To tell or not to tell : how children of same-gender parents negotiate their lives at school

Abstract

In this article I explore the reported experiences of children growing up in same-gendered families, with a specific focus on their experiences in their respective school settings. In this article the focus is on whether or not the children disclose their family structure, therefore focusing on disclosure and silence. I propose certain factors that might increase the possibility of open disclosure with positive outcomes, as well as investigate the factors that might encourage silence. In this article I argue that schools can be either places of tolerance and acceptance or of intolerance and prejudice. Those two standpoints are not, however, fixed but exist simultaneously in any given school. This article is structured by first offering an overview of how the children perceived different school climates/atmospheres, and is organised around the themes of tolerant and less tolerant school environments. Thereafter the focus is on individual narratives, to illuminate the way in which children in same-gendered families disclose and negotiate their lives in a school system. This discourse concludes with recommendations for schools and further research.