4 minute read
Bohunt Wokingham
SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT…
STUDENTS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON BEING PART OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
It’s a support system of people (whether I know them personally or not) who have had similar experiences to me. It also allows me to feel accepted regardless of what happens to me during my everyday life. – Emma/Caelum Wells, Year 10 Standing up for what’s important and people living their lives as the person they were born to be. Everyone deserves rights and transphobia and homophobia have no place in human society. – Chris Bennett, Year 8 It means being myself around other people and feeling confident about me and makes me feel like it is my home. – Lily Murray, Year 7 It means being proud of who you are. – Freya Clark, Year 7
What further promotion do you feel the group needs to ensure respect is shown towards the community members?
This needs to be a key part of the curriculum in all schools. Five different people have all come up to me and asked me why I chose to be trans. Let me stress this: it is not a choice. – Anonymous I think schools need to educate the pupils about the effect of homophobic language or anything homophobic and more education on the whole community. – Chloe Dale, Year 8 Please get rid of stereotypes. They are dangerous and damaging and based on prejudice. – Chris Bennett, Year 8 I really want to put a message out that basically says it’s ok to be you, so don’t ever be ashamed of who you are, and that message goes beyond the LGBTQ+ community. – Lydia Henley, Year 7
What is your proudest moment since being a part of the LGBTQ+ Community?
Helping one of my friends gather the courage to come out to their parents. – Emma/Caelum Wells, Year 10 Being able to be myself without having to hide even if people who may not agree get in the way. – Issy Rayfield, Year 7 Walking out of school wearing a gay flag, it really shows that I’m proud of who I am, and no one can change that. I do it because I want others to express themselves and not be ashamed of themselves. – Lydia Henley, Year 7
Teacher Questions Mr Read, how did you first get involved in the LGBTQ+ Community both inside and outside of school?
When I was in secondary school, someone had outed* me to my head of year and I had to have a very awkward meeting with him where he asked me to hide the fact I was gay because he didn’t want me to be bullied. So, when I left school and started college, I joined the LGBTQ+ group and volunteered on the Stonewall Diversity Champions scheme and went back to my secondary school to work with the senior leadership team to help improve the school. Since then, I have run the LGBTQ+ society at my college and university and now at Bohunt Wokingham. This is one of the big reasons I wanted to go into teaching, I wanted to work to make sure LGBTQ+ students had a much better school experience than I did. Once I found my feet after joining Bohunt, I went to an annual LGBTQ+ educators conference in Blackpool. It was an inspirational experience to meet other teachers doing great work in their school and to pick up some great tips and tools. This is what got me involved more at Bohunt. *To out someone means to tell others about their LGBTQ+ identity without their permission. This is disrespectful and could potentially put them in an unsafe situation.
Belonging. It’s a community where I can find people with shared lived experiences that understand and accept me for me. It’s being free from the pressures of societal expectations on who you should be and you can just do what makes you happy.
Have you noticed any changes in the levels of respect for this community within the past 12 months?
The biggest difference I have noticed is the pride these students have in themselves and their school. When I first started running the LGBTQ+ club after school, I was surprised by how differently some of the students were behaving to how I had seen them around school and lessons but over time they have become more and more confident to be themselves all around school. It’s so heartening to see. What is really wonderful, is that in the past 12 months there have been so many wonderful staff and students in the school that have started stepping up to be amazing allies for the LGBTQ+ community here. I’ve had staff approach me to ask what more they could be doing to support their students and be willing to amplify the voices of the LGBTQ+ community within school. I’ve also had students be inquisitive and keen to learn more and to educate themselves on what it means to be LGBTQ+.
