of work into what bullying actually is and there’s a difference between
you know using a word against someone and you know using it repetitively as a way to
make them feel bad about themselves over a period of time which constitutes bullying.
And so bullying can take many forms, one of which might be you know verbal bullying,
might be physical bullying and also you know mental bullying where you sort of isolate
people. So you know, if I were to call you you know an f’ing queer or something once
that wouldn’t constitute bullying, that would be an insult. That wouldn’t be bullying in
itself, but if I were to over a time you know, pick you out and have a go at you whether
it’s because I think you are lesbian, gay, bisexual yourself, or whether I think you’re
trans, or maybe cos I just want to single you out for any other reason, that would
constitute bullying.
AM: So, you would say that sort of single use of it is wrong and it’s an insult and that
should be tackled…
CG: {yeah}
AM: …but almost that it should be tackled as an isolated incident?
CG: Yeah, yeah we definitely talk, we we encourage teachers in schools to confront um
verbal incidents and that’s in primary and secondary schools and have young people
understand when it is appropriate and when it’s inappropriate to use words. You know
you have some schools who will outlaw the word gay, which is completely counter
productive. We could go back to Section 28 almost there where you are just don’t dare
mutter the word. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans used in you know very appropriate
situations are absolutely fine, but its not appropriate in others.
AM: So you would advocate the sort of education at a young age, as soon as the word in
used in inappropriately…
CG: {yeah}
AM: …educate them what the word actually means…
CG: {definitely}