COMING OUT TO CLASS

ACTIVITIES

Guidance

Teachers should be sensitive to the fact that some young people in their care might identify as gay, or be questioning their sexuality. It might be helpful to refer to information about handling sensitive issues on the DfES's Teachernet website, or to look at Channel 4's INSET programme 'Teaching Controversial Issues' (see Links).

The activities support a mix of individual, paired and group work, depending on the context and the composition of the students involved.

Before viewing

It is important to consider the right context within which to address gay issues. It can be difficult to address these in isolation, and so links should be made to the broader curriculum and wider social issues. Appropriate contexts might include equality, relationships or anti-bullying.

A safe environment within which to discuss these issues is also important. Agreeing 'ground rules' with students is a good way to help maintain respectful behaviour within the group. These can be referred back to whenever necessary, and should include ideas around appropriate language, the right to be heard, and the responsibility to listen and treat others with respect. Emphasise that participation need not involve disclosing anything students are not comfortable with. Issues around confidentiality might also be included.

After viewing

To view 4Learning video clips you will need Windows XP/2000 and Windows Media Player 9, 10 or 11. Unfortunately, the clips are not supported on Macintosh computers.

The video clips may contain a few seconds of extra material at the beginning and end. We have therefore included opening and closing descriptions to help identify the intended scene.

The five clips from this programme are contained in one video player show. Click on the following link, then select the clip you require.

Bullying behaviour
Clip one: 09:46 – 11:45

• Opens with QBoy saying, ' Mmm, been at my old school today…'
• Closes with QBoy saying, 'Things might have been a bit different. I guess I won't know really.'

QBoy suggests that if he'd not given bullies a target, he may not have become a victim. Do you think this is true? Does anyone deserve to be made to feel that way? What impact might these feelings have on a person's life outside school? What would happen if this were happening in an adult institution rather than a school? Discuss and record rights and responsibilities regarding how we treat one another. Are these always observed in schools? Why or why not?

What leads people into bullying behaviour? Do they need support and understanding too? What are some strategies you can use if you witness bullying or are being bullied?

NB: While QBoy uses the word 'victim', it is perhaps more helpful to refer to bullying behaviour, rather than categorising 'bullies' and 'victims'.

Homophobic language
Clip two: 16:07 – 17:57

• Opens with Jamie saying, 'Everything at school is gay.'
• Closes with QBoy saying, 'If you replaced the word gay with the word black, for instance… then, there'd be uproar.'

Think of words or phrases that are used as insults (these could be prepared in advance by the teacher or you could write down comments you have heard in school then place them anonymously into a box). Set up an 'acceptability line', with one end of the line or corner of the room 'acceptable', the other 'unacceptable', and 'don't know' in between. Place yourself on the line, according to whether you feel the comments are acceptable or not, going through the comments in turn. You might then be asked to explain your position, or tactfully challenge those with whom you disagree. Revisit the ground rules if necessary.

Or, simply consider the changing nature of language. Some words were once considered acceptable but are now seen as derogatory. Why do you think this change happens? What drives it? How might one begin to challenge the use of homophobic language, which QBoy argues young people should be protected against?

Heterosexist culture
Clip three: 25:03 – 26:58

• Opens with Jake saying, 'My art has… helped with coming out…'
• Closes with Jake saying, 'That's my way of getting across all of the emotion that is deep inside of me.'

Heterosexism is the widespread social assumption that heterosexuality may be taken for granted as normal, natural and right (Promoting Equal Opportunities in Education, LGBT Youth Scotland, 2006).

Jake talks about the safe haven of his own world – the 'bigger picture' is full of assumptions that everyone is straight, or 'perfect'. How do the media at large promote the idea that we should all conform to this picture? What messages are sent out, even when we are very young, that there is a certain way we ought to be? Use magazines to find images which appear to tell us 'how to be'. How might 'media messages' limit people's thinking as they grow up?

On a more positive note, what messages do you see coming through to challenge this? The programme provides some ideas. Try using art (poster, collage, etc) to convey the idea that we don't need to conform to stereotypes; that difference should be celebrated!

Internet safety
Clip four: 36:22 – 38:32

• Opens with QBoy saying, 'Hamish Priest was 16 when he set up the Gay Youth Corner…'
• Closes with Hamish saying, 'I remember going to my first gay youth website… I was like, "No way…other people are gay too?"'

List the positive aspects of meeting people via the internet. You may have some experience to draw on. Do you think these aspects might be even more important for young gay people, in terms of communication and support?

What might be the safety issues involved with internet chat rooms? Compile a checklist for keeping safe while using the internet.

Policy into practice
Clip five: 39:55 – 42:16

• Opens with QBoy saying, 'So do you have a policy in place to deal with this sort of situation?'
• Closes with QBoy saying, 'Number three – clear guidelines to help teachers raise awareness of other sexualities in the classroom.'

Investigate school policies or statements on equal opportunities, anti-bullying or inclusion. It might also be useful to look at local or school guidance for dealing with racist incidents.

Do these make specific reference to young people who identify as gay? Do they represent everyone in the school community? Think back to the rights and responsibilities you identified after the first clip. Are they included in the policies? You could make a list of recommendations to ensure the rights of gay people are recognised in policy documents, or prepare a class charter of rights and responsibilities, to be shared with the rest of the school.