Important steps schools can take to show their support for LGBT students

The tragic way in which a teenager from Faridabad died by suicide after allegedly being harassed at school over his sexuality, raises serious concerns about the safety of LGBT students at school. Educational institutions should be regarded as a safe space for every pupil who may be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning. Yet, they often experience unwelcome behaviour in the classroom. So, here are a few critical steps that schools can take to ensure they have an atmosphere that is more inclusive of LGBTQ pupils.

Studies show that LGBTQ pupils are bullied considerably more than other students, which also leads to increased rates of tragic student suicides. Educators can actively change this by standing in support of LGBT students. Should they realise that a student is gay or lesbian, they must reach out to offer help and wise counsel rather than mock the child. Remember that other students look to their teachers as a guide on how to behave and teachers using homophobic words or phrases can set a bad example.

Just as the soft-spoken introverted pupils are bullied in many cases, there would always be students who wish to feel powerful over the others. Such abuse of power can only be stopped by strict anti-bullying rules and a zero-tolerance policy in schools. If proven that a student has ragged or bullied another, he or she should be suspended or banished from the school altogether. This is the best way to create a safe space for all students.

There is a severe lack of representation that causes LGBT students to suffer. When they see that their curriculum has only heterosexual examples of love and the genders are limited to male and female, they tend to feel ostracised. A great way to remedy this is to include LGBT topics in the syllabus for pupils. Whether it is subjects like science, math, history or art that is being studied in the classroom, students should see examples of legends from these fields. Such as Harvey Milk when it comes to politics, Alan Turing who invented the first computer, etc.

An LGBTQ-inclusive prospectus will ensure that every student welcomes other pupils with open arms no matter what their gender identity is. It is an effective way to end bullying in the classroom.

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