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Original poster

Diversity week-do my dc need to know they're teachers ' sexuality?

180 replies

SistemaAddict · 22/06/2020 09:18

Dd has been sent a video for the school diversity week. Teachers hold up pieces of paper with something about them written on it e.g. Gay and Proud, curly hair, Jamaican etc to give 3 examples. The information before the video states:

"...please watch the staff video to get a sense of how diverse our school is. We have such a range of different personalities, hair colour, opinions, genders, sexualities, religions, beliefs and colours that our school is a rich, welcoming diverse pot..."

I struggle to see how it's anyone's business what sexuality you are especially for a child to know that of their teacher. Surely sexuality is a private matter and not one to share with students? The video shows one teacher with a piece of paper saying gay and proud. They are not the only gay teacher in the school so it makes me wonder why they chose to say this about themselves but the other teachers chose something else about themselves. Another teacher declaring they have bipolar which seems something else that is not something to share with students. I get that they might be sharing so that students feel they have something in common with their teachers but it doesn't sit comfortably with me.

OP posts:
nauticant · 22/06/2020 09:51

Imagine this. A school has only straight teachers and as a result of these declarations the kids understand that 100% of their teachers are straight. Is this a good thing? I don't think so.

To deal with this the school set out to recruit some homosexual teachers so the declarations to the kids are less problematic. Is this a good thing? I don't think so.

Declarations of sexuality in school by teachers is a bad idea.

ScrimpshawTheSecond · 22/06/2020 09:38

Xanthan Grin

Xanthangum · 22/06/2020 09:34

I think I'd like reassurance that everyone participating is fine with what's being shared.

Its hugely different if I volunteer some information about myself than some overpromoted member of the SLT starts handing out roles - "Mary, you're on anti-depressants, you'll do for mental health, Geoff you used to live with Steve so you can be the gay one, Cathy your mum delivered leaflets for the Jehovah's, could you be our weirdy religion person?"

Pootles34 · 22/06/2020 09:29

Nah I think it's fine - and very good point, when you refer to your husband or wife you're sharing your sexuality aren't you?

Also could be really helpful for any kids who are still in the closet and wanted someone to talk to, I would imagine?

Mumoblue · 22/06/2020 09:26

I mean, if a teacher mentions their husband or wife they're technically "sharing their sexuality". Someone being gay is no more sexual than someone being straight, it's just who they are.
Do the kids need to know? Eh, I'm on the fence. It's easy to "other" people when you don't know them, so I think what the school is going for is that kids like their teachers so when they hear someone say "Gay people are all X" they can think "Well my teacher is gay and they're not X".

I remember being a kid and hearing adults say that gay people would "confuse" kids but I always thought that was stupid because my aunt is gay and she never confused me.

I'd be less likely to mention bipolar disorder if I were them, because there is still a lot of stigma.