Religious Schools and Homosexuality

[George]

Thought this might be an interesting discussion to have here.

How many of you guys and gals go to a religious school? Are they openly homophobic?

I go to a catholic school and I can't believe how homophobic everyone is (especially considering Melbourne is so gay (in terms of the fact that we have a large gay scene down here apparently). And there are a few openly gay students here.
Like heaps of people here use words like gay, fag, homo as derogatory comments (as do most teens), but what's worse here is that they're used IN CLASS with teachers around and the teachers don't do anything. And what's even worse is some teachers join in! And even have insulting discussions on some of the gay guys at my school about how gay they are..

And you would not believe the amount of times I've had the whole "being gay isn't the way god intended bla bla bla sin bitch bitch bitch 666 bla bla bla work of the devil" crap thrown at me by 14/15/16 year olds!

And my school is meant to be a gay friendly school according to some staff.

One thing which I find interesting is that I haven't had a religious education class where we've discussed it at all.. I'd be very interested in seeing what my religion teacher/class have to say about the issue.


So anyone else had similar experience?

[Level N Human]

I live in a pretty liberal area and went to a public high school, so usually the homophobic people are the ones who are looked down upon, not the homosexuals. I'm sorry that you have to be surrounded by such sorry asshats.

Anyways, I found it entertaining that you used the term "openly homophobic".

"So you're openly homosexual? I don't think I can tolerate you people."
"So you're openly homophobic? I don't think I can tolerate you people either."

[George]

LOL nice!
I can just imagine a homophobe "coming out" per se to people. xD

[waitingsucks]

I completely sympathise, my school is so homophobic and so much goes on without the teachers doing anything about it.

like if someone says the f-word most teacher will flip

but if someone says fag than the teacher won't even flinch

also they only teach about homosexuality in science when we were talking about STDs
So that's good right? :S :S

oh and also last year my RE teacher said that gay people don't choose to be gay, they're just born really feminine and like to play with barbie dolls. and she was being serious

oh and last year my science teacher said, when we were talking about this celebrity with AIDS, "People used to think he was just a normal guy... Then they found out he was gay"

It's just frustrating and no wonder no one comes out (like I know 1 person) and about 15 who are teased just because they hang out with the 1 openly gay guy.

Arghh!

I am done venting now

[dictionary]

i go to a catholic school.... generaly the teachers arnt homophobic but you do sometimes get a few extremist crackpots... that preach creationisim and the family first party... in fact our school captin made a speach against homophobia at assembly and our head of school made a speach about how we should accept all people not just tolirate them...

[Ben]

I used to go to a Christian school, and my friend once came out of the Christian Union telling me of how God will burn all gays. So apparently the most religious people in my school who went to the Christian Union were being taught about how gays will burn.

And my grammar teacher once went on about how gays are going to die by default because they practice anal sex. And everyone who practices anal sex will be killed and sent to hell.

[hoping]

I want to a catholic high school and there were a few openly gay guys there and a guy rubbed my hand in front of my science teacher and she didnt care, people there were great about people being gay, they had a very effective any bullying policy for homophobia, racism and all other types of hate and it was i think the only time during my teen years that i was happy when i was there.

[Vampyrecat]

Religious schools in Australia are actually exempt from the laws governing equal rights. I found this out while getting my school ( a state school) to allow me to go to the deb with a girl. I thought that was pretty shit.

[George]

Wow.. Just wow. I can't believe so many schools (especially with us aussies) are so screwed up.

I'm thinking of not even doing my deb next year (thankfully it isn't compulsory) since I won't be able to go with a guy. And even so it would look just weird.. And probably cause a few problems for me so meh.

For my year 12 formal though I definitely want to go with a guy. If I can't then I'll go emo (that or just go to the education board and say a few things to them about discrimination..).

[Wander]

I'm lucky enough not to be in a religious school, but it's still pretty bad for us down here. In all my years, I have met one teacher who asked a student to stop calling other kids "fags"; all the rest have either ignored it, encouraged it, or joined in. My Latin teacher is still the worst, with constant jokes that make it seem like gay people are tools for comedy, not actual people. It's sad, and it's disgusting, but it probably won't stop any time soon.

[MusicIsLife]

I never went to a really religious school. closest thing was we had religious education in elementary, where we were taught creationism, thats about it. Ive never encountered anyone homophobic, teacher or student.

[Derek the Wolf]

I go to a catholic benedictine military all-male academy. There are quite a few homophobes, but mostly the people there are more intelligent, therefore more understanding of those that are different. Less homophobic response than you'd expect.

[Noah]

You guys already know a bit about my school, so I won't go into that here.
I will tell you a story. The adult organizer of the student council was talking about a new student, who's dad did recording sessions for elton john.
She said, I love his music, but he's had nothing but people all around him telling him its ok for him to be gay. He needs some good christian influences in his life to tell him that he's god's child. All of you need to be praying for him. I had trouble keeping a straight face.

Well i went to catholic school all my life til 10th grad i spent one full year at a catholic high school and there were many openly gay people there and the teens used gay, faget, that stuff but it was never to be taken seriously. the teachers never discussed it neither did our religion class and what i liked most bout the school is if two kids werent gettin along or if there was a kid makin fun of another then that bad kid got questioned and got a detention or suspension and if enough times expulsion

[Wired106]

I go to a private catholic school for all guys (high school) but its actually not homophobic at all. A little, but not too much. The reason is because I live really close to San Francisco in california, and its a pretty liberal state, not to mention the city that im near. And, because its catholic and private, the teachers are pretty strict about stuff like that, like our dean of students always tells everyone on the mic that verbal, physical and sexual harrassment is not allowd and if there is any harrassment involving sexual or physical, youll suffer serious consequences, and then he always brings up how he doesn't care if you're gay and if anyone "bullies" you then he encourages you to tell councelors or him or any faculty member. Oh ya and thats another thing, the teachers seem pretty cool about it and especially the councelors. But the main thing is that everyone is pretty open to gay people and cool about them because san francisco is so liberal!!

[J Schuelke]

That sounds like when I went to grade school. I got picked on a lot, been called gay and fag, (this was before I knew myself) and the teachers obviously didn't care, if was brutal.

[ccdd]

I went to a Catholic primary school (5-11), so sex didn't really come up at all, let alone homosexuality... but even at a non-religious secondary school (11-16), everyone was really homophobic. My friends who went to Catholic secondary schools seem to have had virtually no sex education besides a lot on how you musn't ever have an abortion. I doubt they'd have tackled homophobia.

I think that going to a religious school must mean that teachers are less likely to tackle homophobia (if they're not complicit in it) for fear of what the parents and/or governors would say.

[Fiorino]

Wow-well it seems like Catholic schools in Australia
are a breeding ground for homophobia.

Hugs for all my Aussie friends

And of course, everyone else

*WORLD HUG*

Let's defeat homophobia with Love

[EmperorNero]

Wow. If something like that (That is homophobic teachers/education) was going on here, you'd just have to go to the headmaster's office (or the police) and complain.

[MeskElil]

Catholic schoolgirl here.
Hate it.
Can't stand it.
Everyone here hates gay people, and not a day goes by when I don't hear it said out loud.
GAH!!!
I'm so ready to leave.