Homophobia in Catholic Schools of Canada and Australia: A Comparison of Teachers' Rights and Experiences

• In Event: 77.012 - International Perspectives on Teacher Effectiveness and Quality

Abstract

Little is known about the experiences of non-heterosexual educators in Catholic schools. This international comparative analysis reveals previously unreported data from Australian and Canadian qualitative studies that examine the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) teachers from Australia and Canada who are currently teaching or have taught in Catholic schools. Bringing their work together for the first time, the two lead researchers compare their investigations and reveal disheartening similarities with religiously inspired homophobia despite differing legal and policy contexts of the two countries. These two studies reveal that LGBTI teachers rely on their personal beliefs and local school community culture and policies to understand their equality rights and this has significant implications for the field of education.

Authors

• Tonya D. Callaghan, University of Calgary

• Lisa Van Leent, Queensland University of Technology