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Rachel Cook
GLBT parents are more ‘conscientious’ than
heterosexual parents, according to a comprehensive new US study.
The report, which focused on rainbow
families’ experiences in education, was compiled by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight
Education Network (GLSEN), the Family Equality Council and COLAGE, an advocacy
group for people with LGBT parents.
The study, entitled ‘Involved, Invisible, Ignored: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender Parents and Their Children in Our Nations K-12 (primary
and secondary) Schools’ found that GLBT parents are ‘more involved in
school activities’ and ‘more likely to report consistent communication with
school personnel’.
However the report also showed that GLBT
parents are often discriminated against within their school’s community.
Over half the parents surveyed reported
being excluded from school communities or being prevented from fully
participating in school activities, and nearly a third stated mistreatment from
other parents.
Children of GLBT parents also reported high
levels of discrimination, with 42% of students saying they had been verbally
harassed because of their parents’ sexuality; while over 20% said that school
staff had discouraged them from talking about their families at school.
Sue West, spokesperson for Melbourne community group the Rainbow Families
Council, said the American findings echoed local anecdotal reports.
“We’ve consistently heard from same-sex
attracted parents that there is a problem in some of our schools. It is an
issue high on our agenda,” Ms West said.
“At the moment this area is being addressed
at state government level as well as [by] research through the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and
Society; and Rainbow Families Council [representatives] speak with student
teachers at RMIT about diversity in schools,” she added.
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