Have Pride an inspirational history of the LGBTQ+ movement by Stella Caldwell

I think LGBT History Month is about looking back at how far we’ve come.

It also gave them a chance to learn about someone who might be different to them and empathise with him, to discuss how unfair things had been for him and how they thought people in the LGBTQ+ community should be treated. I think learning about him gave the children a sense of how pioneering and brilliant so many people in the LGBTQ+ community were, and are. They were impressed by his intelligence, bravery, hard work, but also shocked at how he, as a gay man, was treated. Our topic that term was on World War Two and this allowed me to teach the children about the life of Alan Turing and his role in the war.

One year, I had to deal with a case of homophobic bullying and, as part of making changes throughout the school, I decided to review what I taught in Year 6. I was also bothered by the frequency at which older children would use phrases like ‘that’s so gay’ to describe something as ‘lame’ or ‘uncool’. Are our lives only mentioned every now and again in Circle Time? Do students only learn about heterosexual, cisgender artists, musicians, mathematicians, geographers and historians? Or do students have the opportunity to see the LGBTQ+ community represented throughout their time at school and in the books they read?Ĭertainly, as someone who has taught in primary schools for thirteen years, I was shocked at the lack of diversity in the curriculum. LGBT History Month strikes me as a brilliant time to look at how inclusive and welcoming your curriculum is. How wonderful it would have felt to be seen and included! It's a project that I wish I had been set as a young boy who was struggling with his sexuality and identity. Johnson, Stormé DeLarverie, Harvey Milk, Justin Fashanu, James Baldwin, Barbara Gittings, Freddie Mercury, Keith Haring, Jackie Shane and many, many more. James and his friend Joel begin learning about a number of LGBTQ+ icons such as Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. In Glitter Boy, my LGBTQ+ inclusive debut middle-grade book, 11-year-old James is set a task by his teacher, Mr Hamilton, to find out about hidden figures throughout history. All I knew was that being gay could never lead to a fulfilled and happy life. If you were different to the other boys, perhaps quieter or gentler, you were immediately targeted as ‘gay’ and this meant you were ignored, pushed, vilified, spat at, beaten up. Growing up in the shadow of Section 28 meant that ‘gay’ was something to be ashamed of and feared. I certainly didn’t know of any LGBTQ+ trailblazers or role models. In primary and secondary school, I knew nothing about the LGBTQ+ community. Why we must include LGBTQ+ historical figures across the curriculumĪuthor and former teacher Ian Eagleton explains how broadening the range of historical figures studied can benefit all students.

Have Pride an inspirational history of the LGBTQ+ movement by Stella Caldwell