Second Post

I am about to finish my Geography degree and am looking to move into teaching potentially (hopefully after a year away).  However, my friends have worried me recently by showing me several articles on the internet referring to cases against gay teachers accused of perverse acts.  It struck me as strange but also concerned me at the same.  Sexuality is nothing to do with sexual perversion but as a young openly gay guy am I entering a potentially awkward position by becoming a teacher.

I don't think you have anything to worry about, I think there are plenty of gay teachers out there nowadays, although i'm sure there is still some prejudice, I beleive it's getting much better. 

I don't see how being gay makes a different in regard to being accused of peverse acts, otherwise shouldn't straight people worry? They would get accussed of molesting young girls e.t.c.

I have to agree with Feds.  No matter what sexuality you are, teachers are in a vulnerable position as they are working with teenagers and some teenagers can be very troublesome.  If a kid wants to cause an issue it won't be of any significance what sexuality you are.  I am sure someone so concerned and considerate would make a wonderful teacher, so go for it!

It is a sad world we live in when someone as clearly caring and conscientious as you are concerned about external threats.  I would say to follow your heart, if it says to teach then do it.  Any path we choose to follow in life can throw up its haters and each will be as littered with problems as the next.  Do not let small minded individuals hold you back.

Mate don't worry, in the world today there is a move against prejudice.  It is not removed fully from the scheme of things, but schools will be able to distinguish between genuine issues and tattle tale children.

As the Fernando Pessoa character Ricardo Reis states:

"To be great, be whole; exclude nothing, exaggerate nothing that is you. Be whole in everything. Put all you are into the smallest thing you do. The whole moon gleams in every pool, it rides so high."

I say go in there, be yourself and do the best of your ability :)

Thank you for all the wonderful advice. One of my friends told me these beautiful words of advice ""Accept me as I am, so that I may learn what I become." I have applied and have been accepted.

That is brilliant news. Good luck with the course. May you succeed in all you do.

I thought this might be of interest to you.

A straight teacher is claiming he suffered sexual discrimination after being taunted by pupils.

James Campbell told a tribunal that students had bullied him, subjecting him to offensive comments suggesting he was gay. Pupils of Denny High School in Stirlingshire had called Mr Cambell “gay”, “poof” and “perv”. The former art teacher has claimed that this has had a long term affect upon him, and he now “hates” children.

Speaking to the tribunal in Glasgow yesterday Mr Campbell said: “They'd call me poof. It shouldn't have happened. Nobody should have called me all these things. Surely there should be some retribution for this.

"Somebody has called me all these names. I think it is just and equitable that the case is heard. It is still affecting me. When I see kids nowadays, I hate them because I expect the same thing as what happened to me at school."

Mr Campbell, who took early retirement in 2007, is claiming against Falkirk Council.