4: Navigating Leadership and LGBTQ+ Visibility in Primary Education: Reflections on Section 28, Advocacy and Inclusive Practices

In this chapter, I reflect on my experiences as a queer leader in primary education, shaped by the legacy of Section 28—legislation that for years silenced LGBTQ+ visibility in schools. Although fully repealed in 2003, it contributed to the fears and complexities I encountered throughout my career, navigating my identity within a professional context. I explore how invisibility, fear and societal attitudes have shaped both my identity and my leadership, and how understanding this context has allowed me to advocate for greater inclusivity and representation.

Throughout my entire life, education has been at the core of my experiences—as a student from primary school to university, then as a primary school teacher, a headteacher and now as a teaching and learning lead. Yet, it was only a few years ago that I first encountered Section 28. At the time, I was a headteacher and engaged to be married when I listened to the podcast, ‘Out with Suzi Ruffell’, where she discussed legislation that had shaped her schooling. As she reflected on its impact, I realised that my own educational journey had been similarly affected. How had I never learnt about this? How could such a significant aspect of my schooling have remained hidden throughout my entire education? Determined to understand more, I learnt that Section 28 was in effect in England from 1988 to 2003. Having started school in 1989 and completed my secondary education in 2002, this legislation had been in place for my entire school life. It had prevented local authorities from ‘promoting homosexuality’ but it was not clear exactly what this meant for schools. If you were a gay teacher, would that mean you could lose your job? If a child came to you for support about being queer, could you help them? This created uncertainty in schools, leaving teachers unsure about what they were permitted to discuss, both within the curriculum and when sharing aspects of their personal lives with colleagues. Due to Section 28, there was no representation of LGBTQ+ individuals in my education; the only references to LGBTQ+ identities were whispered speculations about who might be a lesbian. These were never positive discussions; they were whispered secrets. Section 28 might have been lifted in 2003 but nearly 20 years on it was still having an impact on me.