I really only just created this account but I really have some stuff that I wanted to talk to someone else who’s been in my place about this. Okay, so I live in quite a small aria of England. Homophobia is something the school says they don’t have a problem with but I seem to always hear stuff. I mean, I’d understand it with the kids in my classes it’s like I’m constantly hearing the word fag or dyke thrown about, and no one makes any comment on it. What’s upsetting is homophobia from teachers. Little things, and maybe only I notice it because I’m how I am, but it really upsets me. For instance, in English we were doing a essay on shakespear and theories regarding him and me and my friend James wrote a essay on the idea that shakespear might have been gay. We read it out, and our teacher goes ‘I don’t see why you’d tie a fantastic man like William shakespear to a rumour like that.’ When other people had said some pretty bad things about the guy. It’s stuff like that. The jokes teachers make to students if boys are sitting close together saying they look a little ‘to’ happy together. But the main thing is my form teacher, who is meant to be the person I can trust and talk to about stuff, if things are going bad at school. And he’s really homophobic. My friend Pam goes ‘sir, what would you do if I was gay’ and he replies ‘Well, I wouldn’t support it of course, but it’s not my place’. And we were talking about marriage one form time and he goes ‘as long as it is a consenting man and woman of the appropriate age, I think marriage is a great idea for any couple’ and I go ‘what about a man and a man, or a woman and a woman?’ and he goes ‘I don’t agree with that.’ And finally when he was talking about not having a girlfriend a girl in my class goes ‘do you have a boyfriend sir’ and he made a face and goes ‘god no.’ Look, I’m fine with him having opinions, even if I don’t agree with them. But he’s meant to be the guy I go to if anything is going bad at home or at school – and I don’t feel comfortable around him. At all. I’m not out at school, very few people know so I doubt what he’s saying has registered in his mind as offensive. Then again, it’s not like people haven’t guessed, and now and again I’m subject to that kind of stuff. I don’t know what to do, because to have reason to move class, I’m going to have to tell one of the members of staff the reason or they wont let me leave, but I don’t want the possibility of any member of staff knowing because they’re all really un-professional and will probably talk about it in the staff room as ‘gossip’. thanks.
what about school councellers? or your head of house (if you have one), or head of year? or even the head, or deputy head, or anyone you can talk to maybe a teacher who you like? you dont hve to go to your forum tutor.
Thank you for replying I got sent to the school counceller and it ended really badly, I came out to her, and she told me that there were 'places I could go to stop me being how I was,' and that kind of thing. I've recently moved up from this school from my middle school, so there are few teachers I really know.
complain to the school thats awful! unless of course you said that you wanted to stop being the way you were. schools shouldnt say that to you no matter what they believe is right or wrong. thats homophobia from an adult who works at the school but they are supposed to be against homophobia. is there a group at school you could join. i know at my school there was a gorup thing for people who found it hard to fit in. bit of a strange group i know lol but you spoke about things and it helped a bit. is there more than one school counciller? if so ask to see another and say what was said to you by the previous person. you could go to your dr and say you want a counciller from there somewhere like connexions or something (if that still exists). if you cant say it write it down and hand it to the dr, ive done that many a time. school shouldnt treat you like that. at all. just seen your location. i used to live in bedfordshire, my old school was shite. hang in there
I am not familiar with the LGBT rights/advocacy organizations in the United Kingdom, but could someone more familiar let OneofThree know? If you school counselor is doing that, I myself would go to such an organization or seek some assistance. That is just awful that they were not supportive of you, just the way you are.
I wanted to complain - I was too scared, because I'm not really out and the teachers at my school are so unprofessional there's a high chance they'd gossip about how upset I was. There really isn't anything in the way of clubs other than the christian union. I got admitted into hospital a little while ago after self harming badly - I saw a phyciatrist for a while, but there basically focusing on getting me to stop cutting, and don't really talk about about anything other than that. I just want support in school, or a way to get out of my class, without there being rumors, but I know that might not be a option. Thanks for replying both of you ^^
I'm a high school teacher in the US. I work in an equally unprofessional environment. I am in the closet at work but out to just about everyone else in my life. I don't know the laws in the UK but I would think that they aren't much different than the US when it comes to discrimination. If this is a religious school than it might be different but public schools cannot discriminate. That being said, I work with people like the ones you mentioned. I suggest simply finding a way out of the class without bringing up the issue "for now." Yes, I know he is wrong and it sucks but I want YOU to be in a place that does NOT make you think of self-harm. Tell them anything. Say someone rejected you, made fun of you, the work is too hard, whatever it find a way out. I was literally just speaking with another teacher at my school today about how unprofessional some if these people are with everyone's business. It's not right and I'm not condoning it. When YOU feel safe later on you may want to address this more formally. If the principal or headmaster is the same, you can always write an anonymous letter to the school board asking that LGBT discrimination be addressed. Feel free to message me if you'd like. I'm not on everyday but I will absolutely answer your message if you contact me. Teachers and scho staff in my state attend many presentations about bullying and school climate aka making students feel welcome at school and class. There us no excuse for those comments from educators regardless of their own personal opinions.
