“Students in my school bullied me daily. They called me slurs, pushed me around, threatened my life, spat on me. Professors and pedagogy staff in my school weren't prepared for working with a young LGBT person, nor with confronting homophobia and transphobia. The consequences of bullying led me to self-harm and a suicide attempt. I still carry those consequences with me. I believe that every school should be a place of zero tolerance of all forms of violence and that no child or young person should go through what I did.” (young queer person, Zagreb, Croatia)
The quote above is one of the reasons why the handbook "Building LGBTIQ-inclusive and safe schools" for teachers, associates, head teachers and staff working with youth exists. It was published by Lesbian organisation Rijeka - LORI and it can be used by anyone who believes that each child and young person should learn, grow and develop without the fear of discrimination, violence and not being accepted.
This handbook includes:
- guidelines for facing LGBTIQ-phobic language and violence
- advice on how to build a positive school climate for all students
- suggestions for concrete steps that can be used right away.
Schools are not just places of knowledge – schools shape society. Our decisions, every message we send shapes values that youth carry with them throughout life. By reading and implementing content from this handbook each of us can contribute to creating schools that don’t just teach, but raise in the spirit of respect, equality and freedom for all.
If you want a printed version of the handbook, contact us at Online version of the handbook can be downloaded HERE.
This handbook is part of the project “Safety and Equality in Classrooms” implemented by Lesbian Organisation Rijeka - LORI. It is funded by the European Union through the programme Impact4Values. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. The Impact4Values programme is co-financed by the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The views expressed in this material are the sole responsibility of the Lesbian Organisation Rijeka - LORI and do not reflect the views of the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia..
