When Italian Schools meet LGBT parents. Inclusive Strategies, Ambivalence, Silence

Full equality for LGBT individuals and families is still far to be achieved in Italy, especially concerning parental rights for same sex couples. On one hand, the civil unions law doesn’t entail stepchild adoption; on the other, in public discourse same-sex parenting is still perceived as a threat to the natural order and to gender complementarity. This lack of legal and social recognition is often reflected in schools and educational contexts. Despite an otherwise deep-rooted culture of inclusivity and participation, the Italian school system seems to struggle when it comes to dealing with non-heterosexual families. Drawing upon a multi-method study, this article explores the challenges faced by LGBT families and the strategies they adopt in their interactions with school contexts. We analyse how and to what extent same-sex parents negotiate their visibility in schools and the process of recognition (or lack thereof) on the part of school staff. We argue that silencing and marginalising practices act as discriminating factors, and that recognition of same-sex parents and their children is reliant upon the individual behaviour of teachers in the absence of a general framework for inclusion.