“I am what I am…”: An Overview of the Experiences of Openly Gay and Lesbian Teachers in a Period of Declining Homohysteria

Bullingham, Rachael ORCID: 0000-0002-1940-3008, Bingle, B and Shire, J (2019) “I am what I am…”: An Overview of the Experiences of Openly Gay and Lesbian Teachers in a Period of Declining Homohysteria. In: UCU LGBT+ Research Conference: I Want To Be Me: Contextualising Self-Identities, 17th May 2019, Manchester. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

This presentation will highlight the initial findings of a small-scale pilot project examining the experiences of 13 self-selecting gay and lesbian teachers working in Primary and Secondary schools in England. The project aimed to give voice to individuals’ lived experience as education practitioners identifying as “out” in the workplace, in order to counteract negative perceptions of hostility to disclosures of sexual orientation by teachers. As Edwards et al. (2014) acknowledge, there is still a gap in research of teachers working in schools since the removal of Section 28, an act rushed through the UK parliament in 1988 during a period of high homohysteria (Anderson, 2011; Moran, 2001). The repeal of the Act in 2003 led to a cultural shift, with homophobia steadily in decline according to GSS data (Anderson, 2011). This project seeks to identify how teachers navigate both homophobia and heteronormativity within an educational context; in addition, it explores perceptions of impact on learners in the classroom as a result of a school culture of openness. The presentation details the initial findings from the interviews carried out, providing a comparative account between the experiences of those who teach in the Primary and Secondary phases of contemporary UK education.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Sport; Homosexuality; Primary and Secondary Schools; Teaching
Related URLs:	Repository
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV557 Sports H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman > HQ75 Homosexuality L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1603 Secondary Education. High schools
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education and Science
Research Priority Areas:	Health, Life Sciences, Sport and Wellbeing
Depositing User:	Kate Greenaway
Date Deposited:	04 Feb 2020 09:12
Last Modified:	31 Aug 2023 09:08
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/8090

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