‘BEING LGBT IN SCHOOL’

5.1.3 Parents/guardians of other students
Many principals fear a negative reaction
from parents/guardians when issues related
to sexual orientation or gender identity are
raised in schools. For many principals the
Departmental requirement on all schools to
adopt preventative strategies to address all
forms of bullying, including homophobic
and transphobic bullying, provides a policy
rationale to support the existing curriculum
requirements within SPHE/RSE. By
necessity, preventative education strategies
will be focused on increasing respect and
understanding of difference and diversity,
including different sexual orientations
and gender identities.
the school’s responsibility to implement
the Department’s Anti-Bullying Procedures
and to provide education and prevention
strategies to prevent identity based bullying,
including homophobic and transphobic
bullying. The following points may be useful
for framing discussions with other staff
members or parents/guardians.
Parents/guardians will always have the right
to remove their child from any class if they
have an objection to the content of a lesson.
If such a request is made the principal should
remind the relevant parents/guardians of
A Resource for Post-Primary Schools to Prevent Homophobic and Transphobic Bullying and Support LGBT Students
31