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Original poster

School LGBTQ+ staff survey

79 replies

BlackAlys · 25/10/2022 22:48

The secondary school I work in has had a huge drive towards LGBTQ+ matters for about 2 years now. We have rainbows and flags everywhere, our PSE lessons are heavily weighed towards trans issues and now, a staff survey has arrived asking us how comfortable we are with challenging homophobic and transphobic behaviour.

It also asks whether we understand what deadnaming is and whether we feel confident to address the issue with pupils, would we quietly deal with it or would we report pupils officially on the school system.

Its final 2 questions are about our awareness of the term cisgender and assesses our confidence to discuss these terms with pupils.

I'm really unhappy with the heavy emphasis on this whole issue. I'd have no problem tackling homophobic/transphobic behaviour but I see cis and cisgender as offensive, made up terms that are slowly being shoe-horned into normality. There isn't a space to comment neither so my only option is to not fill it in.

I am anticipating the large (and growing) group of LGBTQ+pupils to want more PSE lessons on trans issues. Id like to be able to say my piece succinctly and to the point but I'm lost for words.

OP posts:
aweegc · 26/10/2022 07:48

They are an inclusion group who have pushed for LGBTQ+ to be included in lessons so all of our departments have to include it - our French, Spanish, Tech, Humanities, Science - have to submit schemes of work to include LGBTQ+.

WTAF?!
I heard some Open University students complain a year or so ago about it being shoehorned into maths (or something similarly irrelevant) courses. But across the high school curriculum?

Surely this goes directly against what the government has said recently? Maybe you should anonymously send this survey to Braverman with the Head's contact details? And include details from the above paragraph.

In the meantime I'd be tempted to hold my nose and fill it in with the answers you know they want. You presumably need to keep your job. I think it's abhorrent, but unless you can actually afford the repercussions(not only financially) of standing up to this, I don't think you should.

Birdsweepsin · 26/10/2022 07:38

If you elevate a small number of your pupil cohort above the others - calling them special, letting a boy play sport and get changed with the girls, constantly talking about how important it is not to be transphobic, rather than calling out all bullying -

  • why are you then surprised if lots of the kids start saying they are trans?

www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/social-contagion-not-biology-is-causing-transgender-surge

Original poster
BlackAlys · 26/10/2022 06:50

I already have to be very careful.
The pupil group here are a large bunch of teenagers who talk obsessively about the whole movement. All of their parents are 'transphobic' and they loathe JKR with a passion. They are extremely vocal. They are an inclusion group who have pushed for LGBTQ+ to be included in lessons so all of our departments have to include it - our French, Spanish, Tech, Humanities, Science - have to submit schemes of work to include LGBTQ+.

This staff survey follows the 'what's your pronoun' email signature drive, which I not only ignored, but was heard by SMT to say "sod off, not your business to ask".

I think I'm already noted for such views as after the above event (last year), some colleagues have already asked pointedly whether I've filled in the latest survey. I honestly don't want to be seen as the transphobic staff member - I'm most certainly not homophobic - but the transgender push in schools is incredibly divisive. How do I stick to my guns AND gently point out the enormity of this 'let's be kind' movement?

OP posts:
WorkingItOutAsIGo · 25/10/2022 22:56

First I would forgot to fill it in. Second, be very careful about challenging your pupils. Not saying don’t, but do it carefully and in a considered way. Eg just as you don’t want to be misgendered, you cannot impose the label cis on others. Keep bringing it back to higher authorities - the law, EHRC guidance, the NHS etc.