|
Research Useful research, theses and dissertations on LGBT issues can be found below. This section is periodically updated with new material.
Visioning Difference: Lesbian and Gay Experiences in Multi-Cultural Britain and The Theory and Method of Differential Oppositional Consciousness.There are many different kinds of communities in Great Britain which at first glance may appear to have disparate agendas for political and social change, yet the struggles of the lesbian and gay movement have parallels to those fought by multi-cultural and immigrant communities everywhere. As a group however the opinions of gay people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds are often not reflected in research studies, even though these are particularly vulnerable groups for ‘hate crime’. The Stonewall riots in New York in 1969, led to the modern gay liberation movement that originally modelled itself on Black Militancy to transform ‘“stigma” into a source of pride and strength’. (D’Emilio, 1989: 466) Legal and social change has also been driven by British and European legislation such as The Human Rights Act of 1998, The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations of 2003 and the Civil Partnerships Act of 2005, which gave gay people rights and responsibilities similar to those of heterosexual couples. Yet despite changes of this kind there remains a discrepancy between a veneer of acceptance and recent research findings that reveal a high incidence of harassment and bullying of gay people in the workplace and the doubling of homophobic verbal abuse in schools since 1984. (Building Confident Communities Report, 2005, Hunt & Jenson, 2006, Savage, 2007) What are the experiences of lesbians and gay men in different cultural communities in Great Britain and how can positive identities founded on ‘difference’ be protected and different communities learn from each other to benefit all? The Method and Theory of Differential Oppositional Consciousness proposes the use of ‘coalitions across differences’ made up of ‘oppositional actors’ who ‘claim new grounds for generating identity, ethics, and political activity’ in order to re-vision ‘difference’ as something to be nurtured, ‘an essence of what is good in human existence.’ (Sandoval, 2004: 199, 204) To download the full essay by Diane Walker, click here (Word document)
Stonewall's Education for All - The Teachers' Report 2009YouGov surveyed a sample of 2043 teachers and non-teaching staff from primary and secondary schools across Great Britain.The survey asked staff about their experiences of homophobic bullying of pupils in their schools and the inclusion of sexual orientation issues in their classrooms. Eighty per cent of the respondents were teachers. Half of the respondents work in primary schools and half in secondary schools. Ninety per cent work in state schools and eight per cent work in independent or private schools. Twenty three per cent of the respondents work in faith schools. Data have been weighted by school type and teaching /non-teaching staff. Ninety per cent of secondary school teachers say pupils in their schools are bullied, harassed or called names for being – or perceived to be – lesbian, gay or bisexual. More than two in five primary school teachers (44 per cent) say children experience homophobic bullying in their schools. Primary school teachers explain that this occurs for various reasons often unrelated to sexual orientation. To download a copy of the full report click here (pdf)
Including Lesbian and Gay Youth in Schools - Parents Find a Voice (Disertation)This study seeks ways of better including lesbian, gay, questioning and gender non-conforming young people in educational settings. It also considers how to enable their parents to play a more inclusive part in their education. To this end, the parents of lesbian and gay young people were asked to complete a short questionnaire. Two parents then provided their detailed recollections of their experiences throughout their children’s nursery and school years. This evidence is used to consider the successes and the difficulties that presented themselves over the issues of the children’s atypical choices and how these were interpreted by others. The struggles of both the children and their parents to be accepted and understood are considered in the light of current educational practices and the impact of social, cultural and religious values. Recommendations are offered for enabling nurseries and schools to become more inclusive places for all children and young people, and their parents.To download a copy of the full document click here (word doc)
Young LGBT Acknowledged as Vulnerable GroupThe final report of the Children and Adolsecent Mental Health Services review was published on the 18th November. Part of this review looked at vulnerable groups of children and young people; the report says, "Young people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual may be more vulnerable to self-harm, suicide and bullying, though there is currently a lack of robust evidence." The reference for this is a paper written by Jan Bridget of Gay and Lesbian Youth in Calderdale which can be found on the national CAMHS network website. Jan Bridget, Gay and Lesbian Youth in Calderdale, welcomed the report and said, "It is important that LGBT young people are acknowledged as a vulnerable group. This coincides with a Council of Europe report earlier this year which also identified LGBT young people as especially vulnerable to self-harm and suicide and called on member states to develop appropriate services to meet their needs, and a United Nations Report which called on the UK to tackle discrimination against LGBT young people.". To download a copy of the full report click here (pdf)
Samtosha Training Consultancy LGBT Newsletter Special To download a copy of the Newsletter click here (pdf)
This survey together with a growing body of other evidence not least that provided by the Department for Children, Schools and Families revels a deeply disturbing picture of endemic homophobia within our schools. This authority based survey and report indicates that while many individual teachers unflinchingly challenge homophobia in their daily practice much more coordinated action is required. This survey endorses the urgent need for an authority wide and whole school approach to this appalling and deeply harmful prejudice. The alternative cannot be anything other than the continuation of the status quo: the passive acceptance in the midst of the very institutions dedicated to enlightenment and good citizenship the incubation and perpetuation of deeply ignorant and deeply injurious bigotry. To download a copy of the survey results click here (pdf)
Teachers Discourse on the Inclusion of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Pupils in Scottish Schools The Standards in Scottish Schools Act (2000) identifies the need to ensure all pupils benefit from education and learn to respect self, one another their neighbour and society. These ideals are reflected in a number of Scottish Education policy documents (Scottish Executive 2001,20004b, 2004c).This paper reports on a study which surveyed head teachers and interviewed nursery, primary and secondary teachers on their perceptions of the barriers and facilitators to inclusion of lesbian gay and bisexual (LGB) pupils in one rural Scottish Education Authority. The outcomes indicated that there was a silencing of diverse sexualities in schools. In theory, teachers had adopted an individual liberal humanitarian stance of “we treat all pupils alike”. In practice this has resulted in confusion on how to respond to the needs of LGB pupils and a silence on (homo) sexuality, believing that sexuality is a private matter. This paper further discuses the implications of the outcomes of this study for the implementation of the government equality agenda and the Standards in Scottish Schools Act (2000) in relation to sexual orientation. Teachers Discourse on the Inclusion of Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Pupils in Scottish Schools
Non-Normative Gender and Sexual Identities in Schools This research interrogates how schools are approaching queerphobia and addressing heteronormativity and the success of policies and guidance in addressing these issues. It includes young people who identify, or who are beginning to identify, as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) talking about their experiences at school and to a lesser extent it looks at LGBT identified or perceived teachers, how the school environment affects them and how all teachers contribute to the well-being of LGBT pupils. It shows that there continues to be little opportunity for LGBT teachers to be openly visible and that there are major barriers for LGBT pupils to negotiate their identities. Furthermore, it highlights some of the devastating effects that queerphobia and heteronormativity can have on LGBT young people and teachers. Gender and Sexual Identity in British Schools, A MacMillan, 2008 (pdf)
Independant Academic Research Studies - Homophobic Bullying in Schools: Young People Speak Out On 11 August 2008, the youth-led charity Independent Academic Research Studies (IARS) releases the findings of a one year research project which provides new data on what young people think about homophobic bullying in schools. The study was carried out by a group of young researchers and included interviews and questionnaires with 70 other young people who had experience homophobic bullying. Report
Gay Youth Report Higher Rates Of Drug And Alcohol Use - University Of Pittsburgh Researchers Report Findings In Journal Addiction
Managing Equality and Diversity in the Public Services: Moving Forward on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Equality?
Involved, Invisible, Ignored: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Parents and Their Children in Our Nation's K-12 Schools NEW YORK, Feb. 28 – The first comprehensive report on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families’ experiences in education, released today by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, in partnership with the Family Equality Council and COLAGE, has found that LGBT parents are more likely to be involved in their children’s K-12 education than the general parent population. These parents are more involved in school activities and more likely to report consistent communication with school personnel. In addition, both LGBT parents and children of LGBT parents often report harassment because of their family structure. Current estimates indicate there are more than seven million LGBT parents with school-age children in the United States. Involved, Invisible, Ignored: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Parents and Their Children in Our Nation’s K-12 Schools examines and highlights the school experiences of LGBT-headed families using results from surveys of LGBT parents of children in K-12 schools and of secondary students who have LGBT parents. Involved, Invisible, Ignored: Read the full report here (pdf)
IN PRAISE OF DIVERSITY: WHY SCHOOLS SHOULD SEEK GAY AND LESBIAN TEACHERS AND WHY ITS DIFFICULT David Nixon - Forum http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/forum.2006.48.3.275
TACKLING HATE CRIME - PAUL HARTNETT Paul has also worked with School's Out on the subject of homophobic abuse, putting together this essay
THE SCHOOL REPORT, STONEWALL. The Experience of Young Gay People in Britian's Schools The study In 2006, Stonewall asked young people from Great Britain who are lesbian, gay, bisexual (or think they might be) to complete a survey about their experiences at school. The survey received 1145 responses from young people at secondary school. The survey was conducted by the Schools Health Education Unit on behalf of Stonewall. Download the full report here (pdf document)
Living Together - A Stonewall Report on British Attitudes to Lesbian and Gay People In October 2006 Stonewall commissioned YouGov to survey a nationally representative sample of 2,009 adults. The survey canvassed opinion on:
The aim of the research was to understand the nature of feelings towards lesbian and gay people in Britain today. See the full report here
Sexual Orientation and Religion or Belief Discrimination in the Workplace - ACAS This report describes the findings of a programme of research exploring the impacts of the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 and the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003. Author - Ben Savage (Acas Research and Evaluation Section) Sexual Orientation and Religion or Belief Discrimination in the Workplace - pdf (new window)
Homophobic attitudes of Year 11 pupils in relation to the Sex Education they receive This study was conducted in an English school. The Health Education teacher was interviewed and 217 year 11 children completed a questionnaire. The focuses of this dissertation were homophobic attitudes in pupils, and how the curriculum serves to inform children about the inequalities faced by LGB people. 6.9% of my sample said that they were not straight. Large proportions of children were exposed to homophobic language by other pupils and more than three quarters admitted to using homophobic language that term. 70.4% said that teachers usually ignored homophobic language, and 20.4% said that they had heard a teacher make a homophobic comment. Generally, children were very unaware of LGB inequalities and poorly informed by their Health Education teacher who did not appear to pass her knowledge on. This teacher was unaware of the levels of homophobia in the school, and in particular the attitudes of staff. Though lesbian/bisexual herself she only allocated a proportion of 2 lessons to discussing homosexuality. Interesting gender comparisons were drawn from the results. Boys appeared to be more aware of the inequalities faced by LGB people. Boys were also a lot more homophobic with 12.4% of boys strongly agreeing that they did not want to be friends with someone who is gay. 51.4% thought male homosexual relationships were wrong, they were more tolerant of lesbian relationships. Interestingly boys were less likely than girls to have an LGB role model. Boys reported hearing homophobic language a lot more than girls, which leads me to question why. Homophobic Attitudes Year 11 - pdf (new window)
A systematic review of research on counselling and psychotherapy for lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender people by Michael King, Joanna Semylen, Helen Killaspy, Irvin Nazareth, David Osborn. 'A well conducted review of the evidence concerning psychological therapy for LGBT Clients' – Pete Bower, Senior Fellow, National Primary Care Research and Development Centre For the first time, this publication reviews existing research on counselling and psychotherapy for LGBT clients and draws from studies carried out over the last forty years, describing and evaluating the contribution of different research measures, and identifying future priorities for policy, practice and research. This review will be of use to students of counselling and psychotherapy, researchers, counselling practitioners and service managers who want to focus on this client group. Click Here to visit their website and download the review for Free.
The Silent Art: Lesbians and Lesbian Art in UK Art & Design Education Abstract - This essay examines the difficulties and problems which can be faced by both art students and artists who are lesbian in the United Kingdom today for those who have an interest in expressing or investigating their sexuality in their studies or practice. It examines discourses that can act as obstacles to positive lesbian identity development, and suggests a lack of educational resources can leave gay students wishing to focus on this area of study vulnerable to homophobic bullying. The absence of material and critical input on gay and lesbian artists in libraries and art curricula has come about in part as a consequence of 1990’s government legislation in the form of Section 28 which forbade the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ in education. Many staff have then had a reluctance to address issues around homo/sexuality, homophobic bullying and discrimination which lesbian and gay teachers are not immune from. Some of the potentially far-reaching psychological difficulties, which can result from these experiences, are also highlighted. The essay asks whether Queer Theory also might oppress lesbians and their ability to voice and write of their own experiences as women. The conclusion suggests the strategic importance of lesbian studies in reducing isolation and alienation for both lesbian art students and artists and that lesbian feminist ideas from 1960’s and 70’ America still have a place for students today.
A Serious Business (April 2007)
Introducing Sci:dentity: What’s The Science Of Sex And Gender? (FEB 2007) The executive summary of the Sci:dentity phase 1 and 2 Evaluation Report and a PDF of the whole report. The National Bullying Survey 2006 - Results Social exclusion of young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) in Europe (APRIL 2006) http://www.iglyo.com/content/activities/sexclusion.html The Comparative Organisation and Equality Research Centre (COERC) has produced a report that focuses on the experiences of LGB people within sixteen 'good practice' employers including two schools following the introduction of the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003. This study addresses the gap in knowledge that exists regarding the experiences of LGB people within UK workplaces. A full copy of the report can be accessed on Different in more ways that one - providing guidance for teenagers on their way to identity, sexuality and respect a manual Going Beyond Gay-Straight Alliances to Make Schools Safe for LGBT Students NSPCC Bullying research http://www.nspcc.org.uk/html/home/informationresources/bullyingcallstoChildLinegrow12percent.htm http://www.nspcc.org.uk/inform/publications/downloads/WD_CasenotesSexualOrientation_gf37413.pdf No Outsiders: Researching approaches to sexualities equality in primary schools Are you a primary teacher working in North East England, South West England or London? Are you interested in challenging homophobia and developing approaches to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in your own school or classroom? If so, the No Outsiders research project, starting in September 2006, may be just the opportunity you need to explore new possibilities with the support of a network of other teacher-researchers and an expert research team. What’s in it for you? • Supply cover for 12 half days’ release in 2006-7 to develop a We are recruiting teachers to the project NOW! Guidance on Dealing with Homophobic Bullying (Scottish Executive) http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/05/25091604/3 Lesbian and bisexual women's health: different from heterosexual women? Because their specificities are particularly unknown or ignored even by the women concerned, ILGA decided to issue the report in English "Lesbian and bisexual women's health: common concerns, local issues". If you prefer to obtain a hard copy you can order it by sending an email to patriciacurzi@ilga.org and make a donation to cover the postal costs: http://www.ilga.org/donate.asp Developing Consensus Guidelines for Endocrinological Intervention in the Gender Identity Development Treatment of Adolescents A paper entitled "Developing Consensus Guidelines for Endocrinological Intervention in the Gender Identity Development Treatment of Adolescents" was presented at the Symposium that the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association (HBIGDA) arranged in Bologna in April 2005. It described the formation of a multidisciplinary and multinational team of people with relevant experience to work on this issue. The team includes 8 members of HBIGDA. The team attended a symposium in London, England, in May 2005, that was organised by the Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES), in conjuction with Mermaids, a group that supports such young people and their families. The Nuffield Foundation, a major British medical charity, is the main funder of this work. GIRES has just submitted a report to the Foundation on the use of its grant and the results so far achieved. This report is on view at http://www.gires.org.uk, in the section entitled "Endocrine Treatment for Adolescents". Time to Think Comprehensive and vital information and statistics on young LGBT experience in 2005. The main areas this research concentrates on are: education, employment, housing and homelessness, violence and crime, alcohol and drugs, mental health, the Health Service and other supports, religion and culture, sexual www.timetothinkresearch.co.uk (external link) Teacher Support Info: Results on survey on workplace discrimination against LGBT teachers and lecturers Download Press Release (Word version) I am the hate that dare not speak its name... How can young people be empowered to achieve justice when they experience homophobic crime? Download Rich Text Format (rtf) version Homophobic Bullying in schools Download Rich Text Format (rtf) version Homophobia, Sexual Orientation and Schools: a Review and Implications for Action (Department for Education and Skills report ) http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR594.pdf (external link to PDF document) ReachOUT (Reading's Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Youth Project) Documents are provided for information only. Schools Out is not responsible for the content of material in this section. |
