These are some real life LGBTQ+ stories that people have shared with us over the years. These stories can provide a window into the lived experiences of the LGBTQ+ community and those close to them (family/ friends/ teachers). They can also be used as prompts for conversations with younger (or older) children. Please do email as if you would like to share a life story with us.
Laura – Primary School Teacher
“When I was first sent an email looking for volunteers to participate in this project, it caught my attention for several reasons. I thought it sounded like a brilliant way to promote more diversity within the classroom setting, but also I was hoping that it would be able to provide me with more guidance and confidence when faced with questions from children (and their parents). I like to think that I am honest and open with my students and happy to answer most questions. However, at times, there are questions that leave my unsure of how to respond, questioning if I am using the correct terminology, searching to find age-appropriate information and worried about how parents and carers may respond. Having spoken to several colleagues, I know that this last point is a huge issue for many teachers.
Being part of this project has provided me with so many tools. On a “practical” side, I have found some incredibly useful books and websites that can be shared with children, their families and other teaching staff. I also feel much more confident in sharing these lessons and discussions in the classroom. Hearing stories of what school can be like for young people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community was not easy, but hopefully projects like this one can be a steppingstone in the right direction.”
Irene – University Student
“When I heard that Richard and Maria were working on an LGBTQ+ project for primary schools, I just knew that I wanted to take part in it. One of my main reasons was because this wasn’t really a topic that we talked about in my primary school, and I feel like if we had, then I would have been able to understand who I was earlier in life. But it would have been helpful not only for me but for my peers, that would have received quality information about existing groups in our society. While in high school, I came across students full of misconceptions about LGBTQ+ matters, mainly because the internet was our main source to explore the topic. From my own experience, these misconceptions led in some cases to negative and even aggressive reactions when they came across someone who was part of the community. Probably because these teenagers didn’t’ understand these concepts, and weren’t taught to respect people who are different to them. Reflecting back on those experiences, I feel like if we had gotten the right information at the right time, these teenagers could have understood that there are different types of people in society and that it is highly relevant for them to respect everyone no matter who they are, or whom they like.
Participating in the programme gave me the opportunity to share my own experiences on the topic; I felt heard and understood by others in the community. Preparing materials with teachers and parents gave me a broader vision of how my personal experiences could be used in the classroom and at home to help children develop their understanding of LGBTQ+ matters. Because people from different ranges that have different perspectives about children, teaching and the topic, gave us a holistic view of how to approach the subject. This experience has helped me understand the topic on a deeper level; how to address it with children, and why it is relevant to do so. Hopefully this website will help you too!”
Laura – University Student
“I first became aware of this project when Maria sent out an e-mail asking for student participants to help share their LGBTQ+ experiences and ideas, and I was intrigued by the idea of combining LGBTQ+ discussions with primary school settings. This particularly interested me, as I believe I would have benefitted from discussing these topics when I was younger. Personally, I only fully began questioning my identity when I was in secondary school. However, this process of finding my identity came with many questions and a lack of knowledge. I specifically struggled with labels and choosing which one fitted me. In addition, the notion of being different, came with many negative feelings and did not feel safe to discuss. The idea that perhaps educators could have introduced me to the idea that there was a possibility of other identities and a safe environment where we could discuss these topics, could have saved me from a lot of assumptions I made about myself.
Being able to participate in this project, allowed me to voice my experiences and obtain a comprehensive perspective of the LGBTQ+ community in school settings. One aspect of this project that I didn’t expect to learn greatly from, was the strong influence parents had on the education of their children. This experience aided me to understand from their viewpoint and see what concerns they may have; it helped explain similar concerns my own family may have had. Overall, the project improved my awareness around the topic of LGBTQ+, seeing that there are numerous perspectives that need to be respected, and that it is not a topic that can be taught to children in a basic way. However, I do believe that it can, and will, help many children in their future to answer any questions they may have growing up in regards to their identity. This project was very important as a result.”