Topic: Inclusivity of LGBTQIA+ in the community | Inclusive Education:
Challenges and Solution
Rainbow-Colored Tomorrow for the Young: A Path Towards Inclusive Education
Diversity is such a key component in our school setting, varying from
traditions, beliefs, interests, even to sexuality and gender. However, despite
our acceptance of such differences, it is still prominent in classrooms and
institutions for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to be discriminated for
their “unusual” way of self-expression, even going to a point where they’ll be
suppressed from openly showing the world who they are, shoving them in a
closet, hiding their identity from everybody like an abomination that should
be rid of. Despite being in the 21st century, where we are supposed to be
moving forward towards improving our crooked systems structured by old
norms, some are still forcing such aged ideologies, stealing away the color
out of a community that should be shining as bright as everybody else. Until
now, an Inclusive Education for my fellow LGBTQIA+ students is still a
challenge, a chore, and an obstacle that we shall face and cross.
In the Philippines, though we are already making a few steps towards
creating an inclusive learning environment, we tend to be held back by
certain challenges still, which slows down our progress compared to our
neighboring countries.
First, there is the challenge with beliefs present in the country. Religion
is a big dictating factor in the Philippine, with it even still having an influence
on our government. With the beliefs of the Roman Catholics on
homosexuality and the members of LGBTQIA+ community—a sinful and
blasphemous act in the eyes of the church, the conservative believers, or the
so-called homophobes, tend to judge and invalidate the existence of such
individuals, seeing them as an abhorrence, calling them names, and ruining
the reputation of said individuals.
In relation to that, majority of the teachers and students in Philippine
schools are Roman Catholics, some may be Christians, but nonetheless, this
brings the LGBTQIA+ students in a troubled situation. Though not every
Catholics nor Christians are in the grip of these old and twisted mentalities, it
still does not assure the safety of these students. And yet, with the deep
rootedness of this ideology, it will be inevitable that it will difficult or even
impossible for a whole new generation to change the way of thinking of
those who have such beliefs engraved and carved into their heads.
Another challenge that we face as we fight our way towards inclusivity
is the school policy. In the school that I go to, there are certain policies that
exist that could limit the gender expression of students who are either gay,
lesbian, or specifically, transgender. Part of those are the haircut and dress
code policies, where male students should have a specific length of hair, and
each student shall wear their uniforms based on their gender, particularly
their given gender at birth. However, these policies are challenged by the
LGBTQIA+ students, especially those who are gay, transgender or non-
binary.
It reminds me of this group of gay people that have gathered and
created a community for people like them, the Dawani Community, which is
the unofficial LGBTQIA+ community for students present in our school.
Together with one of the allies, they authored a proposal for a revision of the
school’s haircut policy. In that proposal, they requested for male students
who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community to be exempted from the said
policy. Despite their efforts to fight for it, the school administration has seen
mishaps and holes in the proposal, they’ve seen the possible consequences
that it could cause the institution. Our school administration is open to such
changes, but with matters like this, they have to stand their ground. Upon
their discussion, the school has raised its concern with it being used as an
excuse by other male students to break the school’s haircut policy to also
exemplify themselves from it. It is true that there are non-queer males in our
school that would want to also grow their hair out or express themselves with
other hairstyles, they’re teenagers, of course they’d also want to explore.
And if the concern with allowing non-binary and transgender students to
wear the uniform according to the gender that they identify with, this may
also stir up the same issue that could arise if the haircut policy exemption
was approved.
With that, we can see that each challenge that we face towards
inclusive education has their own underlying reason why such hurdles still
exist. Though they do make complete sense on why such factors are taken
into account in religion and school policies, will it still be reasonable enough
if the students’ well-being and learning are being affected by these?
There could be students out there who are fighting every thought and
worry inside of them as they go to school, battling the words, the insults, the
filth that people may throw at them just because they are deemed different
by the rest. There could be a closeted teenager, a learner, a perfect student,
who chooses to hide one of the biggest parts of who he or she is just to
protect themselves from judgement, criticism, and to uphold their reputation.
And there could be one sitting in class, distracted and unfocused, all because
of the excruciating insecurity and alertness that they feel in themselves all
because they feel unsafe in their own learning environment; all of these
because they all have a little extra color with them, all because they are a
member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
But how can we formulate solutions for these matters if there are
certain circumstances that limit us to do such?
We could begin by making laws that will protect these students and
even other LGBTQIA+ members in society from harm and discrimination, for
gay rights are also human rights. Yes, there is already the DepEd Order No.
32 S. of 2017 or the Gender Responsive Basic Education Policy which
addresses the issues in regards gender, in spite of this, LGBTQ students are
still not guaranteed any protection from any gender-related discrimination for
there are no specified or solid grounds for such offences still. By creating
such guidelines and laws, then we could start taking further steps.
Reviewing school policies could follow after this, for with more defined
grounds and guidelines on policies that favor the members of the LGBTQIA+
community, we could better implement it without any worry of students
abusing it. As for the old beliefs of most people in regards homosexuality,
with the existence of laws protecting gays, it will be harder for them to
exercise their rude accusations on them anymore.
Though we are still a bit far behind on taking a step forward towards
inclusivity, with a bit more time, and more effort from the government, and
with the undying hope of the community, a rainbow-colored tomorrow for
these young teenagers will soon be visible, and soon, they will strut and walk
their way into learning with flying colors and pride.
