Education is the UK’s most inclusive sector, with 16 organisations in the top 100, according to the latest Workplace Equality Index from the LGBT equality charity, Stonewall. The index ranks UK employers based on how they treat their LGBT staff.
Some encouragement, then, for LGBT people considering taking up teaching and other careers within education when, says Darren Towers, Stonewall’s executive director “More than a third of LGBT staff (35%) still hide their identity at work for fear of discrimination. And that has an impact on productivity, wellbeing and more and shows we still have lots to do.”
Further education’s Newham College in London has been named as one of Britain’s most LGBT-inclusive employers in three out of Stonewall’s last four annual indexes (2017-19). With such a high ranking (56th out of 400 employers in 2019), the college is in a strong position to give potential LGBT applicants an idea of what they should expect of other colleges they might wish to apply to.
“We have [a] zero-tolerance [approach],” says Newham's LGBT committee chair, Olivia Besly, on the college website. “So those people who make discriminatory remarks are dealt with, and all members of staff are trained in equality and diversity. It is everyone's responsibility to uphold the dignity and respect that everyone deserves.
"Our LGBT committee pioneers many positive initiatives, such as 'straight allies', which engages staff who actively support their colleagues, so that everyone is comfortable and in an open environment.”
One of the hardest journeys LGBT people undertake is transitioning from male to female or vice-versa. The Government Equality Office estimates there could be some 200,000-500,000 trans people living in the UK but admits it doesn’t have any precise figure. Reticence to openly identify as trans by many makes an accurate count a pipe dream but the trans community does possess some of its own champions.
One of them is in FE. Shania Stanton, who for many years travelled the world as an electronics engineer, began transitioning as a woman in 2014 and fully transitioned two years later. She’s now a trainee lecturer in her second and final year of a part-time PGCE teacher training course in media make-up and special effects, splitting her teaching placement between Craven and Manchester colleges - she teaches one day a week at each and spends the other three days working for a local charity.
After graduating next year, she plans to travel to Los Angeles to promote herself as a special effects make-up artist. “Look for my credits in the next Star Trek!”
Why all the change? “I’d wanted to live as a woman since the age of 14 but I got married, fathered two children and now have five grandchildren. My wife divorced me when I came out and decided to transition, and it was then while working on a machine as an engineer that I broke one of my false nails - I was already wearing make-up - and decided I wanted to do something different.”
She chose beauty therapy and since starting at Preston College in 2014 has totally retrained herself. “Since transitioning I’ve achieved so much,” she says. She’s now a qualified masseuse, beauty therapist, reflexologist and sports massage therapist. She has also gained a foundation degree and then a full BA, despite doing much of it through the “nightmare” of covid.
What’s been key in helping Shania in her journey through transition and college is her no-nonsense attitude: “I don’t take any grief, I don’t hide in the corner and I’m the first on the phone to the police to report someone acting homophobically.”
It seems to work. “I’ve never had any problems [at college or anywhere else apart from one small incident]. My philosophy is that if anyone has a problem with me, it’s their problem, not mine. I would not get involved with anyone if they did not accept me as a woman. It’s as simple as that.
“I do not identify as transgender but female - I’ll tick the ‘female’ box on application forms and they’ll only find out I’m not a genetic female if and when we meet.”
In fact, in and outside college during transition and since, Shania says she has been absolutely accepted as a woman. “I had a phone interview with the charity and never said I was transgender though they realised I was when they met me. Wo betide anyone who misgenders me because they are going to know about it! It happens all the time when on the phone - I make it quite clear it’s MISS Stanton and I am the account holder. “Yes sir, how can we help you. I reply I beg your pardon I said it was Miss and they still call me ‘sir’. Several times I’ve asked to be put through to a supervisor; I was furious.”
How would she advise other trans people to check about attitudes in a college they wanted to work in? “I just go into an establishment as a woman, I’ll use a ladies toilet without any hesitation whatsoever. Why should I do otherwise? I don’t wish to be treated differently to any other woman.”
Shania says she has never felt prejudice in college so can’t comment. “I’ve never been mistreated like that.”
She says it’s now commonplace for institutions like colleges and universities to have massive inclusion policies. “Since 2016, I’ve seen things become much, much better, although but I’ve really had no problem with anyone. To confront the one unknown person who insulted me via Facebook, I went to the police who could not track them down, so I just left a message on Facebook: ‘You have made me a stronger woman; you have not got me down at all.’ ’’
What makes Shania feel truly happy and her true self at college? “I might get the odd funny look but for me it’s just walking about with my head held high, feeling proud of my achievements and being able to help others.”
Yes, she has heard stories from people transitioning outside colleges of bricks being thrown through windows. “But I’m living my life. It’s my business what I do with my own body - no one else’s. I don’t give a damn what other people look like so why should they give a damn about what I look like?! I’ve just been really respected in college and can only praise their inclusivity.
“Do institutions have any choice, anyway? It’s the law that protects people like me. It states people cannot discriminate about what others want to decide to be. It’s not allowed. Companies and institutions have to be inclusive as they cannot afford not to be - otherwise they will get lawsuits coming their way.”
Shania sees herself as a passionate campaigner and is the first to speak up about LGBT rights. “I’ll be dead honest - it’s a really tough journey. The suicide rate for trans people is massive. People cannot live with a part of their body that is not befitting of their envisaged gender and yet covid has made the hospital waiting list for gender reassignment a lot longer. So I try to encourage people. What spurs me on to college each day is the thought of helping others to learn through education.”
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