LESBIAN, GAY and bisexual teachers have a "chilling fear" of publicity which may be based on perceived or real threats to their wellbeing, the ASTI annual convention heard yesterday.
In his address, a male delegate, who did not wish to be named, said such teachers faced problems in their staff rooms, classrooms and with the management of their schools.
"There are at least three or four delegates in the hall who can speak with greater eloquence and [ bear] witness to the issues they face," the delegate said.
"Their chilling fear of publicity may be based on perceived or real threats to their wellbeing."
Describing the typical situations of such delegates, he said one "feels the need to hide from colleagues let alone management," while another feared that their job might be at risk if they reveal their sexual orientation, as they are not in a permanent job.
Another was married and working in a Catholic school for 30 years, he said.
"For many gay, lesbian and bisexual people an Irish school can be a very chilling place to work," he said.
On Wednesday, the Irish National Teachers Organisation's annual conference in Kilkenny heard claims that gay and lesbian teachers could be dismissed if their lifestyle was seen as undermining the religious ethos of schools.
This was because section 37 of the Employment Equality Act permitted schools that promoted certain religious values to take "necessary action to prevent an employee from undermining the religious ethos of the institution", delegates were told.
However, the unnamed male ASTI delegate noted yesterday that Europe had already said that section 37 is "too wide in its application". However "cute hoor" politicians said we could not talk about these things currently.
"Not for the first time in Irish social history, fundamental rights play second fiddle to political expediency," he said.
Meanwhile, the ASTI yesterday launched a new information leaflet aimed at helping to tackle homophobic bullying in schools.
Produced in conjunction with the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen), the leaflet urges teachers to encourage students to seek support if they need it and to suggest that their school starts to log instances of homophobic bullying.
According to Glen, research in Ireland has shown that the majority of teachers hear and witness homophobic name-calling and bullying, while many are also aware of physical bullying, but many also feel ill prepared to address the issue.