The overwhelming majority of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teachers have experienced bullying and harassment related to their sexuality during their careers, a conference organised by the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, has heard.
LGBT teachers from across the country gathered in Birmingham for the NASUWT’s LGBT Consultation Conference to discuss the challenges facing them as teachers, the impact of the Government’s policies on children and young people and to engage in professional development workshops.
The Conference heard that:
- more than 60% of LGBT teachers said they have experienced discrimination on the basis of their sexual identity in the course of their teaching careers;
- over three quarters of LGBT teachers said they had experienced bullying and harassment during their teaching careers;
- 60% of LGBT teachers said their school has no policy which explicitly opposes homophobia, biphobia and transphobia;
- two thirds of LGBT teachers said it was not safe for LGBT teachers to be out at work.