Teacher experiences of LGBTQ- inclusive education in primary schools serving faith communities in England, UK

ABSTRACT

This article reports on the experiences of teachers delivering an LGBTQ-inclusive education programme in four English primary schools serving faith communities. These teachers tended to start the work from an anti-bullying standpoint, finding that whilst they might need to strategically begin at this potentially pathologising starting place, they could later develop the programme to embed LGBTQ-inclusive input across the curriculum. Legislative and policy frameworks gave teachers the courage to deliver the materials, particularly the Equality Act 2010. Lead teachers found a range of ways to work with colleagues, with some drawing on their religious commitment to embrace the work. The children’s openminded responses encouraged their teachers, and over time the schools were able to conduct LGBTQ-focussed community celebrations with parents from the faith communities they served. That these approaches offer a range of starting points to support LGBTQ-inclusive education in schools serving faith communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Elementary school
• K-5
• LGBT
• religion
• heteronormativity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.