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

As well as understanding these issues, a big factor for schools and teachers is recognising
them in the first place and this is often a stumbling block (see Douglas et al., 1999;
Nichols, 1999; DePalma and Atkinson, 2006). Sue described how there can be complete
denial that homophobia exists in schools and with regards to LGBT terms being used in
derogatory ways she says, ‘there’s teachers who say oh don’t be ridiculous when they use
the word gay they don’t mean it that way’ (Transcript 4: 19). As highlighted previously
the use of LGBT terms in derogatory ways does affect LGBT young people, but teachers
are not always challenging this behaviour because they do not think it is bullying:
Because the child using the word does not mean gay, they mean stupid, and/or because
the use of these words in this way is not persistent against the same person.
This type of behaviour Sandra says, is let go in her school because they would let it go if
a child called another child an ‘idiot’. Sue however, was adamant that the use of words
such as ‘gay’, ‘poof’ and ‘tranny’ in derogatory ways is queerphobic bullying and I agree.
I feel this dangerous because it means young people are not taught that gay does not
mean stupid (discussed above) and I think there needs to be reconsideration by schools
and teachers about how to deal with this. Indeed, although Chris said that isolated verbal
uses of these words in this way was not bullying, he did say that Stonewall would:
Encourage teachers in schools to confront…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.
(Transcript 4: 11)