School information

RFSL Uppsala has a pair of school-informers who can educate middle- and highschoolers about LGBTQIA+ terms, norms, and other related topics. If you want us to visit your school, send us an email at utbildning@uppsala.rfsl.se

Why have school information from RFSL?

All schools must work to actively promote students’ equal rights and possibilities. The schools must also work for the prevention of abusive treatment, and of discrimination and harassment in regards to gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability. Since 2009 discrimination in regards to gender identity, gender expression, and age is also prohibited.

A school information from RFSL gives the students a possibility to question norms, receive information, and ask questions that few others can answer.

Inviting RFSL to a school can be a part of creating an inclusive environment for all students, and can make it easier for LGBTQIA+ youths (and teachers) to be open about their identities. It can also be a way to work with possible negative attitudes and conceptions, which can be expressed in depreciatory language, bullying, and other types of punishments for students who don’t adhere to the cis- and hetero norms.

By answering students’ questions in an open and pedagogical way, we want to achieve a dialogue where we and the students together explain possible misunderstandings, and offer the students a unique possibility to deepen their understanding and insights regarding gender and sexual norms. By norm-critically enlighten expressions, norms, and their consequences, we want to show that everyone is affected by hetero- and cis norms, regardless of one’s own identity or position.

The ultimate goal of our work is to achieve a society free of heteronormativity, where all people have equal rights, possibilities, and obligations, regardless of gender identity, -expression, ethnicity, (dis-)ability, religion or other belief, sexual identity, and socio-economical status. In practice, this means that we focus on achieving equal rights for everyone, regardless of gender identity and sexual identity, however the education is also permeated with an intersectional perspective.

Practical information

What is a school information?

– Usually, a school information is one or several lessons where normally two informers inform about the cis- and hetero norms, and their consequences, as well as basic facts about norms regarding gender and sexuality. Our The trained informers go over the terms that are normally used, lead conversations around the cis- and hetero norms, and perhaps go over some historical facts, and other things that can be suitable for the level that the students are studying at.

How long should the school information be?

– Often an information needs to be 90 minutes per class to have the time to get through everything. Lessons shorter than that will be inadequate, and the students will not receive the knowledge, and have time for reflections, that is required. In extraordinary cases, 60 minutes can work, but never shorter than that.

How should the groups be put together?

– It is important no to have too many students during the same lesson. That makes it difficult to have a good discussion with the students, and the information will be more like a lecture. Ideally would be a group of 13-17 students. However, that is unfortunately often impossible to arrange. Generally, the maximum amount of students we can have is 25 people.

Preferably, the students already know each other, and meet regularly in their every day life, in order for the students to feel as safe as possible in the group. Therefore, try not to mix classes too much.

How old should the students be?

– The school information is meant for students in middle- and high school (Swedish högstadiet and gymnasiet). There are possibilities to adapt the material for younger students, but it will take some resources from our side.

Can you combine RFSL’s information with sex education?

– RFSL strongly advices against mixing LGBTQIA+ and safer sex/condoms/STI information. The students can make prejudiced connections between LGBTQIA+ people and HIV/aids, etc. That is why we do not hand out safe sex material, or similar things. If you want us to do that, we can do it at other occasions, e.g. through having an info table.