In this podcast Tabby Besley, Managing Director of InsideOUT, talks about the first ever National Schools Pride Week. The week ran 24-28 August 2020 with over 100 schools taking part.
Summary
This abstract summarizes a podcast interview in which Tabby Besley, Managing Director of InsideOUT, discusses the inception and events of the first ever National Schools Pride Week in Aotearoa New Zealand. The week, occurring from August 24-28, 2020, saw over 100 schools across the nation participate in a series of pride-related activities. This marked a significant shift in the collective mindset towards greater inclusivity and recognition of the LGBTQ+ community within educational institutions.
The concept of National Schools Pride Week evolved from the international Day of Silence campaign that InsideOUT had been running since 2014, which aimed to raise awareness about the silencing effects of bullying and discrimination on rainbow community youth. Besley describes how some schools had begun transforming the Day of Silence into a more celebratory event, leading to the creation of Pride Week as a means to continue the conversation and celebrate LGBTQ+ identities in a supportive environment.
The podcast delves into various events organized during the pride week, including pride parades, bake sales, face painting, pride-themed quizzes, and workshops aimed at fostering inclusivity and allyship. Even very young members of the community, such as those in early childhood centers and primary schools, participated, reflecting a societal shift towards embracing diversity at all levels of education.
Besley touches on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the scheduling of Pride Week, its activities, and the response from schools, noting a surge of online activities due to lockdown restrictions. Furthermore, InsideOUT adapted swiftly to the new circumstances, switching its events to virtual platforms and thereby maintaining connection and support within the community amidst the pandemic backdrop.
The discussion acknowledges the growing representation and awareness of LGBTQ+ issues globally, leading to a more accepting landscape and empowering more young people to express their identities openly. The podcast also highlights how schools reacted positively to the establishment of Pride Week, with many signing up, and how the initiative provided an opportunity for students and educators to collaborate in hosting inclusive events.
The interview underscores the importance of continued engagement with schools through feedback and surveys to shape future Pride Weeks, emphasizing the need for support and resources for LGBTQ+ students and the institutions that serve them. Besley concludes with personal reflections, comparing their own experiences from a decade ago to the current, more expansive and accepted presence of LGBTQ+ events and identities in educational spaces.
This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.
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