image

Resources and information to help language teachers make their lessons more LGBT-inclusive.

Research has shown that schools can be unwelcoming and hostile environments for many LGBT students. Unsurprisingly, it impacts their well-being and can have a detrimental impact on their learning.

As educators, it is our role to ensure that every student feels safe and included in our classrooms. Too often, LGBT topics and issues are kept invisible in schools. This makes our students think there is something wrong with having a different sexual orientation or gender identity. It’s up to us to break that cycle.

Making your lessons LGBT-inclusive does not mean teaching a specific LGBT lesson once a year or organising a big pride event. Keep it simple and build on what you are already doing, ensuring your resources are relevant to LGBT members of your class. Little changes can have a big impact.

Below, you’ll find a non-exhaustive list of simple ideas to get you started.

  • Make your classroom and department corridor visibly LGBT-friendly environments using flags, posters, and displays. Check examples from @mfl_swavesey and @MFLWyedean.
  • Teach non-binary pronouns when they exist in the language(s) you teach (e.g. iel in French, ele in Spanish, sie* in German) as well as neutral adjective endings.
  • Ask students to think of how they would refer to a non-binary sibling in the target language. Can they think of a solution, or come up with a hybrid version of the masculine and feminine forms?
  • When asking students to introduce themselves in the target language, teach them the sentence “The pronouns I use are [he/him].” (“Les pronoms que j’utilise sont [il, lui]”).
  • Challenge norms of masculinity and femininity by using a diverse range of people in your resources – e.g. a male nurse or female football player.
  • When a student has seemingly used the wrong adjective ending to talk about himself/herself, check you haven’t wrongly assumed their gender identity before correcting them.
  • Look out for gendered language and use gender neutral terms when possible – for example introduce the word for ‘siblings’ rather than ‘brothers/sisters’ (frœur in French / hermane in Spanish / Geschwister in German).
  • Instead of asking students to describe their ‘mum and dad’, ask them to talk about their ‘parent(s) or caregiver(s)’.
  • Ensure that students are exposed to an abundance of successful LGBT role models. LGBT students need to be able to project themselves as healthy, happy, and accepted members of the community.
  • Add LGBT-inclusive resources in your Schemes of Work.
  • Where relevant, feature same-sex couples, trans, non-binary or gender non-conforming people in activities – either as text (“I live with two mums”) or images/cartoons.
  • Look out for gendered language and refer to ‘people’ instead of ‘men and women’, ‘parents’ instead of ‘mother and father’.
  • Include works by LGBT authors, artists, etc. You could for example mention that Frida Kahlo was Mexican, had a disability, and identified as female and bisexual.
  • Mention and use images of LGBT personalities (e.g. sportspeople, singers, actors).
  • Recommend LGBT books in the target language to your school librarian.
  • Put together a calendar of significant LGBT dates (e.g. Diversity week, Pride month) and plan events or activities around them.
  • Include strategies for staff to consistently challenge negative remarks and stereotypes about LGBT people in the classroom.
  • Identify training needs within your department and seek out support from LGBT organisations and training providers as needed.
  • evidence of how homophobic/transphobic bullying, harassment and abuse are being recorded and dealt with
  • school and departmental policies and how they protect LGBT students and staff
  • visible signs around the school (corridors, classrooms, staffroom) that it is a LGBT-friendly environment (e.g. posters, displays)
  • the availability and use of LGBT-inclusive resources (in the library, classroom, staffroom, Schemes of Work, lesson plans)
  • evidence that all students are encouraged to develop their understanding and appreciation of diversity and engage with views, beliefs and opinions that are different from their own in considered ways
  • examples of how LGBT students and staff play a highly positive role in an environment where difference is valued and nurtured

We have created a few worksheets to help you make your language lessons more LGBT-inclusive. They are free for you to use and share with your students. You are also welcome to link to this page from your website, blog, social media account, etc.

This section is a work in progress, and we will be gradually adding more resources. If you would like to help us adapt worksheets in different languages, or if you have an idea for a worksheet to submit, please reach out.

English flag The Pride flags Our family An LGBT Personality Clothes
French flag Les Drapeaux des fiertés Notre famille Une personnalité LGBT Les vêtements
Italian flag Le bandiere del pride La nostra famiglia Una celebrità LGBT I Vestiti
Spanish flag Las Banderas del Orgullo Nuestra familia Un Famoso LGBT La Ropa
German flag Die Pride Flaggen Unsere Familie Berühmte Personen aus der LGBT Community Die Kleidung
Portuguese flag As bandeiras do orgulho A nossa família Uma personalidade LGBT As roupas
Russian flag Флаги гордости Наша семья Личность ЛГБТ Одежда

Blog posts

News articles

Display resources

Resources

Podcasts

  • Pride & Progress
    A podcast that amplifies the voices of LGBT+ educators and celebrates the power of diversity
  • Making Gay History
    A series of intimate interviews with queer icons that bring the voices of LGBT history to life

Organisations

Facebook groups