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Pride and Progress: Making Schools LGBT+ Inclusive Spaces
Pride & Progress began as a podcast created to amplify the voices of LGBT+ educators and allies. This book builds upon the podcast’s success to create an essential guide for teachers and educators who want to make their educational spaces LGBT+ inclusive.
The book combines academic theory and the lived experiences of our guests to explore ten key themes. Each chapter explores one of these themes, providing the knowledge, language and strategies that schools need to make their educational spaces inclusive for all.
The book combines academic theory and the lived experiences of our guests to explore ten key themes. Each chapter explores one of these themes, providing the knowledge, language and strategies that schools need to make their educational spaces inclusive for all.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 6, 2024
This book is about how to make our educational spaces more inclusive. I am an English teacher who claims not to be an English specialist. I do not love teaching English because I am a member of ‘the grammar police’, and I have never read a Shakespeare play from start to finish. But, what I do love about the subject is its ability to champion inclusivity and the opportunity to usualise diversity and difference through exposure to literature.
The literature we choose to share can provide context, empathy, historical knowledge and lived experience. We have the absolute joy of choosing from authors and texts who represent everyone.
So, when I read Pride and Progress, and I learnt about both the theory and practice of LGBT+ inclusivity through research and the lived experiences of both the authors and their podcast guests, I needed to share it with my fellow English teachers.
The book begins with a glossary - nice - and three chapters which provide context regarding what the authors refer to as ‘the problem’. First, they set the scene by exploring the impact of Thatcher’s ‘Section 28’. Something I had heard of, but as a straight cisfemale, hadn’t realised it had impacted on my entire time in school; from 1988 in reception, to 2003 when I left sixth form.
Throughout those years no teacher was allowed to promote homosexuality - in any way. It was absent from our curriculums. It was absent in role models for young people. It was absent in guidance regarding LGBT+ relationships and it was absent as a topic where students may need support. Except it wasn’t.
And I had never realised how damaging this was for those around me.
By the end of the first chapter I had reflected on my entire schooling and my lived experience of ‘Sector 28’, in action. Starting with whispers about teachers who were thought to belong to the LGBT+ community, to friends who came out after school and who had painful journeys with no role models, or sense of anything other than heternormativity, in every aspect of their education.
As English teachers we love to explore the meaning of a word. The next two chapters guide us through two terms which hold great significance in this context: ‘hetronormativity’ and ‘cisnormativity’. The authors highlight the literal meaning of the terms, what they look like in education (and society in general) and finally their impact on the lives of individuals.
Within these three chapters which educate us about ‘the problem’, we are provided with simple actions we can take to make our schools and colleges LGBT+ inclusive. These include simple gestures such as wearing badges to signify that LGBT+ people are safe and are ‘seen’ around you (I bought two straight ally badges after reading these chapters and only days later a chemist pointed them out and told me they loved my ‘rainbow vibe’), not making assumptions about family structures, and referring to our students as folks, or, (my now favourite) calling them specialists in your subject, i.e. “Come on now, authors, readers, critics, poets” etc. As well as deeper changes we can make, where we consider our own privileges and how they may affect our understanding of other peoples’ lived experiences and influence our actions and understanding of what it truly means to be an ally.
Not only does the book provide us with suggested changes which would have a positive impact in any environment, we are also given a range of stories and activities regarding professional development and classroom work which can help society to reimagine how inclusive the education sector can be, not just for LGBT+ individuals, but in relation to any characteristic which makes us and our students a minority.
If you teach because you hope for change, this book will empower you to be the change yourself.
The literature we choose to share can provide context, empathy, historical knowledge and lived experience. We have the absolute joy of choosing from authors and texts who represent everyone.
So, when I read Pride and Progress, and I learnt about both the theory and practice of LGBT+ inclusivity through research and the lived experiences of both the authors and their podcast guests, I needed to share it with my fellow English teachers.
The book begins with a glossary - nice - and three chapters which provide context regarding what the authors refer to as ‘the problem’. First, they set the scene by exploring the impact of Thatcher’s ‘Section 28’. Something I had heard of, but as a straight cisfemale, hadn’t realised it had impacted on my entire time in school; from 1988 in reception, to 2003 when I left sixth form.
Throughout those years no teacher was allowed to promote homosexuality - in any way. It was absent from our curriculums. It was absent in role models for young people. It was absent in guidance regarding LGBT+ relationships and it was absent as a topic where students may need support. Except it wasn’t.
And I had never realised how damaging this was for those around me.
By the end of the first chapter I had reflected on my entire schooling and my lived experience of ‘Sector 28’, in action. Starting with whispers about teachers who were thought to belong to the LGBT+ community, to friends who came out after school and who had painful journeys with no role models, or sense of anything other than heternormativity, in every aspect of their education.
As English teachers we love to explore the meaning of a word. The next two chapters guide us through two terms which hold great significance in this context: ‘hetronormativity’ and ‘cisnormativity’. The authors highlight the literal meaning of the terms, what they look like in education (and society in general) and finally their impact on the lives of individuals.
Within these three chapters which educate us about ‘the problem’, we are provided with simple actions we can take to make our schools and colleges LGBT+ inclusive. These include simple gestures such as wearing badges to signify that LGBT+ people are safe and are ‘seen’ around you (I bought two straight ally badges after reading these chapters and only days later a chemist pointed them out and told me they loved my ‘rainbow vibe’), not making assumptions about family structures, and referring to our students as folks, or, (my now favourite) calling them specialists in your subject, i.e. “Come on now, authors, readers, critics, poets” etc. As well as deeper changes we can make, where we consider our own privileges and how they may affect our understanding of other peoples’ lived experiences and influence our actions and understanding of what it truly means to be an ally.
Not only does the book provide us with suggested changes which would have a positive impact in any environment, we are also given a range of stories and activities regarding professional development and classroom work which can help society to reimagine how inclusive the education sector can be, not just for LGBT+ individuals, but in relation to any characteristic which makes us and our students a minority.
If you teach because you hope for change, this book will empower you to be the change yourself.
June 19, 2024
Creating spaces where LGBT+ students get to ‘breathe’ and find their community is one of the most important things a school can do.
As a gay teacher and GSA advisor, I have been scouring online shelves to find professional texts to help me level-up my advocacy and support. To date, I have read several books about LGBTQ+ youth in schools and I must say...I have found Pride and Progress to be the most helpful. Brett and Brassington have created a resource that is the perfect balance of theory and application. The "In Theory," "In Practice," and "In Action" section headings make it easy to read and apply immediately. It was also really wise to have the citation and podcast references at the end of each chapter. This makes it easy to follow links and references to further learning. Finally, it would be worth stating that although many of the examples are UK-based, as an American man living and teaching in Thailand, I found all the chapters to be transferrable. Recommended for all teacher allies and soon-to-be allies.
As a gay teacher and GSA advisor, I have been scouring online shelves to find professional texts to help me level-up my advocacy and support. To date, I have read several books about LGBTQ+ youth in schools and I must say...I have found Pride and Progress to be the most helpful. Brett and Brassington have created a resource that is the perfect balance of theory and application. The "In Theory," "In Practice," and "In Action" section headings make it easy to read and apply immediately. It was also really wise to have the citation and podcast references at the end of each chapter. This makes it easy to follow links and references to further learning. Finally, it would be worth stating that although many of the examples are UK-based, as an American man living and teaching in Thailand, I found all the chapters to be transferrable. Recommended for all teacher allies and soon-to-be allies.
June 4, 2023
This book has something for everyone and there should be a copy in every school. It's a great read for anyone wanting to make their school more inclusive. It addresses the current situation in many schools and asks the reader to consider how truly inclusive their school is. Is it a place where everyone feels seen, feels safe, feels supported and that they belong? Many people would initially answer yes to this question, but, as this book points out,that is often not the case for everyone.
Through presenting current research, personal anecdotes and stories that have been shared with them on their Pride and Progress podcast, the authors explain what the experience of school can be like for someone in the LGBT+ community. It challenges stereotypes and doing things a certain way, just because that's how they've always been done. It offers stories of hope and ways to change the language, curriculum and communities in schools to make them more inclusive.
By breaking down each section into in theory, in practice and in action, the book gives readers the tools they need to have conversations about issues surrounding LGBT+ inclusivity, real stories to relate to and end-of-chapter questions, which can be used for self-reflection and to promote discussions in school.
I love how this book doesn't make any assumptions about the reader's knowledge of the LGBT+ community. Gently and firmly, this book removes the arguments of, "I'm just too old to change what I say," or, "I can't do that because I don't understand it." The authors take the time to explain the language they use and why they use it. They acknowledge that people often make mistakes when trying to use inclusive language, to reassure anyone who is new to this language that they probably will make mistakes and that's not a reason not to try. It reassures the reader that it's okay not to understand everything about another person's identity, they just need to treat others with kindness.
I will be sharing this book with everyone I work with and look forward to seeing how we can reimagine our school as a more inclusive space where everyone belongs.
Through presenting current research, personal anecdotes and stories that have been shared with them on their Pride and Progress podcast, the authors explain what the experience of school can be like for someone in the LGBT+ community. It challenges stereotypes and doing things a certain way, just because that's how they've always been done. It offers stories of hope and ways to change the language, curriculum and communities in schools to make them more inclusive.
By breaking down each section into in theory, in practice and in action, the book gives readers the tools they need to have conversations about issues surrounding LGBT+ inclusivity, real stories to relate to and end-of-chapter questions, which can be used for self-reflection and to promote discussions in school.
I love how this book doesn't make any assumptions about the reader's knowledge of the LGBT+ community. Gently and firmly, this book removes the arguments of, "I'm just too old to change what I say," or, "I can't do that because I don't understand it." The authors take the time to explain the language they use and why they use it. They acknowledge that people often make mistakes when trying to use inclusive language, to reassure anyone who is new to this language that they probably will make mistakes and that's not a reason not to try. It reassures the reader that it's okay not to understand everything about another person's identity, they just need to treat others with kindness.
I will be sharing this book with everyone I work with and look forward to seeing how we can reimagine our school as a more inclusive space where everyone belongs.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews