Making schools safer in South Africa: An antihomophobic bullying educational resource

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe limited research indicates that homophobia is widespread in South African schools and that schools are ill-prepared to challenge homophobic bullying. In this context, using Kumashiro's antioppressive educational framework, the author outlines the process of developing an antihomophobic educational resource for use in South African schools, its theoretical grounding, and the social and cultural complexities involved. Factors influencing the development of the materials were linguistic diversity; crisis in education, inequality, and violence; and religion and culture arguments. This groundbreaking initiative fits with the broad focus in South African educational policy on transformation, social justice, and inclusion in the postapartheid context that is increasingly understood to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex identities.