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Schoolchildren have been advised to “act less gay” in order to avoid being bullied, according to the BBC. While the advice was intended to defuse tension in schools, rights activists are saying it could potentially harm the very children it was meant to protect.
Anecdotal evidence after an anti-bullying conference in the UK included claims that “students were told to act less gay or to wear their hair differently as teachers felt they were making themselves a target for bullies was a current theme." It can only be assumed that bullying behaviour was also addressed at the conference.
Dangerous territory
Chris Gibbons, from gay rights group Stonewall, said pupils should be encouraged to express themselves.
He said: "It impacts on their self-esteem, their confidence and enjoyment at school and ultimately their attainment at school."
Mr Gibbons said homophobic bullying in schools was a nationwide problem.
In South Africa, there has always been a culture of homophobic bullying in schools- it even features in the popular novel Spud by John van de Ruit as an accepted part of school culture.
The problem is that, while bullying is obviously unacceptable, the anti-homophobic advice was itself quite possibly homophobic.
Children's rights
What is “less gay”? Surely the challenge should be to address aggression and bullying behaviour in other children? In some sectors of society, it is still believed that homosexuality can be “corrected” or “cured”, and those children coming to terms with their personal choices are already under immense pressure to conform. If a child can be told to act "less gay", they could also be instructed to act less cool, nerdy, sporty or pretty.
What do you think? Was it wrong to tell children to act “less gay”?
Anecdotal evidence after an anti-bullying conference in the UK included claims that “students were told to act less gay or to wear their hair differently as teachers felt they were making themselves a target for bullies was a current theme." It can only be assumed that bullying behaviour was also addressed at the conference.
Dangerous territory
Chris Gibbons, from gay rights group Stonewall, said pupils should be encouraged to express themselves.
He said: "It impacts on their self-esteem, their confidence and enjoyment at school and ultimately their attainment at school."
Mr Gibbons said homophobic bullying in schools was a nationwide problem.
In South Africa, there has always been a culture of homophobic bullying in schools- it even features in the popular novel Spud by John van de Ruit as an accepted part of school culture.
The problem is that, while bullying is obviously unacceptable, the anti-homophobic advice was itself quite possibly homophobic.
Children's rights
What is “less gay”? Surely the challenge should be to address aggression and bullying behaviour in other children? In some sectors of society, it is still believed that homosexuality can be “corrected” or “cured”, and those children coming to terms with their personal choices are already under immense pressure to conform. If a child can be told to act "less gay", they could also be instructed to act less cool, nerdy, sporty or pretty.
What do you think? Was it wrong to tell children to act “less gay”?
