The Safe. Seen. Supported. LGBTQI+ Inclusive Education Conference, hosted by TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland) and ShoutOut, took place on October 1, highlighting rising issues within youth educational spaces in Ireland.

Attendees of the conference were consulted on a number of topics, with questions ranked on a five-point scale. Surveyees ranked “progress in LGBTQI+ visibility in Irish secondary schools” at 3.6 out of 5, and “LGBTQI+ student safety” at 2.6 out of 5. 

The organisers of the conference stated that this statistic suggests “that while visibility is improving, this progress is not yet being matched by a strong sense that LGBTQI+ students feel safer in schools.”

The education conference featured speaker contributions from multiple experts on education, including Dr Angela Rickard, Assistant Professor and PME Course Leader in Maynooth University’s Department of Education; David Gough, primary school principal, GAA referee and LGBTQ+ advocate; and other researchers from DCU’s Anti-Bullying Centre.

One speaker at the event, Sinan Aşçi, a member of the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, stated in an Instagram post, “One idea I kept coming back to is that belonging isn’t only created in classrooms. It lives in the corridors, the library, the spaces where students pause between lessons, the relationships they build, and in those small moments where a young person feels that they are seen and that they matter.”

Executive Director at TENI, Daire Dempsey, spoke about the education conference, saying, “Conferences like this are crucial to creating safe and supportive schools where LGBTQI+ educators and students feel welcome and respected.”

The conference aimed to put emphasis on the role that schools can play in providing not only a safe space for young queer people, but also fact-based and accurate information or support concerning LGBTQ+ topics and resources. This was a point of added concern, as organisers mentioned that both children and parents/guardians can fall for misinformation or harmful claims within an “increasingly complex online environment”.

Participants of the education conference also took part in talks and workshops that covered a range of topics, including inclusion, bullying, identity, safety and support available to young people. These talks were delivered by many organisations including AsIAm, GORM and Women’s Aid’s Too Into You.

CEO of ShoutOut, Ruadhán Ó Críodáin, stressed the importance of creating spaces like the conference where educators and organisations can share experience, knowledge and realistic ways to support young LGBTQ+ individuals.

In a statement, Ó Críodáin said, “Our goal was to drive positive, empathetic and inspiring conversations about how everyone in a school community – from students, to teachers, and parents – can play a role in shaping LGBTQI+ inclusive schools. Inclusion benefits everyone, and contributes to healthier school environments with reduced bullying.”