The Impact Of (Hetero)Normative
Organisational Cultures On The
Experiences Of Lesbian, Gay And
Bisexual Teachers In Irish Primary
Schools
Declan Fahie
School of Education
UCD
1. Context
“What’s it like for
LGBT teachers
working in Irish
primary schools
today?”
2003-2014
2. Teachers Talking...
• 24 teachers
• In-depth interviews
• Geographical, gender and age diversity
3. Results
Of being
“outed”...
Parents
&
Pupils
FEAR
Modifying
behaviours
Temporary
Teachers
4. Hoping Audaciously....
Supportive Colleagues
Actual experience of being “out”...
Union Support – Section 37.1
Self Confidence
5. Finally ...
“I have always believed that hope is that stubborn
thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence
to the contrary, that something better awaits us so
long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to
keep working, to keep fighting.“
(Barak Obama, Victory Speech, Nov. 7, 2012)”
declan.fahie@ucd.ie