Comments on: First gay teachers’ summit takes place

By: gooner

gooner — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:26:52 +0000

So sorry to hear about your experience Leo, hopefully summits like this one will highlight the need for educating the educators!!!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts

By: Leo

Leo — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:08:50 +0000

I qualify next year. My fears on this and other topics became confounded by negative gay remarks in my short, closeted teaching experience.
I will be trying to do a masters after this… a relatively recent decision… to give myself more options in case the climate really is just not suitable for a lesbian agnostic!

By: Gooner

Gooner — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:46:20 +0000

Thanks so much for the comments AstonishingSodApe, it’s great to hear from a teacher on this issue.
I really hope more people join you in marching next pride as visibility of this group could go a long way to challenging the negativity some gay teachers have to endure.

By: AstonishingSodApe

AstonishingSodApe — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:32:04 +0000

Of course, they’ll be marching under the INTO LGBTQ banner – I see Anseo is just the name of their inaugural conference. D’oh!

By: AstonishingSodApe

AstonishingSodApe — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:28:55 +0000

This is fantastic news. However, as a primary teacher, I should mention that these attitudes are, if not encouraged, then at least tolerated to some degree in the primary teacher training colleges. Nearly all male teaching students (the ones who buy newspapers, anyway) read tabloids. It’s a predominantly conservative environment, built around parochialism and GAA. That said, one of the great (albeit obvious) things about the huge women-men imbalance in the profession is that women are generally far more accepting and liberal in their views towards LGBT issues. Whatever’s at the root of this wave of activism, long may it continue. There are a good few gay student teachers in the system these days and this summit is timely (well, it’s long overdue, but let’s not split hairs). Let’s just say the last line on the INTO LGBT group’s website is telling: ‘Confidentiality assured.’ I’ll be marching with Anseo at the next Pride.

By: Gooner

Gooner — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:10:02 +0000

Thanks Una.
You can read about the ASTI group at this link
http://www.asti.ie/about-asti/policy/equality/asti-gay-lesbian-network/

By: UnaRocks

UnaRocks — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:08:11 +0000

That’s great news. Is there an equivalent in the ASTI?