‘Ye’re mad about the gays up there, aren’t ye?!’

: Shaping new stories about LGBTQ+ inclusive practice in second level schools in Ireland: a narrative inquiry

Abstract

This project is a narrative inquiry with four second-level teachers in Ireland who are currently working on making their schools (more) hospitable to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) people. Narratives were curated from individual interviews with each teacher with a view to addressing three research questions that probe 1. what the teachers’ understanding of LGBTQ+ inclusive practice is, 2. what motivates it and 3. what happens to and for them, their students, their colleagues and the wider school community in the context of this work.

Framed within an ‘ethos of hospitality’ (Ruitenberg, 2016) and informed by the insights offered by poststructuralist critical, feminist and queer theory (Britzman, 1995, 1998; Britzman & Gilbert, 2004), the inquiry seeks to shape new stories from schools about what is a relatively recent experience in the context of Irish education (Bryan, 2019; Neary, 2020). Using a critical, creative voice to maintain a queer sensibility to the reception of the teachers’ stories, the overall aim of the project is to open new perspectives about LGBTQ+ inclusive practice in Irish schools against a backdrop of significant progressive changes in recent years to the social, legislative and constitutional landscape for gender and sexuality diverse people in Ireland.

The analysis of stories told reveals occasions of hospitality to difference, moments of queer inclusion as well as more lasting accounts of empowerment and transformation for both students and teachers. These ‘success stories’ are counterpointed with narratives of resistance to change that range in intensity from grudging acceptance to sometimes visceral rejection of LGBTQ+ inclusion on the part of students, teachers and at times also the wider school community. The findings are indicative of the complex realities of school life in a project that discusses why it matters for everyone that schools be open to the appearance of LGBTQ+ people, themes and concerns.

Date of Award	10 Dec 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Frances Giampapa (Supervisor) & Lucy A Kelly (Supervisor)