What's it like being an LGBT teacher/PGCE student?

I'm considering going into secondary teaching and was wondering what other people's experiences have been/are? (Sorry if this is the wrong area, I'm new on here.)

Firstly welcome to the forum!

Secondly, it's great that you want to go into teaching, but why do you think there would be a difference in experience as a member of the LGBT community?

I'm considering going into secondary teaching and was wondering what other people's experiences have been/are? (Sorry if this is the wrong area, I'm new on here.)

no one on your course cares.

if you go into a school and you don't deliberately act camp and do the whole ooh lala limp wrist flick, i love a good cocktail thing if you're a man and you're not a butch woman with piercings and short hair then the students won't notice either.

even if they do notice, chances they don't care either.

Well said.

OP is panicking too much for no reason!

I come from a provincial town which can be rather socially backwards and I have seen the treatment received by the only out teacher in my sixth form which is the only thing giving me doubts about teaching. I'm moving away for uni so if other people have not had issues then that's great.

I come from a provincial town which can be rather socially backwards and I have seen the treatment received by the only out teacher in my sixth form which is the only thing giving me doubts about teaching. I'm moving away for uni so if other people have not had issues then that's great.

As a gay (and trans) person looking to go into teaching, I understand why you're worried - I am too. It "got out" that a teacher at my secondary school was gay and kids used to take the mick because of it, and this wasn't in some backwoods middle-of-nowhere town either. Also, there are still people who labour under the impression that gay (and particularly trans) people shouldn't be allowed near children.

That said, I get the impression parents are likely to be your biggest issue, but that most schools will stand up for you. If the school is good, homo/transphobic bullying should be severely dealt with and pupils should be taught to be accepting of difference, so you shouldn't have much trouble from students. Even if you do at the beginning, a good school should make sure it's stamped out early on.

really depends what kind of gay you are. if you're a hot nymph lesbian, I don't think any children or parents would mind at all. they might even make a pass at you. kids will take the piss if you look like Pat Butcher from Eastenders though. similarly, there's beefy manly mans gay, probably a hit with the girls who'll defend you "aww bless his little cotton socks" if anyone takes the mick. different story if you act like Sebastian Love from Little Britain.

Also a lot of these seem to come down to "it's fine as long as you're the right kind of gay" which is still. Kind of a problem.

Also a lot of these seem to come down to "it's fine as long as you're the right kind of gay" which is still. Kind of a problem.

I'm "lucky" because I pass as straight even to friends but I want to go into teaching so I can start a family because schools are pretty good at part time arrangements after maternity leave. Obviously starting a family would make any relationship quite obvious and this really does worry me.

Ok that's understandable. One teachers bad experience doesn't mean all teachers have that kind of experience. Don't worry