LGBT teachers sometimes feel ‘unwelcome and isolated’ in schools, says union

LGBT teachers sometimes feel unwelcome in schools, a primary school teachers' union has said.

The INTO has been told by gay members that, "on occasion, they feel unsure and uneasy in staff rooms and sometimes even unwelcome and isolated". Members have written open letters to the Department of Education about their negative experiences in schools. One letter describes how a teacher was prevented from doing a lesson on family diversity with their fourth class pupils "in line with the SPHE curriculum and Anti-Bullying Procedures." "My principal called me to her office to 'check you're not not planning to do anything crazy with your class,' to remind me that we have 'very right-wing Catholic families in our school' and to 'keep it traditional, keep it mother and father'," the teacher wrote. "I felt singled out because the principal knew I was gay and was directing what she said at me personally." The INTO recently launched a set of guidelines for inclusivity in staff rooms for schools.

Delighted with the response our LGBT+ Inclusive Staffroom guidelines have received so far! Have you seen them in your staffroom? If so send us a picture #LGBTinclusivestaffroom pic.twitter.com/3I7QFFwQcQ

— INTO LGBT Teachers (@intolgbt) October 5, 2018

The guidelines include to ask staff what pronouns they use, to "respond positively when a colleague discloses their sexual orientation or gender identity" and to challenge "homophobic, biphobic or transphobic" comments and jokes.