School a hostile place for LGBTQ+ students as study finds many harassed and excluded

Despite major milestones for LGBTQ+ rights in recent years, many secondary school students report still hearing negative or homophobic and transphobic remarks from both fellow students and staff. File picture

School remains a hostile place for many LGBTQ+ students, as a new survey finds an alarmingly high number feel unsafe due to harassment and exclusion.

Despite major milestones for LGBTQ+ rights in recent years, many secondary school students report still hearing negative or homophobic and transphobic remarks from both fellow students and staff.

The findings are included in the latest BeLong To School Climate Survey. Published on Tuesday during Stand-Up Awareness Week, the report surveyed more than 1,200 LGBTQ+ students from across the country. 

Almost eight out of 10 (76%) students reported feeling unsafe at school; 50% because of their sexual orientation, and 37% because of their gender expression. 

The survey also found:

• More than two-thirds (69%) reported hearing homophobic remarks from other students.
• A further 58% reported hearing homophobic remarks from school staff.
• One in three reported that other students are not accepting of LGBTQ+ identities.

One in three students told the survey they had skipped school to avoid negative treatment due to being LGBTQ+, and one out of 10 students reported that they were unsure whether they will complete the Leaving Certificate.

A further 86% of LGBTQ+ students said they felt deliberately excluded or ‘left out’ by other students and 60% said they never reported incidents of LGBTQ+ bullying to school staff. Three out of 10 LGBTQ+ students reported missing at least one day of school in the previous month because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable.

Bathrooms, PE and sports facilities, locker rooms, and lunchrooms are spaces LGBTQ+ students were most likely to avoid due to feeling unsafe. More than one in 10 (12%) reported being physically assaulted, including being punched, kicked or injured with a weapon, either based on their sexual orientation or because of their gender expression.

Almost half (46%) of students reported being sexually harassed, including unwanted touching or sexual remarks, and a further 41% reported being cyberbullied over social media, phone, or email. One student told the survey: “The worst experience I had was in PE. 

We were doing push-ups and I wasn’t keeping my back straight. Someone commented I had my ass in the air because I was gay. I laughed it off but afterward, he and two other students attempted to assault me.

Another said: “They had a Pride week and I thought it was great until Pride flags were ripped, burned and flushed in toilets. A week that should’ve been great for me and fellow LGBT students was hell, and I didn’t come in for the rest of the week, fearing my safety and feeling sick with the events.”

The research highlights the urgent need for schools, parents, policymakers, and politicians to listen to LGBTQ+ students, said BeLong To chief executive Moninne Griffith. “We need the government to integrate LGBTQ+ awareness and inclusion to teacher-training courses and implement outstanding actions under the LGBTQ+ National Youth Strategy.”