From Homo’poly to Openup! lessons learned on LGB in education in schools across Europe

  • Lotte Geunis Maastricht University, UNI-MERIT
  • Oliver Holz University of Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business
Keywords: Education, LGBT, Europe, ERASMUS, homophobia

Abstract

This paper captures the lessons learned from Homo’poly, an ERASMUS+ project on awareness and understanding of homosexuality in schools. Homo’poly was implemented between 2016 and 2019 in eight European countries: Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Hungary and the United Kingdom. Throughout the project, partner institutions noted that homophobia, a lack of wider community engagement and (notably in Central and Eastern Eruope) limited political support proved to be significant stumbling blocks. The authors build on a survey of partner institutions to further explore these challenges and set out proposed directions for future activities and research.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Lotte Geunis, Maastricht University, UNI-MERIT

PhD student, Maastricht University, UNI-MERIT, Boschastraat 24, 6211 AX Maastricht, Netherlands,
e-mail: geunis@merit.unu.eud

Oliver Holz, University of Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business

Assistant professor, University of Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business, Education Policy Unit,
FEB Campus Brussels, Warmsoesberg 26, 1000 Brussel, Belgium, e-mail: oliver.holz@kuleuven.be

References

European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights (2019). European Parliament Calls on Commission to Sustain its LGBTI Strategy. Retrieved from http://www.lgbt-ep.eu/news-stories/europeanparliament-calls-on-commission-to-sustain-its-lgbti-strategy/ (Accessed: 1st March 2019).

Holz, O. & Geunis, L. (2019). Homo’poly: helping schools, teachers and pupils build awareness and understanding of homosexuality. In V. Chiou, O. Holz, N. Oruç Ertürk & F. Shelton (Eds.). International Insights: Equality in Education. Münster: Waxmann.

De Witte, K., Holz, O., & Geunis, L. (Eds.). (2018). Somewhere over the rainbow. Münster: Waxmann.

De Witte, K., Holz, O., & Geunis, L. (2018). Coming out. A Comparative Analysis of Pupils', Teachers' and Parents' Perspectives in Eight European Countries. In K. De Witte, O. Holz & L. Geunis (Eds.). (2018). Somewhere over the rainbow. Münster: Waxmann. pp. 11–29.

De Witte, K., Iterbeke, K., Holz, O. (2019). Teachers' and pupils' perspectives on homosexuality: A comparative analysis across European countries. International sociology, 34 (4), 471-519.

European Commission. Eurobarometer on the social acceptance of LGBTI people in the EU – 2019. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/combatting-discrimination/lesbian-gay-bi-trans-and-intersex-equality/eurobarometer-social-acceptancelgbti-people-eu-2019_en (Accessed: 10th November 2019).

ERASMUS+ (NL). Homo’poly: op weg naar een beter begrip van diversiteit en homoseksualiteit binnen Europese scholen. Retrieved from https://www.ERASMUSplus.nl/inspiratie-resultaten/homopoly-opweg-naar-een-beter-begrip-van-diversiteit-en-homoseksualiteit-binnen-europese-scholen (Accessed: 12th August 2019).

Geunis, L. & Holz, O. (2018). Homo’poly - A cross-sectoral approach towards a better understanding of homosexuality. In Икономически университет (Eds.). Защита срещу дискриминацията: Правна уредба, проблеми и тенденции. Varna: Издателска къща СТЕНО. pp. 230–237.

Holz, O. & Geunis, L. (2019). HOMO’POLY: Understanding and Acceptance of Diversity. In M. Carmo (Eds.) Education and New Developments 2019, Volume I, pp. 160–164.

Holz, O. (2017). Homo'poly: Ein cross-sektoraler Ansatz zur Sensibilisierung gegenüber Homosexualität. In O. Holz, L. Vujicic, M. Duh & M. Michielsen (Eds.). Contributions to the Development of the Contemporary Paradigm of the Institutional Childhood. Münster: LIT. pp. 375–386. https://homopoly.eu/

ILGA Europe. Eurobarometer report on LGBTI acceptance is not the full picture. Retrieved from https://www.ilga-europe.org/resources/news/latest-news/eurobarometer-report-lgbti-acceptance-not-full-picture (Accessed: 10th November 2019).

Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions. Retrieved from https://www.obessu.org/resources/publications/ (Accessed: 18th February 2017).

The European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT rights. Retrieved from http://www.lgbt-ep.eu/ (Accessed: 12th March 2016).

The rights of LGBTI people in the European Union. Retrieved from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/EPRS/EPRS-Briefing-557011-Rights-LGBTI-people-EU-FINAL.pdf (Accessed: 16th March 2016).

Published
2020-07-09
How to Cite
Geunis L., & Holz O. (2020). From Homo’poly to Openup! lessons learned on LGB in education in schools across Europe. Journal of Elementary Education, 13(1), 41-53. https://doi.org/10.18690/rei.13.1.41-53.2020
Section
Scientific Articles