R E S

P E C T

E D

Opportunities and Challenges
of Equality Education

edited by Miłosz Hodun,

Michał Sawicki, Michał Tęcza
When the international
concept of human rights is
seen as a threat to sovereignty
and national values, such
phenomena as antisemitism,
islamophobia and xenophobia
are politicised, and minorities
are marginalised and excluded.
In this situation, the main tool
for creating attitudes of tolerance
and inclusivity is education.
Education, which is a common
good available for everyone,
regardless of their back­
ground and social standing.
Education that changes
and influences social attitudes.
from chapter 2
 RespectEd

1 Autor Autor
Full Control of Our Bodies
Sexual Education in an
Ideologised State
 Education is the point
at which we decide
whether we love the
world enough to assume
responsibility for it.
Hannah Arendt
 R E S

P E C T

E D

Opportunities and Challenges
of Equality Education

edited by Miłosz Hodun,

Michał Sawicki, Michał Tęcza

This study was funded by the European

Dialogue Programme of the Friedrich Naumann
Foundation for Freedom
 Respect, a Constant Commitment

by the editors

It is common knowledge that education is a tool of any

government. It can do a lot of good but also a lot of harm.
The right-wing populist wave, which swept through Europe
and the world in a blink of an eye, set its sights on schools and
universities. They have not only blocked the processes which
were meant to adapt education to the challenges of the 21st
century but also decided to use the hierarchical structure and
curricula for their political aims. And because the most impor-
tant goal of populists is to stay in power, school became a part
of the propaganda machine for each party. The school’s re-
sponsibilities related to ensuring the comprehensive develop-
ment of students and helping them acquire competencies nec-
essary in the competitive labour market have been neglected.
Now, the main goal is to ideologically shape a ‘new human’ in
the image of an ideal created by the party.
Unfortunately, other duties lost importance — ensuring
students’ well-being, meeting their needs concerning identity
development, health (including psychological health), feel-
ing of safety and belonging. Not only are they overlooked,
but also consequently ridiculed and publicly disregarded
by the decision-makers. The regression is advancing both
in what school is saying and how. An enormous gap grows

5
between the students’ worldview and the state’s educa-
tional policy. Adolescents are becoming increasingly more
progressive and open. For them, human rights are universal,
irrefutable, and the starting point of any discussion about
the m ­ odern world. At the same time, school turns into a mu-
seum of views and attitudes. This divide often has dire
consequences, which are visible in schools and in a broader
social context. Students feel bad in such a school, miss les-
sons, and do not concentrate on learning. Furthermore, their
family relations, as well as future health and professional
lives, are affected.
What are LGBTIQ+ students in Poland supposed to think
when they hear the cruel words of the Minister of Education?
For example: ‘These people [LGBT+ people] are not equal
to normal people’, or ‘LGBT ideology is something different
than all these gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, queer, or weir-
dos. These are people, lost, of course, in their sexuality, lost
in their lives and also sick from hate towards heterosexual
people, tradition, Christianity […].’ For a number of students,
it is a clear signal to act, to fight against everything the gov-
ernment brands as abnormal. For some teachers and parents,
it is a warning light — warning them not to get involved, not
to raise this topic or protect victims. It is permission for hate
speech and aggression. And it is just one step away from real
catastrophes.
In Poland, for example, 70% of young LGBT people have su-
icidal thoughts, and half of them have symptoms of depression.
School is the place where LGBTIQ+ adolescents face aggres-
sion most often. Harassment and tormenting, which happen in
classrooms and school corridors, are some of the main reasons
leading to the bad psychological state of LGBT+ adolescents.
We need to remember that students from various groups and
communities experience discrimination in education.

6
 But it could be different. And in many places, it is. School
could be a space without discrimination because of gender,
background, religion, age, fitness, sexual orientation and
identity... School could, finally, introduce mechanisms for rec-
ognising discrimination and supporting persons and groups
affected by it. It would accelerate the process of achieving
societal and political equality. Equality education is such
a mechanism.
Equality education is any action that aims to equalise
the rights and opportunities of all people regardless of their
differences. Equality means just treatment, access to educa-
tion, healthcare, culture, participation in public and political
life. The aim of equality education is also to increase society’s
awareness about all groups at risk of exclusion.
Equality education is an umbrella term — it includes build-
ing awareness about diversity, equality language, supporting
equality activism and preventing discrimination. In the case
of persons with disabilities, equality education focuses on en-
suring that all places and institutions are accessible and
that mobility is facilitated. For women, it raises the topics
of the pay gap, access to healthcare and violence prevention.
For non-binary persons, the goal is to ensure that they have
the comfort of using chosen pronouns or the possibility of le-
gally defining their gender outside of the binary women-men
system. There are many more examples arising from the spe-
cific needs of each group.
Equality education is not just a part of the school curricu-
lum that highlights diversity. It also includes social campaigns,
media messages (which do not cause harm), and inclusive
political discourse — all aimed at adults, as well. Corporate
and institutional strategies erasing inequalities are also a part
of it. Going further, it is also bringing attention to the problem
of discrimination and minimising it. Equality education is

7 Editors
Respect, a Constant
Commitment
meant to influence attitudes, broaden knowledge and dispar-
age harmful stereotypes.
The definition of equality education is commented and
expanded on in the following chapters of this publication.
Authors observe chosen levels of education — from primary
school to universities and from formal to informal educa-
tion — through the lens of their specialisation and experience.
They point out what can be done to teach better about various
minority groups so that people from those groups could feel
that they are members of a community.
Clinical health psychologist and assistant professor
at Roosevelt University Matthew D. Skinta presents the topic
of equality language. He emphasises that the topic of new
language standards is currently broadly discussed, both in
the universities and in parliaments around the world. His
chapter explores some of the current lines of division, how
the practice of language can support or hurt efforts toward
inclusion. ‘Fostering a sense of inclusive language requires
attending to the ways we use language, as well as the various
ways that language might create a context prior to speaking
in the room. Inclusivity begins in the syllabus, room signage,
and text. The norms around what perspectives matter and
how we respond to the concerns of minoritised people have
already generally been conveyed prior to the first student
stepping into the classroom’, Skinta writes. The author has
no doubts that an educator can create a context in which
inclusivity matters, and cultivate inclusive language using
the following tactics: select a plurality of voices to be centred
in the classroom, give interests and concerns of minoritised
communities equal weight to concerns of the majority popu-
lations, and model the production and consumption of knowl-
edge through an implicit lens of respect for a multiplicity
of voices.

8
 Anna Makówka-Kwapisiewicz from Czulent Jewish Asso-
ciation addressed the topic of education about the Holocaust.
She points out the necessity of improving general knowledge
about it, as well as the need for a more comprehensive ap-
proach to antisemitism, which takes into account the history
and the present day, its causes and consequences. Although
the author focuses on the Jewish community, her analysis can
be read more universally as reflections on education about
national, ethnic and religious minorities in general. Makówka-
Kwapisiewicz writes about minorities as groups, which — even
when they are perfectly integrated with the majority — are still
treated as a foreign element. ‘Information about minorities
as social fabric, contributing to a country, a nation or influenc-
ing culture or heritage, is marginal. Typically, minorities are
represented as foreign, migrant or other. They are mainly pre-
sented in an impersonal context as a group; this narrative is
characterised by many elements of generalisation’, the author
points out and emphasises that education should be based
on subjectivity, on individual stories. It enables us to combat
prejudice and a dangerous phenomenon of conspiracy think-
ing, which facilitates the spreading of disinformation.
Michał Sawicki and Michał Tęcza from Instytut Edukacji
Równościowej Projekt: Polska focused on education regard-
ing LGBTIQ+ people. The authors stress that such educa-
tion should start as early as possible so that no child grows
up feeling afraid or guilty because of who they are. They point
out that education about LGBTIQ+ people within the formal
education system can take different forms, not necessarily
as a separate subject. Its elements can be introduced horizon-
tally within other subjects, even mathematics. In this con-
text, they stress the vital role that sex education has to play
as a subject, by definition, focused on relationships, equality,
boundaries and respect for everyone regardless of orientation

9 Editors
Respect, a Constant
Commitment
or identity. However, Sawicki and Tęcza go beyond school
walls and highlight the importance of the media and pub-
lic figures in equality education. ‘One cannot underestimate
the positive role played in equality education by so-called
coming-outs by public figures. The testimonies of widely
liked and respected political figures are of great importance
in familiarising the public with the subject. They let us see
that there are more LGBT+ people in the world. It is also great
support for single LGBT+ people facing rejection, misunder-
standing and fear. Increasing the visibility of LGBT+ people in
the media, which publicise inequality and discrimination, is [a]
good step towards change’, they conclude.
In the following chapter, Małgorzata Waszczuk, man-
ager of Intercultural and Leadership Programmes Section
at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, ad-
dressed the topic of including people with migration and refu-
gee backgrounds in educational activities. The author begins
by analysing the situation in education, where migrants and
refugees are either omitted altogether or portrayed negatively
as victims, disadvantaged people, a nameless mass. This sys-
temic absence and the need for subjective inclusion of people
with migration and refugee experiences in educational activi-
ties inspired the author to create inclusive projects, which
present an important, and until now omitted, perspective.
In her article, Waszczuk shares her observations regarding
the implementation of those multicultural projects. Above all,
she recommends using the expertise of people from minority
groups, as well as creating and utilising already existing teach-
ing materials, which give voice to people with migrant and
refugee experiences. Finally, the author provides several rec-
ommendations on working with people from minority groups
and ensuring they feel safe and comfortable. For instance, she
recommends taking into account diversity within minority

10
 groups, managing the risk of exoticising the ‘other’, as well
as issues related to cultural and religious distinctiveness.
Żaneta Krysiak from Avalon Foundation writes about equal-
ity education in regard to disabled persons and emphasises that
the key to understanding it is the category of accessibility. ‘Ac-
cessibility should apply to people with various needs and take
all these needs into account. The reality we co-create should
be comfortable and safe, and through equality education, we
should become more open to diversity and the needs of others.
In order to notice, meet and respect the needs of people with
disabilities, one has to start by understanding what disability is,
what kinds of disabilities there are and what kinds of needs in
the area of social functioning they involve’, emphasises the au-
thor. This text is not only a source of knowledge about disabili-
ties and their types but, above all, an extensive set of practical
guidelines on how to include people with disabilities in educa-
tional activities (but not only them).
Finally, Demi van Wijk from the social-liberal Dutch D66
party focused on the largest minority — women. Women
are considered a minority group because they do not share
the same power, privileges, rights, and opportunities as men.
Van Dijk points out an actual lack of true equality between
women and men in the Netherlands, Europe and the world.
She concentrates on phenomena such as the underrepresenta-
tion of women in leadership positions, the gender pay gap and
violence against women. The author presents an entirely dif-
ferent kind of education, not the kind from school or the social
campaigns of non-governmental organisations. She encour-
ages us to start ‘micro-revolutions’, small actions in the form
of resistance. They consist of a few simple steps — join
a demonstration and vote, let your voice be heard, recom-
mend women, fight stereotypical roles at work and home.
‘Part of the solution is increasing awareness and making

11 Editors
Respect, a Constant
Commitment
 men part of it. Women can adapt, but men need to embrace
the gender equality policy to make it effective. It might sound
abstract, but everything begins within your circle of influence.
Everyone can contribute to change’, concludes van Dijk.
Each chapter helps us understand how complex is the mat-
ter of equality education, and how much work is still to be
done before we can teach it on a satisfactory level. Profound
changes must take place not only in countries confront-
ing populist governments but also in those that remain
on the path of open democracy. Equality is not static, achieved
once and for all. Equality is a dynamic phenomenon, con-
stantly redefining itself and requiring the efforts of society
as a whole. The pursuit of equality is a constant commitment,
listening to the voices of many people and groups, focusing
on minority rights, active lookout for discrimination and genu-
ine desire to counter it. It is a never-ending project. The same
is true of equality education, which reflects the state of equal-
ity in a given society and should actively respond to its current
social needs. What is today a natural component of modern,
knowledge-based equality education might, in a few years,
turn out to be an anachronism that perpetuates hurtful ste-
reotypes and toxic language. Educators must not miss that
moment. On the contrary, they should be in constant dialogue
with representatives of minority groups, experts, scientists,
and representatives of non-governmental organisations to up-
date their knowledge and teaching materials. This is why
­RespectEd was created.

***
This publication was created as part of the ‘Building a Europe-
an Network of minority rights activists, sexual education ex-
perts and Policy-makers to protect LGBTI rights’ project car-
ried out by Projekt: Polska Foundation together with Friedrich

12
 Naumann Foundation and using the knowledge gained during
the ‘EdNet’ project carried out by both organisations. ‘Build-
ing a European Network’ enabled the exchange of experiences
among professionals and educators involved in equality edu-
cation all over Europe (in 2021 during two physical meetings,
in Poland and Malta, and a series of online meetings). ‘EdNet’
became a platform for cooperation between NGOs involved
in equality education and liberal organisations from Central
and Eastern Europe (meetings in this edition of the project
took place in Albania, North Macedonia, Moldova and Iceland).
In addition, specialists participating in both projects con-
ducted a series of training sessions for educators from all over
Poland, who every day work with adolescents in difficult po-
litical conditions, and without any substantive, organisational
or psychological support from state authorities.
ResectEd supplements Good Sex Ed. Sexuality Education
between Science and Ideology published by Projekt: ­Polska
Foundation and Friedrich Naumann Foundation in 2021.
Good Sex Ed is a mini-guide through contemporary sexual
education in Europe. It helps the reader understand what
are the greatest challenges it faces, where they come from
and what they can result in. It also points out crucial, burn-
ing issues — existing and possible — in the essential and geo-
graphical meaning. It identifies key actors influencing the sys-
tem. And it presents the best and the worst practices based
on ­experiences from many European countries... The publi-
cation is available free of charge on the website of Friedrich
­Naumann Foundation.
Enjoy your read.
 Acknowledgments

Again, there are many people we would like to thank for their
help throughout the entire project. Special a­ cknowledgment
goes to: Timothy Alden, Wiktor Jędrzejewski, Gabriela
­Juszczuk, Myroslava Keryk, Marta Lorczyk, Joanna Łopat,
­Natálie Maráková, Chloé Melchionne, Lude Reno, Monika
Rosa, Martine van Schoor, Jeff Treisbach, Jana Weber,
Anna Zielińska.

14
 1
Language and (In)equality:
The Struggle for Inclusive Language
in Education

by Matthew D. Skinta

The topic of inclusive language, what it means, and who it in-

cludes or excludes, underlies current debates from the acade-
my to houses of parliament around the globe. Debates over ap-
propriate language, and who the arbiters are who decide those
standards, has increasingly become the line around which
cultural battles are waged. This chapter will explore some
of those current lines of division, how the practice of language
can support or hurt efforts toward inclusion, and the para-
doxical effects of attempts to control language. Finally, it will
offer some reflections on teaching that attempt to incorporate
this thinking.

Inclusive Language as a Line of Division

Over the past few years, a number of lawsuits have worked
their way through the federal court system in the United States
regarding whether or not teachers or professors had a right to ig-
nore student requests to use names and gendered pronouns that
did not correspond to their transcript or perceived biological sex.
A common defence in these cases is the role that an instructor
has to interpret this as a matter of free speech, or of conscience
that might be dictated by religious beliefs that preclude recognis-
ing the identity of their students.1

15 1 Hawkins, D. (2021, May 27). A professor was repri-

manded for refusing to use a transgender student’s pro-
nouns. A court says he can sue. Washington Post. https://
www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/03/27/
transgender-pronouns-shawnee-state-professor/
 The topic of addressing individuals by gendered pronouns
has become an increasingly tense point of cultural shifts, as
transgender rights have become more broadly debated and
­accepted by liberal groups and politicians, yet are tied by con-
servative groups to greater fears around shifts in gendered ex-
pectation and a more defensive posture toward traditional views.
Such divisions are an important starting point for con-
sidering how language shifts the classroom. While I am not
able to discern if a person truly believes they are violating
a personal religious belief when declining to refer to a student
by the gender they have been informed is correct, there is
a deeper fear, reflected in political speech, that such inclusiv-
ity undermines something meaningful about gendered divi-
sions. The more abstract principles of free speech and religious
practice, when framed in this way as opposed to respect for
individual autonomy and inclusion, use language to frame
these principles in opposition, such that those asserting space
for transgender students, sexual orientation diversity, or anti-
racism are posed as the opposite of free speech. This is par-
ticularly challenging, given research that supports the harms
experienced by exposure to racism, homophobia, or transpho-
bia in the classroom.2 3

Controlling Language and Frames of Opposition

The theoretical framework in which I approach the use of lan-
guage is derived from Relational Frame Theory (RFT), a model
that arose within behavioural psychology to describe how lan-
guage is used and how it impacts behaviour. Though a fuller
treatment of this theory could be found elsewhere, in this per-
spective, language is ultimately ‘the action of framing events
relationally’.4 In this way, language can be used to identify the re-

2 Williams, M. T., Skinta, M. D., Kanter, J. W., Martin-Willett, R.,

Mier-Chairez, J., Debreaux, M., & Rosen, D. C. (2020). A quali-

16
tative study of microaggressions against African Americans
on predominantly White campuses. BMC psychology, 8(1), 1—13.
3 Nadal, K. L., Davidoff, K. C., Davis, L. S., & Wong, Y. (2014). Emo-
tional, behavioral, and cognitive reactions to microaggressions:
Transgender perspectives. Psychology of Sexual Orientation
and Gender Diversity, 1(1), 72—81.
4 Hayes, S. C., Barnes-Holmes, D., Roche, B. (Eds.). Relational
frame theory: A post-Skinnerian account of human language
and cognition. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum; 2001.
lationship between concepts, such that ‘pro-life’ is associated
with the implication that those who disagree are ‘anti-life’, and
the type of ‘academic freedom’ inherent in criticising a race-crit-
ical line of inquiry or transgender people’s experiences is intend-
ed to imply that these terms suffocate academic debate and are
an attack on the institution. In RFT, this is referred to as a frame
of opposition (as opposed, alternately, to a frame of coordination),
and such framing poses challenges over how we can even speak
of these impasses. This also poses several challenges for those
invested in creating an inclusive environment in the classroom,
as a dominant framing that pervades the social environment in
the media, politics, and from the pulpit cannot be undermined
by any single well-meaning instructor. Rather, we must consider
more broadly how discussions are framed and think in terms
of a community of educators who value inclusion about the ways
that we might explore these issues.
A part of this challenge arises from the desire to control
the speech used to debate. While coining phrases or encourag-
ing slogans that support a frame of opposition can be a power-
ful strategy to narrow the range of ways we can discuss these
concerns, these may undermine our own claims to inclusivity
in both perception and practice. The challenge then is to con-
sider ways to use language that allow for a broadening of dis-
cussion, support for those harmed by exclusionary language,
and less investment in responding in a reactionary manner
to speech within a frame of opposition as this may only serve
to reify this frame in the mind of the public or our students.
This might be seen in the debates on ‘critical race theory’ in
the United States over the past year. While critical race theory
does refer to a real body of academic literature, in the ways it
is being used by politicians who are attempting to prohibit its
use in lesson plans in public schools, it has evolved into an um-
brella term to refer to any historical perspective that exposes

17
 the role of anti-Black racism in the history of the United States.
In RFT, it could be emphasised that these are derived relation-
ships — in this case, a frame of opposition — that are arbitrar-
ily attributable to whole webs of learned associations and
do not require a clear meaning to exist in opposition against.
Whatever fantasy, or bogeyman, comes to mind when hearing
these terms supports the framing. The slipperiness of the term
is unimportant in this framing, much like the nebulous use
of the terms ‘gender theory’ or ‘gender ideology’ from Latin
America across Europe, with varied, unstable meanings that
ultimately orient us toward the discomfort of the speaker and
the feeling that their own world view is under attack than any
concrete phenomenon being acted against. In fact, the ambigu-
ity of the claims and stated adverse effects become a strength
for proponents of those views, as the feared terms can mean
anything that a person may be afraid of.
This, then, is the type of polarising rhetoric that has come
to surround education, where inclusive language is framed
as an enemy of tradition, including the liberal freedoms most
associated with academia. In July 2021, Hungary passed
a sweeping bill to prohibit certain types of speech and me-
dia that included LGBTQ+ language or content. Deceptively,
the bill was included within other legal reforms and titled
as a law intended to protect children from paedophilia, echoing
extreme historically homophobic assertions that there is a con-
nection between sexual mistreatment of children and LGBTQ+
communities. A similar bill has passed the first reading in
the Polish Sejm at the time that this chapter is being written.
Academic freedom and the liberalising goals of educa-
tion are a certain type of historical fiction, of course. From
­McCarthyism in the United States to various forms of cen-
sorship under other political systems, such freedoms have
been limited by exclusionary social norms. In fact, while legal

18
changes in Hungary and Poland are seen as a crisis for the Eu-
ropean Union and of concern to human rights activists around
the globe, providing accurate or honest information about
sexual orientation and gender diversity in high schools was
unthinkable in most of the world 20 years ago. The tides also
shift from external control through prohibitions, to internal
control as educators fear repercussions from authorities for ex-
ceeding community norms. This, then, becomes the challenge.
If observations about how language is used and learned sug-
gest an endless capacity for attaching a fearful and ominous
meaning to any new expression and can result in a contrived
avoidance of terms, then how do we break out of this cycle?
And when both ends of the political spectrum attempt to con-
trol the types of language used, how do we avoid harming
those most affected by fights over what language can be used?

Rupturing Taboos and Rule-Governed Behavior

One observation that offers some hope is the paradoxical
failure of prohibitions on speech in stopping cultural shifts to-
ward acceptance and inclusion. For example, from U.S. states
to Russia, attempts to legislate barriers to equality language
around the LGBTQ+ community often have an initial ef-
fect (particularly when paired with police action, fines, or
job loss), though begin to weaken over time. As noted above,
many states in the U.S. are in the process of legislating bans
on the introduction of critical race theory into the class-
room. This occurs for a variety of reasons. One is on the side
of the oppressed group. That is, when a minoritised popula-
tion is not seen as a significant part of daily life, then even
members of a group may have a weak sense of belonging, little
sense of a community or legacy that they are contributing to-
ward, or no one to act on behalf of. To the extent that one feels
reasonably comfortable in their daily life, periods that lack

19
distinct oppression also may reduce a sense of solidarity. This
is likely exacerbated in groups with invisible features, as some
LGBTQ+ people experience their identities, or if one belongs
to an ethnicity that is not clearly differentiable from the major-
ity population. It is similarly difficult to view one’s self as be-
longing to an aggrieved group when harms are not clear, and
there is not a strong personal sense that this is a meaningful
identity in one’s life.5
The process is further complicated when we explore the ef-
fect of such language control strategies among members of ma-
jority groups. Returning to behavioural accounts of language,
many types of actions fall into the category of rule-governed
behaviour. That is, many behaviours are shaped by verbal
rules that we follow even in the absence of clear penalties. You
might wait for the crossing sign to turn green before crossing
the street, even if you have seen others cross without penalty
or being hit by a car. Similarly, modern societies are full of ver-
bal taboos that continue in the absence of witnesses to rule
violations. In the United States, for example, it is frequently
said that in formal or professional spaces, upon introduc-
tions, or on first meetings, it is best to avoid speaking about
sex, religion, or politics. Such prohibitions may be greater in
conservative cultures, where such rules may extend to one’s
sexual orientation, gender identity, racial differences, or other
topics that may give rise to uncomfortable feelings. During
the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of 2020,
alongside the widely viewed video footage of the murder
of George Floyd, taboos among White people against discuss-
ing anti-Black racism and violence began to shift. It became
unavoidable for a person to not be aware of the rates at which
Black men are killed by law enforcement officers, and many
White Americans began reading books or seeking informa-
tion for the first time about the small, pervasive acts of racism

20
5 Buyantueva, R. (2020). What Motivates LGBT Activists to Pro-
test? The Case of Russia. Problems of Post-Communism, 1—14.
that their neighbours were exposed to. While there are some
signs that this is regressing, the threshold may have per-
manently shifted. Similar changes occur when considering
the effects of anti-LGBTQ+ laws, particularly in conservative
or traditional communities. Where there may have been rule-
governed restrictions on discussing sexuality or gender, such
topics are spoken of by politicians on the campaign trail, in
the news, in syndicated television series, and by educators.
Such violations of these rules result in two major changes
that cascade into changing attitudes. First, when the environ-
ment is so saturated with discussions about a previously taboo
topic, those behavioural rules loosen and it becomes easier
for anyone to discuss these topics or hear of them. Secondly,
it increases contact with groups that perhaps previously one
would have avoided. That is, regardless of one’s politics it be-
comes impossible to avoid even conservative media that will
quote a leader of Black Lives Matter, or interview a transgen-
der person about their life and experiences. While the litera-
ture is nuanced, and not all increases in contact lead to reduc-
tions in prejudice, these processes do begin to cascade. That is,
as periods of political tension rise, minoritised individuals may
be more motivated to identify as a member of a group, and may
feel moved to speak about their identity when hearing dis-
criminatory language from others.

Frames of Coordination
Language is not only used to build walls and create opposi-
tion. Another type of frame that can be expressed through
language is a frame of coordination, such that two concepts
exist without competition. Such a shift can be seen in Warsaw,
where rainbow flags across the city often are emblazoned with
the lightning strike emblem of the feminist movement that has
rallied against restrictive access to reproductive health care.

21
As common targets of the current conservative administration,
feminists and LGBTQ+ activists have found common ground
and room to support one another, with many activists serving
as leaders in both groups. Compare this to the current situa-
tion in the United Kingdom, where many LGBTQ+ organisa-
tions have experienced schisms based upon a wave of femi-
nist rejections of transgender rights and inclusion. A frame
of coordination does not imply that movements are identical,
rather it clarifies an intersecting direction of action. In this
way, U.S. educators in more progressive states will teach about
the Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, and LGBTQ+ Rights move-
ments as political movements with examples of mutual inspi-
ration and overlapping activist leaders across groups, without
reductively suggesting that there are no historical and con-
temporary differences in the conditions that gave rise to each
movement. In politics and history, there are numerous exam-
ples of how quickly such frames can change. It is worth noting,
however, that so far I have been describing the use of language
in a broader, cultural sense that surrounds the classroom, rath-
er than what occurs specifically within the room. Every course
creates a context that may allow for fostering new norms.
When we consider our role as educators, the question becomes
one of how we create a context that includes frames of coordi-
nation rather than supporting those of opposition.

Attempting to Promote Inclusive Language in the Classroom

As an educator in higher education, some of the rules and ex-
periences that drive my classroom structure may differ from
those teaching younger individuals. I believe many of the prin-
ciples are the same, however. I teach at Roosevelt University,
a private school in one of the largest cities in the U.S., with an
explicit mission of promoting social justice. I began teaching in
my Psychology Department in the fall of 2019, so only a short

22
period passed prior to the lockdowns related to the Covid-19
pandemic and the frequent protests and marches throughout
the year against anti-Black violence and the militaristic ap-
proach of many police departments. I taught one core course
that all incoming doctoral students in psychology take part
in during their first year, titled ‘Personality & Psychothera-
py’ — a standard survey course of systems of psychotherapy
similar to those taught at most psychology doctoral programs.
I struggled with how to teach schools of thought that were pri-
marily founded by White psychiatrists and psychologists and
generally affluent men, even when those schools of thought
were not associated with those identities anymore. I adopted
a text and many primary readings used previously in the class-
room, though this appeared to create a context in which even
discussions of criticisms of those models were seen as less
important than the works presented. The use of primary texts
appeared, to some extent, to present too reverent a view to-
ward those schools of therapy with deep histories of being used
to support oppressive and discriminatory treatment, or spe-
cifically pathologised LGBTQ+ people. Not only does this cre-
ate a frame of opposition between the texts and theories and
social justice, but it also created a frame of opposition between
the content of the course and students’ identities, and appeared
to undermine a deeper sense of inclusivity. After this first ex-
perience, and inspired by the protests of the summer, I wanted
to refresh this content in a way that would be experienced
as more inclusive and considering the above points, I wanted
to do so in a manner that did not reify frames of opposition.
To this end, I set about beginning with the authors
of the readings used in the course. I should also note my
inspiration from the behaviour therapy literature, which
often describes the broader context of ideas and language
use as a ‘verbal community’ — that is, to the extent, we are

23
always collaboratively doing things with words, how can we
craft a context that shapes our language in a more inclusive
way. One common frame of opposition that affects the careers
of peers, either as researchers, educators, or clinicians, is
the idea that specialising in the psychology of a minoritised
group means that a person is not simultaneously knowledge-
able about the general domains of their field. Though this
makes no logical sense, as in order to specialise in working
with a minoritised population, one would have had to dem-
onstrate core competencies within the field, it is a common
stereotype that I have heard from colleagues across a num-
ber of countries. I have personally worked with schools and
institutions to agree upon teaching contracts and only late
in the process learned that, as the content was not LGBTQ+
specific (one primary area of my research), they did not feel
I would be appropriate. I did not want to replicate this addi-
tional form of bias in my syllabus review, so I began by work-
ing backwards from topic areas to diverse authors. While I did
not exclude leading professionals from the reading list if they
also specialised in working with concerns of a minoritised
population that they belonged to, I made sure to find examples
where this was also not the case. Upon doing so, particularly
with scholars I was familiar with, I realised that this pro-
cess also increased the gender diversity of authors, inclusive
of transgender and non-binary researchers, as well as sexual
orientation diversity.
The next step may sound inherently at odds with the prin-
ciples just set forth. After developing a database of a broad
pool of authors, I explored examples of topics that were good
examples of case studies or clinical trials that were specific
to concerns of minoritised populations. That is, while any sys-
tem of therapy covered in the course might speak to anxiety,
depression, or other common causes for seeking treatment,

24
there was a smaller body of articles that explored topics such
as reducing internalised transphobia or treating vicarious
trauma experienced by Black clients who were haunted by
the viral videos of Black individuals being murdered by law en-
forcement officers or strangers. The goal of the above step was
not to exclude works that prioritised and normalised attending
to the needs of diverse populations, rather to avoid supporting
the frame of opposition that placed global categories of exper-
tise in opposition to the possession of a minoritised identity.
Finally, while I had started the course in my first year with
an interesting article on therapeutic integration and challeng-
es to this area of research and the topic,6 I found an excellent
critical companion piece by a psychologist based in India who
examined whether the assumptions made in the first article
were relevant to her childhood as a girl being raised outside
of Western norms and assumptions about health and well-
ness.7 When considering the selection of texts as the first step
toward a context of inclusive language, an educator can create
a context in which inclusivity matters, and in acting from this
platform, cultivate inclusive language within the room. These
three tactics, generally, are replicable: 1) select a plurality
of voices to be centred in the classroom, 2) give interests and
concerns of minoritised communities equal weight to concerns
of majority populations, and 3) model the production and con-
sumption of knowledge through an implicit lens of respect for
a multiplicity of voices. These changes appeared in standard
student feedback of the course, yet also in my experience
of the quality and tone of conversation, to shape what the ex-
perience was like for students in the class and to promote
a deeper sense of inclusivity.

25
6 Goldfried, M. R. (2019). Obtaining consensus in psychotherapy:
What holds us back? American Psychologist, 74(4), 484—496.
7 Dhar, A. (2020). The slippery and the sane: Decolonizing psy-
chology through a study of the Indian girl-child. Feminism &
Psychology, 30(3), 391—413.
Conclusion
Fostering a sense of inclusive language requires attending
to the ways we use language, as well as the various ways that
language might create a context prior to speaking in the room.
Inclusivity begins in the syllabus, room signage, and text.
The norms around what perspectives matter and how we re-
spond to the concerns of minoritised people have already gen-
erally been conveyed prior to the first student stepping into
the classroom. The exploration and discussion here, consider-
ing ways that we frame our debates to exclude or include, may
be helpful for those of us who value inclusive language to build
a climate that may promote it. It may not be sufficient, how-
ever, for challenging the norms of educators that do not share
these values. Through modelling and exposing students, over
and over, to inclusive systems, however, there is the potential
that we may shift the verbal communities we belong to, such
that this inclusivity becomes a deeper norm.
 2 The Others. Addressing Antisemitism
and Xenophobia through Education

by Anna Makówka-Kwapisiewicz

When the international concept of human rights is seen

as a threat to sovereignty and national values, such phenom-
ena as antisemitism, islamophobia and xenophobia are politi-
cised, and minorities are marginalised and excluded. In this
situation, the main tool for creating attitudes of tolerance and
inclusivity is education. Education, which is a common good
available for everyone, regardless of their background and
social standing. Education that changes and influences social
attitudes. In what way can education function in local and
state aspects when issues connected with human rights and
antisemitism are politicised, changed into cultural code and
tools in political fights?
One of the solutions in such a situation is the close coopera-
tion of authorities, NGOs and educational institutions with
the minority community. Cooperation in the area of education,
which can help effectively counter discrimination, xenophobia,
islamophobia, antisemitism, etc.

Historical Background
Minorities, as a community, contributed to history and herit-
age, meaning they influenced the socio-cultural and economic
development of their countries and regions. Unfortunately,

27
coexisting with the majority population did not erase the phe-
nomena of xenophobia, racism, and especially antisemitism.
They became a part of the political narrative consolidating
the majority, and nationalism became an element of creating
a national identity. Consequently, the representatives of the mi-
nority were not only treated as others but also as scapegoats,
blamed for all failures of the given country. Whether the com-
munity was integrated with the majority group or not had no
meaning. Actually, the more integrated the minority population
was, the more anxiety it aroused in the majority. 
In Europe, the most tragic culmination of coexistence was
the Holocaust and genocide of Romani and Sinti communities.
The countries of Central and Eastern Europe, where minori-
ties lived, became homogeneous overnight. Post-war regimes
ostensibly protected the surviving communities, but in conse-
quence, communist parties (among others) revived the spirit
of antisemitism and xenophobia, using it as a known and
proven political tool.
Due to the lack of stability, rising antisemitism and vio-
lence against minority communities, mass migration from
Central and Eastern Europe to Western Europe, the US, and
Sweden began. This phenomenon boosted the process of cre-
ating multicultural communities in those countries. What was
left of the community underwent almost complete assimila-
tion and acculturation. Currently, it is difficult to determine
the number of minority communities in given countries be-
cause general censuses do not always reflect the identities
of the members of given communities.1

Societal Background
The culture and tradition of minorities in Central and Eastern
Europe are currently enjoying considerable popularity. More
and more often, students are engaged in educational projects,

28
1 The problem arises when the identity escapes the framework
set by the available answers (here: Polish nationality or non-
Polish nationality). If the respondent’s social identity is multi-
cultural, in the case of the ethnic (national) context, it is difficult
for them to answer the question of identity clearly and unam-
biguously. In Warmińska K. (2004), Spis powszechny a etyczny
wymiar tożsamości jednostki. Kraków: Nomos.
organise meetings, discover and seek to bring back the memory
about, e.g. Jewish inhabitants of their towns. On the other hand,
touching upon any topic regarding Holocaust, homophobia, or
antisemitism frequently evokes extreme emotions in many
people and groups. For some, these topics elicit hurtful feelings
for others anger. As a result, ‘certain’ topics are called using
such euphemisms as ‘sensitive issue’ or ‘controversial matter’.
What is more, in public discourse, the persistence of an-
tisemitic, xenophobic and homophobic forms is visible. It is
confirmed by research2 conducted in all countries of the Viseg-
rád Group (V4). It shows that negative attitudes towards Jews
correlate with general attitudes towards other minority groups.
The researchers observed that historical background and
the mechanisms of public space ethnicisation3 have led to na-
tional homogeneity, and at the same time, excluded others from
the mainstream society. As a result, in all of the V4 states, di-
versity is seen as a negative phenomenon. According to the re-
spondents, among the ethnical, religious, cultural and linguistic
diversity, only cultural diversity is seen mostly positively in
Poland and Slovakia, while in Czechia, it is linguistic diversity.4
The negative attitude towards diversity increases with
the respondents’ age. The research also verified the percep-
tion of specific minorities.5 Romani are mainly perceived
negatively, and this is true in all V4 countries (Poland, in this
case, has a less negative perception of Roma, but there are far

2 Antisemitism 2.0. Opinions, attitudes and perception on an-

ti-Semitism in Visegrad countries on the online sphere (Slova-
kia: 2021), 6—7.
3 In this concept, the nation, like any cultural phenomenon, is his-
torically changeable, and every culture undergoes ethnicisation
or nationalisation over time, creating strong ties between its
elements). These elements are not the same for all national cul-
tures, and the meaning attributed to a particular element of cul-
ture depends on the situation and way of life of the communities
in question. Components that are necessary and perform vital
functions for some national cultures may be considered as non-

29
essential or even inhibiting integration by others. See: https://
repozytorium.uwb.edu.pl/jspui/bitstream/11320/855/1/
Praca_doktorska_A.Nikitorowicz.pdf.
4 Antisemitism 2.0. Opinions, attitudes and perception on an-
ti-Semitism in Visegrad countries on the online sphere (Slova-
kia: 2021), 6—7.
5 The study examined four minorities that tend to be perceived
with certain negative connotations — Roma, Jews, Muslims and
Black people.
fewer Roma living in Poland than in the other three countries
surveyed). Quite a high level of islamophobia has been ob-
served in Slovakia and Czechia, while Hungary and Czechia
are slightly more open towards Black people in comparison
to Slovakia and Poland. Attitudes towards Jews vary among
V4 countries. Ambivalent responses are dominant in all four
countries. Only Czechia has a clearly more positive attitude to-
wards Jews 6% of respondents declare dislike, and 38% of re-
spondents express a friendly attitude towards Jews.6
According to research by European Union For Fundamen-
tal Rights Agency, antisemitism permeates social discourse,
reinforcing negative stereotypes of Jews, and the mere fact
that someone belongs to the Jewish community increases
the likelihood of discrimination against that person. Addition-
ally, more and more people (in comparison to the data from
2012) conclude that antisemitism is an increasingly severe is-
sue in their country.7
As a result of several initiatives taken by the European
Commission at the European Union and global levels, the an-
tisemitism coordinator was appointed in December 2015; in
2016, the EU High Level Group on combating racism, xenopho-
bia and other forms of intolerance was established. This group
developed guidelines and policy recommendations to improve
the response to hate crimes and hate speech, including those
motivated by antisemitism. That year also a code of conduct
for combating hate speech on the internet was created togeth-
er with IT companies.8
A crucial aspect was the adoption of a resolution on com-
bating antisemitism by the European Parliament in 2017,
which called for increased efforts at local, national and Euro-
pean levels.9 A further declaration on countering antisemitism

6 Antisemitism 2.0. Opinions, attitudes and perception on anti-Semi-

30
tism in Visegrad countries on the online sphere (Slovakia: 2021), 6—7.
7 European Union For Fundamental Rights Agency, Doświadczanie
i postrzeganie antysemityzmu — Drugie badanie dotyczące dys-
kryminacji i przestępstw z nienawiści wobec Żydów w UE (Austria:
2019), 3—5.
8 More: https://ec.europa.eu/poland/news/ku-unii-wolnej-od-
-anty-semityzmu_pl.
9 More: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/
TA-8—2017—0243_PL.html.
in all areas of politics was adopted by the Council in 2020,10
while a comprehensive and innovative approach was pro-
posed in the most recent strategy on countering antisemitism
adopted on 5 October 2021. There, the Commission proposed
a range of measures not only to prevent and combat antisem-
itism but also to protect and nurture Jewish life and support
Holocaust education, research and remembrance.11 Some
member states have responded to the Commission’s call by ap-
pointing antisemitism coordinators, while others have adopted
or endorsed the definition agreed in May 2016 by the Interna-
tional Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).12
The definition is a non-legally binding operational defini-
tion of antisemitism, with clear examples of the different
forms it can take. It covers traditional schemas, the growing
problem of Holocaust denial, as well as new forms relating
to Israel, such as demonising the Jewish state or holding local
Jewish communities responsible for its actions. The Inter-
national Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) has also
adopted a non-binding operational definition of antigypsy-
ism/anti-Roma discrimination.13 This definition emphasises
the importance of remembering the Roma genocide and
recognising that the general neglect to do so has contributed
to the prejudice and discrimination experienced by many
Roma communities. Such definitions include recommenda-
tions on education about minorities. The states that have de-
cided to implement the operational definitions have commit-
ted not only to counteract discrimination but also to provide
conditions and funding for education about minorities, their
current life and functioning in the public space.

10 More: https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/
ST-13637—2020-INIT/pl/pdf.
11 More: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/factsheet-

31
eu-strategy-on-combating-antisemitism-and-fostering-jewish-
life_october2021_en.pdf.
12 European Union For Fundamental Rights Agency, Doświadczanie
i postrzeganie antysemityzmu — Drugie badanie dotyczące dys-
kryminacji i przestępstw z nienawiści wobec Żydów w UE (Austria:
2019), 3—5.
13 More: https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/resources/
working-definitions-charters/working-definition-anti-
gypsyism-anti-roma-discrimination.
Education
The European Union (EU) and its member states have a legal
obligation to do everything in their power to effectively com-
bat antisemitism, educate people about the Holocaust and
ensure that the effectiveness of the developed measures is
systematically evaluated. To this end, the member states are
also obliged to cooperate with Jewish communities in the area
of security and protection of Jewish sites while ensuring that
adequate financial resources are allocated for this purpose.14
The EU and the Council of Europe member states, the Organi-
zation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Or-
ganization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
have committed themselves to promote a culture of democ-
racy and human rights through numerous instruments, such
as the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education
and Training (2011), the United Nations World Programme for
Human Rights Education (2005–2019), the Council of Europe
Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human
Rights Education (2010), the Inter-American Democratic Char-
ter (2001), and the Additional Protocol to the American Con-
vention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (Protocol of San Salvador).15
The aforementioned 2017 draft EP resolution on combat-
ing antisemitism calls for the promotion of teaching about the
Holocaust in schools and the inclusion of information about
Jewish history and contemporary life in school curricula.16 It is
important because the lack of education about the Holocaust
and antisemitism can lead to denial and downplaying. This,
in turn, leads to the externalisation of guilt, including its pro-
jection onto survivors, and the distortion of other historical

14 European Union For Fundamental Rights Agency, Doświadcza-

nie i postrzeganie antysemityzmu — Drugie badanie dotyczące
dyskryminacji i przestępstw z nienawiści wobec Żydów w UE

32
(Austria: 2019), 3.
15 Tibbitts, F. (2015). Curriculum Development and Review
for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education.
­U NESCO, Council of Europe, OSCE Office for Democratic Insti-
tutions and Human Rights, Organization of American States, 10.
16 Combating anti-Semitism European Par­liament resolution
of 1 June 2017 on combating anti-Semitism, 2017/2692(RSP).
More: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/do­c eo/document/
TA-8—2017—0243_EN.pdf.
 facts related to the Holocaust, resulting in its trivialisation or
relativisation.17
In contrast, taking into account the history of the Holo-
caust, the mechanisms of discrimination, stigmatisation and
social exclusion of minorities, opens up the possibility of ac-
counting for the narratives and experiences of all minority
groups. Unfortunately, it is still rare. For example, in the Viseg-
rád Group, at the level of formal education, the main emphasis
is on learning about the Holocaust. Education on antisemitism
or minorities, on the other hand, is linked strictly to the Holo-
caust and described as a prelude to it or as part of the human
rights topic. Information about minorities as social fabric,
contributing to a country, a nation or influencing culture or
heritage, is marginal. Typically, minorities are represented
as foreign, migrant or other. They are mainly presented in an
impersonal context as a group; this narrative is characterised
by many elements of generalisation. It correlates, for example,
with recent studies on antisemitism, which show that there is
a high percentage of people who believe in a Jewish conspiracy
led by an unidentified group of Jews.18 Therefore, it is also vital
that school textbooks describe Jews as individuals, not a group.
In addition, the information presented should contain suf-
ficient data to understand the subject matter or the problem
addressed, and minorities should be described using personal
pronouns, e.g. ‘I’, ‘she’, ‘he’ or collectively, using, e.g. ‘they’, ‘you’,
‘we’. This way, we avoid aspects that lead to the dehumanisation
of a group through generalisations. What is more, this educa-
tion should be based on neutral content, not marked by emo-
tions, judgement, accusations, blame or ascribing bad intentions.
It should describe a given person’s actions, not their character-
istics. This way, the described phenomenon/event will be coun-
teracting social stereotypes, ‘labels’ and ‘pigeonholing’, as well
as have a positive impact on shaping recipients’ attitudes.

33 17

18
Barna, I. et al. (2021). Modern an­tisemitism in the Visegrad coun-
tries countering distortion. Budapest: Tom Lantos Institute, 10.
Combat Antisemitism in Central Europe (ComAnCE) (2021).
Raport ze stanu badań nad antysemityzmem w Środkowej
­Europie. Kraków: Villa Decius: Kraków, 24—25.
 Minority voices and narratives should be included in
a neutral way when it comes to worldview and politics. Unfor-
tunately, minority education is frequently integrated with as-
pects of the majority religion and its values. As a result, there
is a danger of eliminating the viewpoints of other religious
groups. Simple educational solutions can prevent it, e.g. when
discussing an architectural style, illustrations of a synagogue
or a mosque can be used instead of religious sites associated
with the majority religion.
Unfortunately, the educational narrative is frequently in-
fluenced by a worldview based on the interests and history
of a given country or even unconscious ethnocentrism and
nationalism. It is facilitated by whitewashing history, omitting
difficult subjects or shameful episodes. The conviction about
the exceptionality of the nation’s suffering thus becomes
the foundation of national identity. Attempts to undermine
this conviction provoke inevitable defensive reactions, which
are used, for example, in antisemitic, homophobic, anti-refugee
or islamophobic campaigns. As a result, adolescents might not
receive an adequate education based on openness and critical
thinking. However, keeping silent about these issues will not
make them disappear. A conviction may arise that they should
not be thought or spoken about.
In the course of teaching and upbringing, it may contribute
to the formation of a cognitive style characterised by rigidity
of thinking, categorical views, intolerance of ambiguity, in-
ability to see different perspectives, rejection of information
contradictory to the preceding conclusions. Such a cognitive
style corresponds to the characteristics of some features in
the authoritarian personality, which according to Adorno19
(among others), is associated with susceptibility to totalitarian
ideologies and antisemitism. Authoritarianism is expressed,
for instance, by a belief in the hierarchical organisation

34
19 Adorno, T.W. (1950). The Authoritarian Personality. New York:
Harper & Brothers.
of human relations and the need to submit to authority.
The habit of critical thinking would facilitate the identifica-
tion of antisemitic, xenophobic and homophobic content and
the emergence of adequate reflections.

Recommendations
Education about minorities should not be limited to schools
but be a part of education about society and rights at all lev-
els — for children and adults, especially professional groups
such as teachers, journalists and police officers.
• There should be support for civic education and teaching
critical thinking by analysing world events and their effect
on our everyday reality
• It is important to move away from the positivist approach
to education. Children should learn about the most impor-
tant events which have influenced the development of hu-
manity in a way that enables them to apply the knowledge
to their own lives. Only in this way are we able to bring
up young, open-minded people.
• Reflecting on the Holocaust should serve as a source of edu-
cation on prejudice, discrimination, homophobia, xenopho-
bia, racism and antisemitism, in order to better understand
human rights.
• Education about minorities requires diverse approaches
and educational programmes. Therefore, international
cooperation and the establishment of organisations to net-
work teachers are crucial.
• Centralisation and the creation of a strict and defined cur-
riculum for teachers contribute to the inability to imple-
ment the material. Decentralisation and leaving the teacher
the freedom to choose the material, sources and working
methods lead to creative solutions and the use of innova-
tive scientific methods.

35
• Although schools have been teaching about antisemitism,
the Holocaust, and their consequences for almost two dec-
ades, there is still a very high level of negative emotions
towards Roma in countries such as Slovakia and Czechia,
or towards the LGBT+ community in the four countries
of the Visegrád Group.
• Systematic research and evaluation of educational pro-
grammes aimed at tackling antisemitism, xenophobia,
homophobia, etc., are essential. Long-term verification and
evaluation of activities can be used to analyse changes in
attitudes and the suitability of the chosen tools.
• OSCE and other international bodies, including the United
Nations, the Council of Europe and the European Union,
should cooperate to determine a strategy for the develop-
ment and support of NGOs. Allocating additional resources
to the activities of such organisations, enabling interna-
tional cooperation, emphasising local and regional collabo-
ration, as well as dedicating and recommending the unifica-
tion and transparency of support for NGOs will contribute
to the professionalisation of these organisations.
 3 For a real image of LGBT+ people.
The Role of Media, School and Politics

by Michał Sawicki, Michał Tęcza

Equality education is usually associated with broadening

knowledge about non-heteronormative people, and indeed, it is
one of its areas. It is not, however, a complete definition. Equal-
ity education is something more. It is caring about the rights
of minorities, and the language used when speaking about
them. It is increasing awareness about their existence, eve-
ryday problems they face and providing them with an oppor-
tunity to take part in public life.1 It is also an effective tool for
protecting lives and opposing discrimination, hate speech and
hate crimes. In the case of LGBT+ people, it should be noted
that equality education has an important therapeutic role and
social function. The therapeutic role is focused on dealing with
fear and minority stress.2 The social one, on the other hand,
aims to dismantle false narratives and reduce the economic
consequences of stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination.
This chapter focuses on the role of media, school and poli-
tics in the creation of social attitudes, the search for the best,
systemic solutions for introducing equality education (in
the LGBT+ context) and the consequences of its lack.

37
1 Mugny, G. (2010). Social Psychology of Minority Influence. Cam-
bridge: Cambridge University Press.
2 Minority stress — a chronic psychological burden to which peo-
ple from minority groups are exposed solely because they belong
to a particular group. Minority stress is not caused by specific
circumstances but by the overall social situation. It manifests
itself as the fear of being stigmatised and affects how individu-
als function to protect themselves from possible discrimination.
It can lead to low self-esteem and even mental disorders.
 In the Beginning There Was the Word
The foundation of education is language, i.e. the form in which
information is conveyed. Much of the communication in
the process of expanding knowledge is based on appropriately
chosen words. It is no different in the case of equality educa-
tion. The phrases used are not only a tool for the process itself
but are also the domain of the field.
In the equality education about LGBT+ people, the cor-
rect terminology is key to achieving its goals. In recent years,
the terminology used to describe people from minority groups
has been used as a dangerous political weapon, e.g. in Eastern
European countries such as Poland, Lithuania or Hungary,
there is a worrying phenomenon of homosexual and transgen-
der people being portrayed as a threat. This phenomenon is
possible due to the widespread unfamiliarity with the terms
used in the social sciences. ‘Gender’ or the abbreviation
‘LGBT+’ are deliberately misrepresented as dangerous ideolo-
gies threatening traditional values.3 That is why equality edu-
cation must provide sound knowledge about terms and expres-
sions that often appear in public debate. Educators’ main task
is to explain the meaning of terms such as sexual identity, gen-
der identity, gender, non-binary or intersex. All those who want
to use equality language in education should keep this in mind.
It means that, for example, before talking about the rights
of non-heteronormative people, one should take a step back
and explain that the topic is simply about human rights. We
should make sure that all persons receiving the information re-
alise that homosexuality is a healthy manifestation of sexual-
ity. It is because any educational process requires the develop-
ment of knowledge — from basics to more advanced content.
One should remember that equality language serves
a crucial purpose in communication — increasing the comfort
of those it concerns. The process of finding the best solutions

38
3 ILGA-Europe. (2021). Annual Review of the Human Rights Situ-
ation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People cov-
ering events that occurred in Europe and Central Asia.
 is constantly evolving. It is based on observations, research,
and public demands. Sometimes common language evolves
faster than official medical nomenclature (included in interna-
tional documents, e.g. those published by WHO). It is because
scientific standards are updated regularly, but not very often,
due to procedures and rules that govern the world of academic
research. And yet, the language of equality is constantly evolv-
ing, does not take a break to wait for scientists. Hence, some
people find the current medical terms inadequate. A good
example is the term ‘transsexualism’ from the tenth version
of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which is
in force until the end of 2021. In the language of equality, it
has long been considered negative because the suffix ‘-ism’ in-
dicates a disorder, and the root ‘transsexual’ refers to the per-
ception of gender exclusively in binary terms (female-male).
In the eleventh version of the ICD, we do not find the term
‘transsexualism’. However, there are mentions of ‘incongru-
ence between experienced gender and assigned sex’.4 It is
a much more inclusive entry, focused on the individual situa-
tion of a given person.
The complexity of equality language in terms of sexual-
ity gives rise to further questions and concerns. How to keep
up with the changes? More specifically — how to behave to-
wards non-binary people? Which phrases to use at the begin-
ning of official emails? How to know which personal pronoun
to use when addressing a transgender person? This is where
equality education comes in, offering generally simple and
intuitive solutions. Above all, it is important to avoid gender
binary terms such as ‘ladies and gentlemen’ or the commonly
used term ‘guys’ to refer to a group of people. Instead, equal-
ity language suggests more general terms such as ‘team’ or
‘people’. In the case of direct contact, it is sufficient to ask how
a particular person should be addressed. During business

39
4 Atalla, E., Drescher, J., Krueger, R., Reed, G.M. (2016). Disorders
related to sexuality and gender identity in the ICD-11: Revising
the ICD-10 classification based on current scientific evidence,
best clinical practices, and human rights considerations. New
Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell.
 meetings, it is increasingly common to introduce oneself not
only by name and surname but also by the preferred personal
pronouns. They are usually written in brackets, for example,
‘John Doe (he, him)’ or ‘Violet Black (they/them)’.
The development of inclusive language should not be
feared. It is enough to listen to those with expertise and those
affected by the issue. Most importantly — anyone can make
a mistake. It happens to both LGBT+ people and their allies.
Making mistakes is a natural stage of learning. Changing one’s
perception of language and developing habits is a process that
can take place at an individual pace. Reflecting and learning
from mistakes can only improve the process.5

Familiarising the Public

In order to properly implement equality education, it is nec-
essary to understand the mechanisms that shape human at-
titudes and behaviours. These draw on beliefs about oneself,
other people and the world. These beliefs are deeply rooted
thoughts and judgements that are usually not questioned but
taken for granted. They are meant to facilitate the functioning
and save the time required to reflect on different situations.
One of the specific types of beliefs that simplify thinking about
other people in a hurtful way is stereotypes. Stereotypes are
opinions about a group of people based on the assumption that
they belong to that group. They are usually difficult to change
and unverified. People who use them do not check their verac-
ity. They often carry an emotional charge such as hatred, dis-
like, repulsion, fear. The combination of these thoughts and
emotions is called prejudice.6 The main source of stereotypes
and prejudices is the fear of the unknown and unfamiliar.
The lack of knowledge about the LGBT+ community and
unfamiliarity with LGBT+ people contribute to the perpetu-
ation of hurtful opinions in society. Equality education is not

40
5 Stefaniak, W. (Ed) (2014). Terapia Poznawczo Behawioralna.
Zaburzenia seksualne. Warsaw: Fundacja Centrum CBT.
6 Macrae, N., Stangor, C., Hewstone, M. (1998). Stereotypy i up-
rzedzenia. Najnowsze ujęcie. Gdańsk: GWP.
only the responsibility of schools and institutions. Popular cul-
ture plays a major role in shaping the image of minorities in so-
ciety. A way to change the situation is through the media — by
building a positive image of minorities.
The mainstream media has been addressing the topic for
years, but has it been effective enough? It was crucial to in-
clude it in pop culture. More and more often, homosexual or
transgender characters appear in TV series and films and are
portrayed as ‘normal, ordinary people’. This is a very posi-
tive trend. It allows people who do not normally meet anyone
from the LGBT+ community to have any contact with people
from this minority. The emergence of mainstream streaming
platforms that favour diversity has a significant impact on fa-
miliarisation with the topic. After all, is there anything wrong
with the fact that among ten main characters in a series, one
of them will be non-binary? As long as the script does not re-
inforce stereotypes and allows us to see people (their work, in-
terests, daily problems, relationships) it can only be beneficial.
One cannot underestimate the positive role played in
equality education by so-called coming-outs by public figures.
The testimonies of widely liked and respected political fig-
ures are of great importance in familiarising the public with
the subject. They let us see that there are more LGBT+ people
in the world. It is also great support for single LGBT+ people
facing rejection, misunderstanding and fear. Increasing the vis-
ibility of LGBT+ people in the media, which publicise inequal-
ity and discrimination, is another good step towards change.

Also in Math Class

In countries with a low level of discrimination and a high level
of diversity awareness, a number of measures have been intro-
duced at an institutional level over the years. They have con-
tributed to increasing acceptance and significantly improved

41
equality. Equality education does not have to be a separate
subject. Sweden is an example of this approach.7 It is pos-
sible to increase the level of acceptance by adding inclusive
content to the curriculum. For example, provide information
on the achievements of LGBT+ people or highlight which
important figure was LGBT+ in history lessons. In mathemat-
ics — introduce themes in the content of tasks showing that
same-sex relationships exist (e.g. John and Frank are a couple.
They have a dog, three cats and two parakeets. How many ani-
mals do they have together?). Dividing classes into boys and
girls without clear reasons does not seem to be beneficial from
the point of view of equality education.8
Disciplines such as psychology and sexology are way ahead
of institutional solutions, and the binary division between men
and women is no longer reflected in modern society. There
are far more gender identities than two.9 This information is
also important in the context of changes to personal question-
naires where, when asked about their gender with two possible
answers, some people are unable to choose. A number of coun-
tries have introduced a third option called ‘other’, which solves
the problem for the time being. It seems that a better solution
would be to leave the gender field blank so that each person
can fill it in independently and in accordance with their iden-
tity, or to broaden the range of options. However, it should be
considered when the gender question is necessary and when it
can be omitted.
And finally, sex education. This subject, which in itself
is a contentious issue in many countries, should deal with
equality education the most. The purpose of this subject is
to teach about setting and protecting one’s boundaries, about
respecting other people’s boundaries, about relationships,
about the fact that all people are equal and all deserve respect,
regardless of their gender identity, orientation, origin or any

42
7 RFSU (2017). About Swedish sex education. Retrieved from
https://www.rfsu.se/om-rfsu/om-oss/in-english/national-work/
sexuality-education/about-swedish-sexuality-education/
8 Świerszcz, J. (Ed). (2015). Lekcja Równości: Jak prowadzic ́
działania antydyskryminacyjne w szkołach. Warsaw: Campaign
Against Homophobia.
9 Bancroft, J. (2011). Seksualnośc ́ Człowieka. Wrocław: Elsevier
Urban & Partner.
other characteristic. It is vital that those who teach this sub-
ject build a positive image of sexuality and relationships re-
gardless of the gender and identity of the people creating them.
Those who specialise in sex and equality education will be
required to be particularly sensitive to the pronouns of trans
and non-binary people. They will be required to use equality
language and words that will not offend anyone. They will be
most responsible for ensuring that those around them also
use equality language. It can, therefore, be said that the work
of people involved in equality education never ends. Their
mission continues at home, at the bar, at family gatherings,
at meetings with friends. It is a 24/7 job.
Gender identities that are often overlooked in the process
of equality education are transgender, non-binary and inter-
sex. The reason for omitting them is insufficient knowledge,
misunderstanding of the subject, and limited visibility of these
people. Transgender people are more ostracised than homo-
sexual people. The transition process is such a distant issue for
many people that they do not even make the slightest effort
to find out more about it. Moreover, transgenderism is more
difficult to hide from the closest people than a non-heterosex-
ual orientation. The transition process becomes a torment due
to the fear of discrimination, aggression and rejection. Because
of the above, it is crucial to emphasise the issue of gender
identities in equality education. It is important to talk about
respect, to familiarise people with the fact that not every per-
son’s gender identity corresponds to the sex assigned at birth.
Creating a friendly environment for transgender people to cor-
rect their gender will help avoid aggression, discrimination
and the many unpleasant experiences they face every day.
In an ideal world, equality would be the norm, and every
child would grow up believing that they have the same rights
as others, including the right to be who they want to be.

43
Unfortunately, this is not the case, and in some countries, such
as Poland, the figures are alarming. A report by the Campaign
Against Homophobia on the social life of LGBTA people shows
that 69,4% of LGBTA adolescents have suicidal thoughts,
and 49,6% have symptoms of depression.10 The blame for
this state of affairs lies in the lack of equality education and
any support system, consent to homophobia, transphobia
and other manifestations of hatred, lack of anti-discrimina-
tion mechanisms, as well as ignorance of institutions such
as schools, which fail to teach sensitivity to diversity or how
to react to discrimination and respect one another. A huge re-
sponsibility for this state of affairs also lies with many parents,
who, in their formative years, have not been equipped with
the key knowledge and competencies at school either. To break
this chain of discrimination and aggression towards LGBT+
people, it is necessary to start equality education in parallel
for children and adolescents, as well as in academic discourse,
so that the knowledge flows from teachers to pupils. Above all,
the attitudes should be shaped at first in pedagogical faculties
at universities. Future teachers need to be able to counteract
discrimination and violence against LGBT+ children and
adolescents, to be sensitive to diversity and the language used
when talking about minorities.
The language, the vocabulary and the words’ emotional
charge determine, to a large extent, the well-being of LGBT+
people. The language used by the media, teachers, political,
cultural and artistic figures influences the language used by
young people towards their LGBT+ peers. It appears, there-
fore, that a significant role in equality education is played by
people who (unfortunately) have no idea about their influence
on the well-being of others.
While arguments about the well-being of people
from the LGBT+ community are unconvincing to some

44
10 KPH (2017). Sytuacja społeczna osób LGBTA w Polsce. Raport
za lata 2015—2016. Retrieved from https://kph.org.pl/wp-con-
tent/uploads/2015/04/Sytuacja-spoleczna-osób-LGBTA-w-
Polsce-raport-za-lata-2015—2016.pdf
decision-makers, economic and financial arguments should
be harder to ignore. Equality education aimed at improving
the visibility of LGBT+ people in society and enabling them
to feel like rightful citizens also has economic value. The feel-
ing of being accepted has a positive impact on engagement
in community building. If people feel comfortable in a space,
they want to develop it and provide material and non-material
contributions. They work and pay taxes, use services, shop,
and invest. They boost the economy.11 The wellbeing of LGBT+
people brings countries tangible benefits. A minority-friendly
atmosphere also attracts investment. In their strategies,
companies such as Google, Facebook and Ikea put a strong
emphasis on promoting diversity and supporting minorities.
It turns out that an environment unfavourable to minorities
is not favourable to large investors either. It is clearly shown
in a report by the Open for Business organisation, according
to which, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Romania lose €7,1 bil-
lion a year by excluding the LGBT+ community.12 In economic
terms, discrimination can result in a lack of material contribu-
tion to economic development and migration in search of more
favourable living conditions. Often the decision to emigrate
to more open countries concerns well-educated and well-
qualified people (LGBT+ people often have to put more effort
into their education or professional work because they are
perceived as inferior by those around them. They try harder
to prove their worth.).13

11 Loewenstein, G., Rick, S. (2008). The Role of Emotion in Eco-

nomic Behavior. New York: Guildorf Press.
12 Open for Business. (2021). Raport: Polska traci na dyskrymi-
nacji osób LGBT+. Retrieved from https://amp.dw.com/pl/
raport-polska-traci-na-dyskryminacji-osób-lgbt/a-57367323
13 Berkman, L., Kawachi, I. (1999). Social Epidemiology. New York:
Oxford University Press.

45
Consequences of the Negligence
LGBT+ people are a vital part of any society. They function,
learn, work and create families. Whether a country’s laws
are inclusive or not, LGBT+ people make up a few per cent
of the population everywhere. Their visibility is not an indica-
tor of their numbers — ILGA Europe’s 2021 study presenting
the situation of LGBT+ people in 56 countries shows that
the percentage of LGBT+ people is similar in each country
and independent of the level of tolerance (civil partnerships,
marriage equality, adoption of children, etc.).14 Although non-
heteronormative people are an important part of every com-
munity, common knowledge about them is scarce.15 The lack
of equality education is nothing more than a lack of common
knowledge in society and, consequently, a lack of respect for
and interest in the needs of a given group. The most common
repercussions of the lack of equality education are psychologi-
cal problems and economic consequences.
The main problem affecting members of discriminated
groups is a distorted self-image. People belonging to these
groups often do not have the opportunity to develop their
identity properly. They have to hide it, deny it and slowly try
to find their own way in the heteronormative world. Lack
of equality education gives them an unequal start. Cultural
messages and the already mentioned stereotypes make
LGBT+ people feel rejected. A distorted self-image is psycho-
logically burdensome — causing unnecessary complexes, nega-
tive attitudes towards oneself or one’s environment, lowered
mood and even depressive states.16

14 ILGA-Europe (2021). Annual Review of the Human Rights Situa-

tion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People cover-
ing events that occurred in Europe and Central Asia.
15 Mugny, G. (2010). Social Psychology of Minority Influence. Cam-
bridge: Cambridge University Press.
16 One particular form of inconvenience affecting non-het-

46
eronormative people is misgendering. This phenomenon
involves the use of pronouns and grammatical forms incom-
patible with the gender identity of the addressee. Deliberate
misgendering is a form of violence. For example, according
to the ruling by a Canadian court, the deliberate use of inap-
propriate grammatical forms is a violation of human rights,
takes away dignity and shows disrespect. See: Factora,
J. (2021). Misgendering Is a Human Rights Violation, Cana-
dian Court Rules. Retrieved from https://www.them.us/story/
canadian-court-rules-misgendering-human-rights-violation/amp
 The psychological consequences are particularly danger-
ous in the first stages of life. This is because a person does
not have a strong inner sense of self-esteem and is depend-
ent on their immediate environment. During childhood and
adolescence, acceptance from others is crucial for the proper
psychological development of an individual. Acceptance
means approval of a person with all their attributes, includ-
ing sexual orientation and gender identity. Finally, accept-
ance is one of the developmental phases in which a person
begins to manifest their identity in order to create its final
form.17 The lack of openness of the environment may delay
or stop this phase. Children and young people who identify
as LGBT+ experience social exclusion and other forms of dis-
crimination. They skip school and look for information and
understanding on the Internet. This denies them the right
to access a reliable education and equal social development,
exposing them to all the dangers of the Internet. Sexting, cy-
berbullying, cyberstalking, and pornography are increasingly
common problems to which children and young people with
low self-esteem and a lack of acceptance from those closest
to them are most exposed.
LGBT+ youth are more likely to experience mental
health problems than their heteronormative peers, accord-
ing to a 2019 study. Among the most commonly diagnosed
disorders are depression, suicide attempts, and vulnerability
to psychoactive substances. Prevention of mental and sex-
ual health costs much less than treatment of problems. Ulti-
mately, the state bears the costs of treatment and therapy.18
Therefore, investments in educational measures should be
made, even if they do not bring visible benefits immedi-
ately. Changes in thinking cannot be represented on a graph.

47
17 Grabski, B., Iniewicz, G., Mijas, M. (2021). Stage models of ho-
mosexual identity formation. Implications for therapeutic
practice. Kraków: Komitet Redakcyjno-Wydawniczy Polskiego
Towarzystwa Psychiatrycznego.
18 Johnson, B., Leibowitz, S., Chavez, A., Herbert, S. E. (2019). Risk
versus resiliency: Addressing depression in lesbian, gay, bisex-
ual, and transgender youth. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric
Clinics of North America.
Prevention usually yields results after many years. These
are slow changes visible only in longitudinal studies.19
The role of equality education is to shape a tolerant society,
to ensure its safe development and to protect it from nega-
tive consequences in the future. One of these consequences,
which according to specialists, has its cause in discrimina-
tion against the LGBT+ community, is high-risk behaviour in
terms of mental and sexual health. People who have not been
accepted, whose needs have been neglected, are reluctant
to follow culturally established paths. According to resistance
theory, gay and transgender people who have been forcefully
integrated into heteronormative frameworks are more likely
to go to extremes to mark their dissent and autonomy. Conse-
quently, dangerous resistance behaviour places an economic
burden on the state. It might lead to the deterioration of peo-
ple’s health and the need for increased medical treatment.20
No sense of belonging to a community is another negative
consequence resulting from the lack of equality education.
A sense of connection is created primarily through relation-
ships and attachment. It is a process that requires respect and
trust. When a person does not feel completely comfortable in
a community, they do not have the opportunity to build strong
ties, feel co-responsible for the development of the community
or have built-in mechanisms of belonging.21

Conclusion
Equality education for LGBT+ people is both a great challenge
and a great opportunity. It is a vehicle for cultural change re-
garding language and inclusive activities. Supports medical
progress by emphasising personal comfort. Involves minorities
in important social aspects, such as public life, politics and
the media. Draws the attention of the majority to the problems
of minorities. Familiarises people with diversity and points out

48
19 Longitudinal studies — studies used in sociology and psychol-
ogy to observe a change in a sample population. They are usually
conducted over a period of years.
20 Duwe, J. D. (2018). The Truth about Chemsex. New Jersey: Book
Baby.
21 Loewenstein, G., Rick, S. (2008). The Role of Emotion in Eco-
nomic Behavior. New York: Guildorf Press.
its advantages for everyone. Counteracts harmful phenomena
such as homophobia, misgendering and hate speech. It fights
for a real image of LGBT+ people without prejudice.
A key challenge for both equality education and sex educa-
tion is the rate of change and the emergence of nomenclature
on the subject. Sexology is a rapidly evolving field of knowl-
edge, and changes in nomenclature, equality language, and
terminology are occurring constantly. What each person can
do in this area is educate their immediate surroundings, use
inclusive language and work on their own prejudices. Sexual
minorities cannot be fully psychosocially comfortable without
understanding, majority support and cooperation.
 4
Including People with Migration
and Refugee Experience
in Educational Activities

by Małgorzata Waszczuk

Topics concerning the situation of migrants and refugees

are raised during conferences, seminars, symposia, lectures,
online events, workshops and in social media. In these discus-
sions, how often is there space for the perspective of people
who had migrant and refugee experiences? As organisers
of various educational events, do we create a safe space for
their voices? What is the educational significance of this?
What could help in the search for means of inclusion, which
would give them strength and the feeling of subjectivity?
Similar questions about the representation of per-
spectives concern other minority groups as well. Some
of the issues discussed below also relate to working with
representatives of other groups. Risks and aforementioned
good practices might be particularly useful for those who
would like to take up topics dealing with the condition and
history of national and ethnic minorities. The research and
a number of the examples I cite relate to the context of work
in Poland, which I know best. I hope they become a starting
point for reflection on how similar mechanisms function in
other countries.

50
The Educational Meaning of Minority Voices
An example of a systemic lack of migrant and refugee voices
is the content of school books. This phenomenon has been de-
scribed in a detailed report based on research conducted in 2011
by Towarzystwo Edukacji Antydyskryminacyjnej. It analyses,
among other topics, the content of history and civics textbooks.
In civics textbooks, refugees and migrants were shown ‘as dis-
advantaged people seeking help, mainly anonymous collective
heroes about whom little can be said’.1 In history textbooks,
refugees and immigrants were rarely mentioned, which, as au-
thors fairly point out, ‘seems odd, when we consider that only in
the 20th century, migrations were and still are one of the acute
consequences of actions taken on the international arena.’2
In the context of the systemic absence of migrant and
refugee perspectives, inviting people with such perspectives
to contribute and take part in educational activities could be
one of the first occasions to hear their complete stories.
The reason for the search for subjective ways of inclusion
is not only the need to include the experiences of minority
groups in the worldview. My experiences as an educator show
that including migrant and refugee voices can create space
for learning, exchanging of knowledge, development of inter-
cultural competencies, and creation of bonds between people
from minority and majority. Inclusion should also strengthen
people with migrant and refugee experiences.
Measures taken to include the voices of migrants and
refugees are also relevant in the processes of dehumanising
the ‘other’ that we, unfortunately, observe in the public sphere,
on the internet and in private conversations.
In 2016, the Centre for Research on Prejudice conducted
an online survey on the associations of Poles with the word

1 Jończy-Adamska, M. Analiza podręczników i podstawy pro-

gramowej — przedmiot wiedza o społeczeństwie. In: Abramo­
wicz, M. (Ed) (2011). Wielka nieobecna. O edukacji anty-

51
dyskryminacyjnej w systemie edukacji formalnej w Polsce.
Raport z badań. Warszawa: Towarzystwo Edukacji Anty-
dyskryminacyjnej, 200.
2 Dziurok, M., Jończy-Adamska, M. Analiza podręczników i pod-
stawy programowej — przedmiot historia. In: Abramowicz,
M. (Ed) (2011). Wielka nieobecna. O edukacji antydyskrymi-
nacyjnej w systemie edukacji formalnej w Polsce. Raport
z badań. Warszawa: Towarzystwo Edukacji Antydyskrymina-
cyjnej, 167.
‘refugee’. The various words provided by the respondents were
divided into 25 categories. The most frequent terms were
those associated with the category ‘escape’ (34%), followed in
turn by ‘war’ (27%), ‘injustice suffered by refugees’ (24%), ‘ter-
rorism’ (18%), ‘empathy’ (14%), and ‘poverty’ (14%). The sev-
enth category (13%) were terms of a dehumanising nature:
‘insulting, dehumanising: filth, fraud, swindler, layabout, sav-
age, lazybones, parasite, leech, slob, clod, screamer, paki, lout,
slacker, trash, baby-maker, crook’.3
Dehumanising statements also appear frequently in
the public sphere. This phenomenon is particularly troubling
when combined with the creation of xenophobic narratives
about asylum seekers. Dehumanisation may contribute
to the development of indifference to the fate of refugees and
condoning violence against them. This could be observed in
recent weeks, during the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-
Belarusian border (November 2021).
Monika Tarnowska, a researcher on infrahumanisation
(i.e. perceiving members of other groups as ‘slightly less hu-
man’), indicates the following ways of counteracting this
phenomenon: ‘In terms of possibilities for reducing people’s
tendency to infrahumanise, it seems that in the case of cultur-
ally distinct groups, especially those in conflict, it is important
for improving intergroup relations to build a sense of closeness
and perceived similarity between groups (with respect for dis-
tinct group identities).’4
Building a sense of closeness is certainly possible by orga­
ising meetings and interacting with personal stories. So let
us look at different aspects of such events with migrants and
refugees.

52
3 Kropiński, M., Hansen, K. (2016). Jakie skojarzenia ze słowem
„uchodźca” mają Polacy? Warsaw: Centrum Badań nad Uprze-
dzeniami.
4 Tarnawska, M. Kiedy odmawiamy „obcym” części człowieczeń-
stwa? Uwarunkowania zjawiska infrahumanizacji. In Kofta, M.,
Bilewicz, M. (Ed) (2011). Wobec obcych. Zagrożenia psycho-
logiczne a stosunki międzygrupowe. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo
Naukowe PWN.
Inclusion — in the Role of an Expert
Considering the possible influence and agency of people from
a minority group is crucial when designing educational activi-
ties in which they participate. Among people with migrant
and refugee backgrounds, there are those with specialist
knowledge and experience in educational activities. These
people can provide suggestions on how to present the topic
and what issues related to an event are worth paying attention
to. Also, in a situation where we invite a person who does not
have much experience in education, it is worth engaging them
before the event to consult the ideas for it. As experts on their
own stories, invited people can join the process of defining, e.g.
educational goals, risks, roles during the meeting or jointly pre-
pare a scenario of activities.
For me, as a participant, one of the most inspiring edu-
cational experiences, in terms of thinking about including
experts with migration backgrounds to lead activities, was
the Refugee Voices Tours Berlin walk5. A city walk led by
a Syrian refugee was an opportunity to learn about the his-
tory of his country and the reasons that force its citizens
to leave. Berlin’s streets, buildings and commemorations
became the starting point for stories about historical events
in Syria. The person leading the walk not only shared their
experience and knowledge about their country of origin but
also acted as a city guide. A city guide is a co-host of the city,
someone who has expert knowledge about a specific neigh-
bourhood and someone from whom you can learn a lot about
the shared landscape.
The expert role of people with migrant/refugee experienc-
es is not only about their view of the country they left but also
about their view of the current situation in the place where
we meet.

53
5 https://www.facebook.com/refugeevoicestours
Creating Safe Meeting Spaces
Inclusion can be more than just inviting one or more people
to tell their stories, discuss, or teach a class. One should look
for educational formats that also include the stories of those
attending the event. Maybe the student or adult audience is
itself diverse, and you can build on the potential of this diver-
sity? Or invite people with and without migration experience
to create a new forum?
A few years ago, Ukraiński Dom w Warszawie Foundation
opened near the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews,
where I work. We organised a meeting at that time to talk about
educational activities that we could do together. Our discus-
sions led us to conclude that there is no place where people
from Poland and Ukraine could meet together on equal terms
and create a safe space for talking about their shared history
and today’s minority-majority relations. In response to this
need, together with Myroslava Keryk from Ukraiński Dom, we
prepared and ran three long-term Polish-Ukrainian educational
courses for adults. The perspective of people with migration
experience was present in various aspects of this project:
• in jointly defining the purpose, methods, programme
and recruitment of participants,
• in the organisation of meetings, as well as summarising
and evaluating the project,
• among the coordinators of the project,
• among the persons invited to teach as experts,
• among the participants of the courses.
Inviting a diverse group (a half from Ukraine, a half from
Poland) was particularly important for the course. The long-
term nature of the action was also crucial from an educational
point of view — as part of the course, the group met regularly
for several weeks and spent over 30 hours together. It allowed
for the building of trust and a safe space for participants

54
to speak. The final classes were led not by invited speakers but
by the participants themselves.

Not Only Meetings

During live meetings, there is a risk of exposing the guest to re-
living their trauma during the retelling of the discrimination
experience or experiencing hate speech from the audience.
These risks can be mitigated, for example, by moderating
the meeting, setting a clear goal and rules. The meeting can
be preceded or supplemented by another anti-discrimination
class, during which educators discuss the mechanisms of ste-
reotypes, bias, discrimination and how to identify hate speech
and react to it. However, if the risk of exposure to trauma or
hate speech is too great, it is better to forgo live meetings and
look for other forms of presenting minority perspectives.
At times, planning such a meeting is difficult or impos-
sible due to organisational issues. If for any reason, we decide
against such a meeting, the voices of people with migration and
refugee backgrounds can be included through written account,
interview, audio or video recording. We can also get to know
the person through their art. Before such a lesson, for example,
a teacher or a group of students can meet with the guest.
Educational materials available on the internet and pre-
pared by various institutions can also be used. An example
of such materials created based on stories from various people
is the Anne Frank House project ‘Stories that move’ (stori-
esthatmove.org). These materials have been prepared with
students and teachers in mind. They facilitate in-depth discus-
sions about perception of identity, mechanisms of discrimina-
tion, use of media and taking action. Among the prepared edu-
cational paths is the ‘seeing&being’ path, where we can find,
e.g. stories of today’s migrants. What is more, some of the peo-
ple who share their stories appear also in the ‘taking action’

55
path. There, as part of peer education, visitors can learn more
about social actions undertaken by other adolescents. Includ-
ing these voices in the path dealing with agency and inspir-
ing others to act highlights the fact that migrants are a part
of civic society.
Not only does text or film facilitate close contact with
personal stories, but also items. In 2018, as a part of a tempo-
rary exhibition ‘Obcy w domu. Wokół Marca ‘68’ (‘Estranged.
March ‘68 and Its Aftermath’) in the POLIN Museum, we
wanted to mark Refugee Day and dedicate the space to the sto-
ries of contemporary refugees. We collaborated with Ocalenie
Foundation, which works with them every day, and employs
people with refugee experience. We discussed this idea and
planned how to include refugees and create the exhibition
together with them. We proposed to include items that tell
stories of their experiences of forced migration. People lend-
ing the items for the exhibition decided how to describe them.
These descriptions, in the owner’s handwriting, were placed
next to the items. Right next to them, we placed similar pieces
of paper with translations. It was important not only to in-
clude these stories in the narration but for people who trusted
us to feel that they have influence.

What Should Be Kept in Mind?

Complexity of identity
The person invited to tell their story possesses an identity that
has many parts. Perhaps we are inviting them because of their
migration experience, but that does not mean this person would
describe themselves as a migrant. Various aspects of identity
might be important for the invited person, including origin,
­ethnicity, gender, age, skin colour, sexual orientation, family and
professional roles, education, membership in organisations, etc.

56
Identity can change with time, for example, a person who to-
day introduces herself as Chechen and Polish, in another mo-
ment in her life, might choose to define herself as a Pole, War-
saw citizen, Chechen, migrant, activist or many others.
Before an event, the organiser should ask the guest how
they would like to be introduced and then use the provided
term in the agenda, as well as during the event.

Diversity of voices
Minority groups are internally varied when it comes to religion,
understanding nationality and ethnicity, education, profes-
sional and live situation, political beliefs, etc. At the same time,
they can be perceived from the outside as internally homoge-
neous. If I am organising, for example, a meeting about the cur-
rent situation of the Vietnamese community, who am I going
to invite? Inviting just one person from a given community
introduces the risk of false generalisation that the character-
istics of a given person pertain to the entire community. It can
be avoided, if we invite more people with varied perspectives,
for example, with various identities, gender or representing
different generations. If you invite one person, you can talk
about the diverse identities of other people associated with
their minority group — defining themselves or perceived
through their membership of that group.

Managing the risk of exoticising the ‘other’

During meetings with minority groups, there is a risk of limit-
ing the experience and identity of the invited person to an ‘ex-
otic story’. Particularly in the situation when the contact with
the representative of a group is the first opportunity to talk,
fascination with otherness and the need to ask questions
about stereotypical representation might arise in the conver-
sation. Questions about attire, dances, intergroup relations

57
might appear during a meeting dealing with entirely different
topics. The emergence of such questions may, on the one hand,
indicate that it is a safe space to ask them. It also might be an
opportunity to defuse false generalisations. On the other hand,
this situation might be uncomfortable for the guest. In such
cases, the role of the organiser is to ensure that themes related
to the image of exotic minorities or folklore do not dominate
the meeting.
There are many options in managing the risk of exoticisa-
tion. You can clearly communicate the main topic or objective
before and at the beginning of the event. Sometimes you might
want to consider organising an introductory class or other
activity about the culture and history of a particular group or
a class on the mechanism of stereotypical perceptions of dif-
ferent cultures. It is also advisable to talk with the invited
person about the risk of exoticisation beforehand, find out
how comfortable they are with answering various questions
from the room and, together with them, agree on a scenario
for action in case the questions violate these boundaries.
In a workshop, it is also possible to gather the questions relat-
ing to the discussed topic in advance with the group.

Addressing matters related to the culture and religion of the guests

When you organise a meeting and invite a person with a mi-
gration or refugee background, it is important to take different
cultural aspects into account. In the early stages of planning
an event, it is a good idea to check whether it overlaps with
any holidays, which might be important for those invited.
Important organisational issues also include planning meals
or refreshments that account for the diversity of approaches
to food-related rules. In both of these aspects, and with many
other organisational questions, asking the invitees what
to consider will be helpful.

58
Conclusions
Attention to absence can be the first step towards inclusive ac-
tion. It is important to notice in which situations, texts and dis-
cussions the minority voice is missing. We should notice these
areas as participants of events and users of materials, but it is
also important to look critically at our own planned initiatives.
Inclusion of the voice of migrants and refugees has an edu-
cational potential in terms of empowering these groups, creat-
ing meeting spaces and sharing knowledge. At the same time,
it can be an educational path against phenomena such as de-
humanisation and infrahumanisation.
Including the voice of migrants and refugees can be
achieved by inviting them as experts and creating opportuni-
ties for them to join as participants. There are risks involved
in inviting representatives of minority groups to participate
in live events, including reliving trauma when discussing dif-
ficult experiences, stereotyping or even hate speech. In some
cases, additional forms of pre-meeting education or inclusion
of the minority voice in other ways — through text, recording
or contact with an item — may be worth considering. People
sharing their experiences in preparing such materials can also
play a role. In the case of live meetings, consulting the guests
or the NGO representing the minority group beforehand can
be very helpful.
Including minority voices also for teachers and educators
can be an interesting process of intercultural learning and
competence development. This is another reason why it is
worthwhile to engage in this process and to search for new
educational forms together with people from different groups.
 5 (In)visibility of needs. Equality education
and people with disabilities

by Żaneta Krysiak

Equality education in relation to people with disabilities is

primarily linked to the category of accessibility. Accessibility
should address and accommodate people with different needs.
Living with a disability is a constant experience of exclusion,
of non-existence, deeply rooted in culture and society. This
invisibility of people with disabilities is connected to the in-
visibility of their needs. In order to notice, meet and respect
these needs, one has to start by understanding what disability
is, what kinds of disabilities there are and what accessibility
is in terms of social functioning. With such knowledge and
the tools of equality education, reality has a chance to become
more safe, open and diverse.

Definitions
WHO definition:

Disability is a permanent or temporary inability to fulfil so-

cial roles due to a permanent or long-term impairment of an
organism’s functions, in particular resulting in an inability
to work. Disability is a multidimensional phenomenon that
stems from interactions between people and their physical

60
 and social environment and is the result of barriers encoun-
tered in the physical and social environment.1

The social model of disability perception, as defined by

the WHO and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities,2 is based on key principles that define how
disability should be understood and perceived. These princi-
ples should apply to the language, behaviour, and understand-
ing of the needs of people with disabilities:

• principle of dignity and respect for freedom and

independence,
• non-discrimination,
• participation in society on equal terms,
• respect for diversity, 
• equality of opportunity,
• accessibility,
• gender equality,
• equal rights.

Types of Disability3
It is impossible to list all types of disabilities, so I discuss be-
low those that are key when it comes to equality education
as they represent the most important needs of people with dis-
abilities. However, it is important to remember that this group
is very diverse. There are, e.g. congenital, acquired, co-occur-
ring, permanent or temporary disabilities. Some disabilities re-
main invisible to us, the so-called hidden disabilities. We may
encounter a variety of unusual and uncommon behaviours
from different people, which is why we should be empathetic
and open-minded in our interactions, respecting the requests
and needs of the other person, as they may be related to their

1 Retrived from [in Polish] https://unic.un.org.pl/niepelno-

61
sprawnosc/
2 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(CRPD). Available at https://www.un.org/development/desa/
disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabili-
ties.html
3 Based on consultations with people with disabilities and pub-
lication ABC Empatii. Bo wszyscy jesteśmy tacy sami, edited
by Katarzyna Muzyka-Jacheć, Czepczyński Family Foundation,
2021.
health condition. Below you will also find tips to help you com-
municate with people with different disabilities.

Cerebral palsy (CP) — permanent brain damage; cerebral palsy

can occur as a result of abnormal brain development, perinatal
complications, an accident. People with CS have difficulty con-
trolling their muscles, often accompanied by speech disorders
and unusual body movements. Due to the co-occurrence of the
following with CS: epilepsy, intellectual disability, visual im-
pairment, hearing impairment, speech impairment, spatial
orientation impairment, difficulty in controlling physiologi-
cal needs, you should ask what kind of support is needed and
provide the necessary help and comfort.

Tourette syndrome — a type of congenital disability, a neuro-

logical disorder. People with Tourette syndrome may utter un-
controllable sounds (including vulgar words, insults) or have
uncontrollable tics. The more the person tries to stop the tic,
the more the attack intensifies — it helps to let the person be
alone and wait out the attack. If a tic or uncontrolled gesture
occurs during a conversation, the best solution is to wait un-
til it passes and calmly continue the conversation.

Epilepsy — a neurological condition characterised by epileptic

seizures. They occur as a result of disturbances in brain func-
tion and in the form of bioelectrical discharges. If someone
has an epileptic seizure, all we can do is keep the person safe,
secure their head and wait for the seizure to pass. Once the
attack has subsided, it is a good idea to provide a quiet and
peaceful place for the person. Among other things, strobe
lights can be a danger to people with epilepsy.

62
Mobility impairment — among people with mobility impair-
ment, there are those who use wheelchairs: active, rehabilita-
tion or electric, people who use crutches or prostheses, people
with limited hand motility, people of short stature. It is a very
diverse group, divided into congenital and acquired disabili-
ties. Many diseases can be caused by mobility impairment.
In regard to mobility impairment, an additional distinction is
made between:
• tetraplegia — also called quadriplegia, a complete lack
of mobility in the upper and lower limbs,
• paraplegia — paralysis of legs.
When talking to a person of short stature or in a wheel-
chair, it is a good idea to be seated; this will greatly improve
the person’s comfort and make it easier for them to maintain
eye contact. Above all, people with mobility impairments
should be given access to the most important objects — these
should be within their reach. It is unacceptable to treat peo-
ple with low mobility like children or to infantilise them
in communication.

Intellectual disability — a developmental disorder of general

mental ability, it can have various origins: genetic or perinatal.
It can also have a mild, moderate, severe or profound degree.
People with intellectual disabilities have difficulties with so-
cial competencies, following rules, establishing relationships,
and self-control, which affects their functioning in society.
People with intellectual disabilities can also have co-occurring
sensory disabilities, difficulties with speaking, writing, read-
ing, emotional-behavioural disorders. Effective communica-
tion with people from this group should be based above all
on simple language, free of metaphors, phraseologies and
loanwords. Augmentative and Alternative Communication

63
(ACC)4 methods may also be used, i.e. non-verbal expres-
sive systems using specific symbols, gestures, colours,
graphic signs.

Autism Spectrum Disorder — Autism is not a disability

but a developmental disorder. Depending on the severity
of the disorder, autism can have many forms. People on the au-
tism spectrum are a very diverse group. First of all, they are
characterised by sensory sensitivity. They find difficulty
in metaphorical thinking, idiomatic expressions, and long,
complex messages. It is important for people on the autism
spectrum to act according to specific rules and plans. They
take reality very literally. Some people have a very sensitive
nervous system, so it is important to maintain a calm and
composed voice in a conversation.

Sensory disabilities — these are divided into:

• visual impairments
People with visual impairments include:
• blind people who have been unable to see since birth or
early childhood,
•  blind people who could see but have lost their sight com-
pletely or partially,
• people with low vision;
• hearing impairments
People with hearing disabilities include:
• persons who are deaf,
• people who are hearing impaired;
• hearing and/or speech disorders
People who, for example, as a result of a stroke or trauma,
have a hearing/speech disorder; may benefit from a voice pros-
thesis. They may also stutter or have other disorders that make
it difficult to speak and be understood. When communicating

64
4 Read more Muzyka-Jacheć, K. (Ed) (2021) ABC Empatii.
Bo wszyscy jesteśmy tacy sami, edited by Katarzyna Muzyka-
-Jacheć. Międzychód: Czepczyński Family Foundation.
with a person with a speech disorder, do not interrupt the per-
son or finish the sentence for them. You can ask them to repeat
or, if possible, write down what they want to say.

The Needs
The main areas in terms of the needs of people with disabili-
ties are architectural adaptations, language, appropriate com-
munication and attitudes. In equality education, we should
remember the needs of people from different minorities. Equal
treatment is possible only when all people are treated equally,
and the conditions should be tailored to their specific needs.

Architectural Adaptations5
One of the basic needs particularly felt by people with mobility
difficulties is the need for space and comfort. Space should in-
clude the ability to manoeuvre a wheelchair. If glass doors are
leading into the building, they should be marked. The build-
ing should also provide lift access if possible. Stairs should
have handrails and contrasting markings on the first and last
steps. A ramp should also lead to the entrance. The maximum
threshold height allowing access for a wheelchair user is 2 cm,
and the door width should be at least 90 cm. It is also very im-
portant to lower countertops, for example, in reception areas.
People with mobility impairments have limited ability to reach,
so it is crucial to place as many necessary objects as possi-
ble within their reach and to enable safe access to them. All
switches and buttons should be mounted at a maximum height
of 120 cm. Among the needs of people with sensory disabili-
ties, intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders,
the following are also important: adjustable lighting and sound,
comfortable furniture, quiet zone.
An accessible toilet is also one of the key adaptations. There
are still too few of these, so people with mobility impairments

65
5 Adaptations to meet the needs of people with different dis-
abilities are discussed in detail in the publication Dostępnik —
publikacja dla NGO, available for download: https://lublin.eu/
kultura/informacje/ogloszenia/dostepnik-publikacja-dla-
ngo,2580,44,1.html
very often have to deal with withholding urine. An acces-
sible toilet should be open at all times so that a person with
a disability does not have to ask for a key. It should be large
enough, with the washbasin and other accessories at a suitable
height (120 cm).
Information on the accessibility of a venue/space/event
should be always included to make it easier for people with
disabilities to decide whether to attend. This is a must if we
want to take into account the needs of people from minority
groups. Information on how accessible the venue is, and what
tools and facilities can be used by people with disabilities
should also be provided. Such information should be de-
tailed — unfortunately, the understanding of the word ‘acces-
sibility’ still varies and often does not include some important
adaptations and needs.
Solutions to be avoided in spaces include revolving
doors — they are very often too narrow for wheelchair users
and are associated with the fear of getting stuck. Standing ad-
vertising is also dangerous — a hazard to the visually impaired.
All glass surfaces should be marked in contrast at an appropri-
ate height — also accessible to wheelchair users. It is important
to choose the right tables — the most accessible ones are those
that allow a wheelchair to drive up, so tables with four legs
are recommended instead of, for example, a central one. It is
great if in a given place/space it is possible to create an addi-
tional room, which is cut off from the stimuli of noise, colour,
sounds, and could be used, by persons with high sensitivity or
on the autism spectrum.
An accessibility audit is helpful and even recommended6 —
there are many NGOs that perform such audits. It is advisable
to carry it out already at the stage of designing the space, but
also in the case of an existing initiative — it may turn out that
a small change can make the place more accessible.

66
6 Accessibility audits are carried out by Fundacja TUS and Fun-
dacja Integracja, which additionally awards the ‘Serwis bez
Barier’ certificate to adapted portals.
Accessibility of Web Tools
The current WCAG 2.0 directives define accessibility stand-
ards for websites.7 They take into account the needs of people
with different disabilities and, for example, enable visually
impaired people to read the content. Blind people can use a text
reader to playback text. The addition of alternative texts to vis-
ual material is an important part of the accessibility standard.
Such text will be readable by screen readers. It should be con-
cise, simple and fairly general. A simple, large and legible font is
also important. When preparing an accessible text, the needs
of visually impaired people should be taken into account. Both
the text font and line spacing should be large. Contrasting back-
ground and font colours are also crucial. In the case of printing
educational materials, matte paper that does not reflect light
should be used. If possible, voice messages/content should also
be created to complement the written text.

Inclusive Language and Communication

The language we use illustrates the way we think, the beliefs
we hold, the values we live by. Whether we communicate with
a person with a disability or not, we should always use equal-
ity and non-discriminatory language. It is also important to re-
member that language is constantly changing, and we should
be aware of it and react to words that have fallen out of use
because they are hurtful.
First contact is very important for people with disabilities.
Nowadays, public institutions readily make use of training
and workshops conducted by non-governmental organisations
on proper behaviour towards people with disabilities.8 Such
a team, trained in welcoming a person with disabilities will sig-
nificantly improve the accessibility of a given facility or institu-
tion. Even if a given space is only partially accessible, trained
staff will be able to provide support and assistance to a person

67
7 More about accessibility standards [in Polish]: https://www.
gov.pl/web/dostepnosc-cyfrowa/wcag-21-w-skrocie
8 More about communication principles and language: Muzyka-
Jacheć, K. (Ed) (2021) ABC Empatii. Bo wszyscy jesteśmy tacy
sami. Międzychód: Czepczyński Family Foundation. Cohen,
J. Praktyczny poradnik savoir — vivre wobec osób niepełno-
sprawnych. Retrievd from http://niepelnosprawni.sggw.pl/
MPIPS_Savoir_vivre.pdf
with a disability. It is very important to create a sense of being
welcomed and respected in the space one enters.
When creating notifications, it is important to remember
that people with hearing disabilities need, among other things,
alternative forms of contact. Contact via text message or in-
stant messaging will be most convenient for them.
When guiding a blind person, describe the environment,
warn of obstacles, inform what will happen. In this descrip-
tion, one should be detailed and precise, and the phrase “watch
out!” is definitely a wrong message. If a visually impaired per-
son walks with a guide dog, it is important to remember that
the dog cannot be touched or called without the person’s con-
sent; when walking with a visually impaired person, it is also
important to choose the opposite side to the dog. The same
rule applies to, for example, crutches, a wheelchair or a walk-
ing stick — do not touch them without permission. If you want
to greet a blind person, you should inform them in advance
and touch them lightly on the arm. When leading a blind per-
son, it’s a good idea to give them your arm and walk a short
distance in front of them. When chatting online with a visually
impaired person, it’s a good idea to reply to their voice messag-
es in the same way; this will make communication much easier.
You can use everyday idiomatic expressions when com-
municating with people with disabilities, e.g. say “goodbye”
to a blind person, ask a person in a wheelchair to come over.9
It is very important to address a person with intellectual
disabilities directly, use polite forms of communication and
show respect. Always ask if and how you can help before giv-
ing any assistance. Only if you have their permission, you
have the right to enter the private sphere of a person with
a disability.
Another principle is to address the person directly. If a per-
son with a disability is accompanied by a support person,

68
9 Read more Krysiak, Ż. (2021, May 5) Do widzenia? Jak
dobrze mówić o niepełnosprawności. YouKnow. Re-
trieved from https://yourkaya.pl/you-know/a/
do-widzenia-jak-dobrze-mowic-o-niepelnosprawnosci
address the person directly, never through the person accom-
panying them. If the person with a disability speaks unclearly,
you can ask the assistant/support person for help, ask them
to repeat or write down the words. It is very important to be
patient and understanding in your interactions. Sometimes
talking to a person with a speech impairment may require more
time. When talking to someone with a hearing impairment, it is
important to speak naturally, not to shout or cover your mouth.
The deaf community still faces many barriers and exclusion.
One of them is insufficient access to sign language interpreters.
There is a shortage of interpreters or assistants, especially in
offices, medical institutions, schools and universities. Another
problem is exclusion in access to television — the number of in-
terpreted programmes is still low. Applications that convert
text to speech can be helpful in everyday life. When communi-
cating with a deaf person, you can write on a piece of paper, or
you use your phone and type the content in the text field.
People with disabilities have to fight every day for accessi-
bility in various fields. As a result, they are often told that they
are demanding, that they are using their disability to achieve
a certain goal... In reality, they are fighting for the equality
that every person deserves. A ramp at the entrance of a build-
ing, a lift, access to an assistant, a parking space are just some
of the adaptations necessary to function in society on an
equal basis.

Stereotypes10
The most common social image of a person with a disability
is that of a victim. Stereotyping of disability is harmful, as it
takes away from the people with disabilities the possibility
of creating narratives about themselves. Because of the way
they are perceived by the society they feel excluded and dis-
criminated against. The image of the victim is characterised

69
10 Based on: Avalon Foundation (2021). Seksualność i rodzicielst-
wo osób z niepełnosprawnością ruchową. Retrieved from
https://www.sekson.pl/badania/ and Yates, E. (2021). Rozbie-
rając niepełnosprawność, rozmowa z Emily Rose Yates. Maga-
zyn G’rls Room.
by a lack of autonomy, lack of agency and is associated with
self-pity, resentment, sadness, and pity on the part of others.
Disability in this image becomes the focal point of a person’s
life. The image of a victim is also associated with the figure
of a rescuer — a person who helps the victim in everything
and without whom the victim is not able to function. A person
with a disability is seen as completely dependent. The family
or partners are seen through the stereotype of the rescuer, and
they often face social disapproval, pity and compassion.
Stereotypes also affect people with disabilities in the con-
text of employment.11 A person with a disability is seen as un-
able to work, which is often combined with a fear of working.
People with disabilities often do not take up work at all for fear
of losing their disability pension. Even after taking up a job,
people with disabilities are often treated badly by their col-
leagues and superiors, who, for example, prevent them from
being promoted. Some employers decide to hire a person with
a disability only because of state funding. At present, many
supportive initiatives equalise the chances of people with dis-
abilities on the labour market, such as employment agencies or
NGOs that help to find remote work and provide training for
employers to change their attitude towards disability.
A fairly strong stereotype is that a person with a disability is
devoid of sexuality and sexual needs. People with disabilities
are denied their sexual rights. At the root of this stereotype
is the perception of a person solely through their limitations.
Research carried out by the Avalon Foundation — ‘Seksual-
ność i rodzicielstwo osób z niepełnosprawnością ruchową’
(‘Sexuality and Parenting among People with Mobility Impair­
ment’)12 — has shown that over a third of the people with physi-
cal disabilities surveyed have experienced discrimination in
the area of sexuality. The research also shows that women
with disabilities are more likely to experience exclusion. They

70
11 Based on consultations with Marta Lorczyk — activist, member
of the Expert Team of the Sexon Project and Agnieszka Harasim,
who provides consultations for people with disabilities within
the Comprehensive Counselling Centre of the Avalon Founda-
tion, more about the Centre: https://www.fundacjaavalon.pl/
programy/kompleksowe_centrum_poradnicze.html
12 Research by Avalon Foundation available at https://www.sek-
son.pl/badania/.
face discrimination in terms of their sexuality, their physical-
ity, their ability to decide about themselves and their bodies.
Women most often experience this exclusion from family mem-
bers, friends and acquaintances. Women with disabilities are
also more often discriminated against by medical staff. They
face infantilisation, deprivation of autonomy and subjectivity.
Almost half of the women surveyed declared that they experi-
enced a situation in which someone offered them help ‘because
it would be faster’ and situations in which they were forced
to change their clothes in front of other people. Another prob-
lem is the still insufficient number of adapted gynaecological
and urological practices. Due to the fear of going to the doctor,
people with disabilities neglect their intimate health.
Persons with congenital disabilities also face a much
more difficult situation. These people are very often isolated
by their families and prevented from participating in social
life. They are excluded from the sphere related to taking care
of themselves, sexual needs, discovering them, learning about
their carnality. They are brought up from childhood as per-
sons devoid of sexuality. It is very difficult for them to fulfil
their sexual needs — they have very limited possibilities
to move around, they are rarely left unsupervised, they are of-
ten constantly surrounded by support persons, and they also
lack financial independence.

The Stigmatisation of Difference13

The problem of differences in appearance and behaviour is
a very common reason for discrimination against people with
disabilities. People with skin changes, facial changes (cleft lip,
craniofacial deformities), obese people, people of short stat-
ure face exclusion. Others look away from them, pretending
not to see them. The body affected by a disability is a body
that is particularly difficult to accept. In the face of the cult

71
13 Ibid
of the fitness, people with disabilities are invisible. Their body
is a complete taboo. This invisibility is reinforced, for exam-
ple, by the lack of representation of people with disabilities in
the media.

Ableism14
Ableism is the phenomenon of resentment, hostility and dis-
crimination towards people with disabilities. It also involves
the use of exclusionary language, infantilisation and stereo-
typing of people with disabilities. Examples of ableism include:
unfair treatment based on a person’s level of ability, prevent-
ing employment, not adapting a place/service to people’s
needs. It is any kind of discrimination that restricts a person’s
rights and freedom.

Education of Parents and Carers15

In the context of the relationship between a person with a dis-
ability and a parent, carer or assistant, the issue of overpro-
tectiveness is crucial. This overprotectiveness can result from
various attitudes and needs — to be important and needed,
the belief that the parent knows better what is best for their
child, the desire to protect the child from social exclusion, dis-
crimination, the need to compensate for the fact that the child
has a disability. As a consequence, unfortunately, it can lead
to learned helplessness and secondary disability — a worsen-
ing of the disability. Frequently, there is a desire to relieve
the person with a disability in everyday activities, which
should not be done because it takes away the sense of inde-
pendence and the chance to be independent. Overprotective-
ness is also manifested by isolation from the peer group and
limiting participation in social life. This also leads to sec-
ondary disabilities and takes away the sense of independ-
ence. The role of the parents/caregivers should be to actively

72
14 Zespół ds. Polityki Równości i Różnorodności (appointed by the
Mayor of Poznań) (2021). Pojęciownik równościowy. Retrieved
from https://odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl/publikacje/pojeciownik-
rownosciowy/ (odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl). Wojtek Sawicki writes
about ableism and its various manifestations on his educational
channel https://www.instagram.com/lifeonwhlz/
15 Based on consultation with people with disabilities and Avalon
Foundation research.
support the child in becoming independent and more active in
various fields.
The role of early childhood education in building social
acceptance of disability, kindness, and respect for all is also
important. Disability education should already be introduced
at this stage. It is crucial to be prepared for children’s natural
curiosity about people in wheelchairs or people with pros-
thetic arms or legs. This curiosity should never be suppressed.
This attitude suggests to the child that disability is something
bad, something to be feared, something not to be talked about.
The distance built in this way will be transferred to the child’s
later relations with people with disabilities, e.g., at school, in
public space, and as a consequence, may lead to distrust, fear,
and even verbal aggression.

Violence16
People with disabilities are one of the groups at increased risk
of exposure to verbal and physical violence. In the case of peo-
ple with congenital disabilities, people who are paralysed or
mobility impaired, the risk is particularly high and concerns
violation of privacy and physicality without their awareness
and consent. This happens, among others, during nursing and
rehabilitation procedures to which they are subjected. Addi-
tionally, since childhood, they are examined and touched by
various people: doctors, physiotherapists, assistants, family,
carers, which reinforces in them the feeling of detachment from
their own body, functioning in embarrassing situations, such
as dressing and using the toilet with the support of someone
else. It is therefore vital to educate people with disabilities to be
aware of their own body, its boundaries and needs. The abil-
ity to mark these boundaries in contact with another person
is crucial. As people with disabilities are deprived of their sub-
jectivity, autonomy and independence, they are particularly

73
16 Renata Orłowska, a self-advocate and activist for people with
disabilities, writes about violence on her blog https://zaniczka.
pl/. Violence was also the subject of her lecture during the Third
Sexon Conference. Link to broadcast: https://www.sekson.pl/
konferencja/sekson-2021/
vulnerable to unwanted behaviour. Sometimes they are not
able to verbally express their disagreement. Parents, carers
and children with disabilities need to be sensitised to this issue
to raise awareness of their bodies and boundaries. In the con-
text of disability, the issue of invisibility of violence is also very
acute: victims are denied credibility, their accounts are widely
disregarded. Disability makes the person experiencing it a po-
tential victim, facilitated by the fear and caution instilled since
childhood, the feeling that the space in which they live, espe-
cially public space, does not belong to them.

Equality Education as an Opportunity to Normalise Disability

Knowledge about disabilities and the needs of people with dis-
abilities is key to building a barrier-free reality. Disability does
not define identity or personality — it should be understood
and seen as part of our biodiversity.
People with disabilities constantly face oppressive limi-
tations and have to fight for accessibility and equal rights
daily. The task of equality education is to neutralise these
limitations, and the concept of universal design may also be
its tool.17 It is a way of designing space, devices, services and
communication, which is based on equality of access and lack
of barriers. Universal design aims to respond to everyone’s
needs. Guides and studies of services/places designed accord-
ing to universal design principles are available.
The task of equality education in the context of disability
should be to normalise its perception in social, public and cul-
tural space. Social perception of disability is very strongly con-
nected to the individual’s attitude towards it and influences
acceptance of oneself as a person with a disability. Living with
stereotypes increases a sense of alienation and otherness
among people with disabilities and leads to the phenomenon
of infantilisation. Anxiety and fear often become dominant

74
17 Read more Biecmack ‘Nikko’, S. (Ed) Czułość. Wygodna
klubokawiarnia. Zeszyt rozwiązań architektoniczno-projek-
towych. Warsaw: Fundacja Machina Zmian. Retrieved from
https://inkubatorpomyslow.org.pl/app/uploads/2019/02/czu-
losc_zeszyt-publikacja.pdf
and prevent people from wanting to participate in social life.
Disability still generates social feelings of discomfort and
insecurity, which are directly related to the absence and invis-
ibility of people with disabilities in public spaces. This invis-
ibility affects people belonging to minority groups because
of the black and white view of the world imposed by the major-
ity. Equality education is an excellent tool to fight this binarity
and to break down barriers. For people with disabilities, it can
also be a chance for gaining the right to self-determination,
the right to make decisions, the right to be visible and present.
 6 Equal Rights for Men and Women
Starts within Your Circle of Influence

by Demi van Wijk

When I was growing up, my parents told me I could achieve

everything my brother, cousins, and our male peers could
achieve. In secondary school, girls received better grades and
were not afraid to debate any subject in class. When I was
talking about role models, I could only name men. Feminism
and gender equality did not seem necessary, and feminists
were women with long armpit hair. When I was studying, most
of the students were men, but that did not bother me at all.
Work was a big turning point — for the first time in my life,
I realised that even though men and women have equal rights,
there is still a long way to go before we reach gender equal-
ity. The gender gap still exists, women are overrepresented
in the lower-paid sectors of the labour market and underrep-
resented in leadership positions.1 What is more, one in three
women worldwide experience violence…
The importance of diversity is reflected in growing scientif-
ic literature. It has shown that a diverse team is more effective
and more reflective because of the different perspectives. Gov-
ernments are increasingly realising that they need to develop
a gender equality strategy. This article focuses on the main
issues of gender equality. It will show the importance of an
effective gender equality strategy at every level of society.

76
1 European Comission (2020, March 5). Strategie voor
gendergelijkheid: Resultaten en belangrijkste actiege-
bieden. Retrieved from https://eige.europa.eu/news/
gender-equality-index-2021-fragile-gains-big-losses
It is important to put it high on the political agenda. However,
everyone can contribute to change. It starts within your circle
of interest. Anyone can start micro-revolution by speaking out,
demonstrating or using their right to vote.

Representation in Data
Women are hardly equal in any area. Let us start with a bit
of data to put gender equality in perspective. Worldwide, girls
have less access to education than boys: only 66% of the coun-
tries have achieved gender equality in primary education, and
the percentage is even lower in secondary education.2 Almost
half of women and girls cannot control their own bodies: they
cannot say ‘no’ to sex, cannot control their contraception and/
or decide about their health care.3 Of all women in the Nether-
lands, 34% have been a victim of sexual violence.4 On average,
women have three-quarters of the rights that men have. World
Bank research shows that there are only ten countries where
women are not disadvantaged by law.5 And in 81 countries,
there has never been a female head of government — includ-
ing the Netherlands.6 There are also more male CEOs with
the name Peter (a Dutch male name) than female CEOs in
the Netherlands in total.7
The data provided above is only a sample that shows
that women are underrepresented in work, leadership po-
sitions, education, and loans but overrepresented when it
comes to experiencing violence. Interestingly, research has

2 UNICEF (nd). Girls’ education: gender equality in education

benefits every child. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/
education/girls-education
3 Vreeken, R. (2021, April 14). VN: helft meisjes en vrouwen is
geen baas over eigen lichaam. Retrieved from https://www.
volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/vn-helft-meisjes-en-vrouw-
en-is-geen-baas-over-eigen-lichaam~bb65d3b8/
4 Rijksoverheid (nd). ‘Veiligheid meisjes en vrouwen’. Re-
trieved from https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/
vrouwenemancipatie/veiligheid-van-meisjes-en-vrouwen

77
5 The World Bank (2021). Women Business and the Law 2021.
Retrieved from https://wbl.worldbank.org/en/wbl
6 World Economic Forum (2021). Global Gender Gap Report
2021. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/reports/
global-gender-gap-report-2021
7 AD (2020, July 3). Er zijn meer Nederlandse CEO’s die Peter het-
en dan directeuren die vrouw zijn. Retrieved from https://www.
ad.nl/werk/er-zijn-meer-nederlandse-ceos-die-peter-heten-
dan-directeuren-die-vrouw-zijn~a20649df/
shown that women are ‘invisible’ when it comes to data. It is
called the data gender gap. There is almost no data on women.
The problem is that within the collected data, women are not
separated from men. Caroline Cradio Perez shows in her book
how the lack of data leads to failing policy. She provides an
example of medicine — it is mainly tested on men, however,
the female body works differently. As a result, it will be less ef-
fective when women use it.8
The numbers show that governments need to act to im-
prove gender equality. In addition, they should be aware
of the gender data gap and discrimination against women.

Representation, Pay Gap and Gender-Related Violence

As the data above shows, gender equality is vital in every pol-
icy area. Every layer of government must act. The European
Commission has introduced a Gender Equality Strategy for
the member states: ‘Striving for a union of equality’. The strat-
egy highlights three main topics: representation of women,
the pay gap and violence against women.9 Let us start with
the representation of women. In the EU, only 8% of the CEOs
are female. The European Commission tried to implement
gender equality quotas in the member states, but several coun-
tries blocked the proposal.10 In the Netherlands, such a law
was eventually passed this year. It is a small step because it
only affects supervisory boards of stock market companies,11
but it is a step forward. The diversity at these tables should be
broader and include different points of view. It will make deci-
sions more effective. Another important argument is the im-
portance of role models for women and young girls. During

8 Criado Perez, C. (2019). Onzichtbare vrouwen: waarom we lev-

en in een wereld voor en door mannen ontworpen. Amsterdam:
Prometheus.
9 Europa Nu (2020, March 5). Strategie voor gendergelijkheid:
streven naar een unie van Gelijkheid. Retrieved from https://
www.europa-nu.nl/id/vl6pfwirsdzb/nieuws/strategie_voor_

78
gendergelijkheid_streven?ctx=vh94ercwm6u9&tab=0
10 Europa Nu (2020, March 5). Brussel gooit opnieuw vrouwen-
qoutum in de strijd. Retrieved from https://www.europa-nu.nl/
id/vl6pf5bq3buf/nieuws/brussel_gooit_opnieuw_vrouwenquo-
tum_in?ctx=vh6ukzb3nnt0
11 NOS (2021, September 28). Wet voor vrouwen in de top bedri-
jfsleven definitief aangenomen. Retrieved from https://nos.nl/
artikel/2399611-wet-voor-meer-vrouwen-in-top-bedrijfsleven-
definitief-aangenomen
their lives, they will meet several women, who will affect how
those girls view their own potential.
The next theme is violence against women. One in three
women and girls in the EU experience sexual and/or physical
violence. The Covid-19 crisis made it even worse — emerging
data and reports from those on the front lines have shown
that all types of violence against women and girls, particular-
ly domestic violence, have intensified.12 As the pandemic con-
tinues, it is challenging to act. Under these difficult circum-
stances, with a group of women, we decided to make a state-
ment about the local elections in the Hague. We founded
the ‘The Hague women manifest’ with ten points for the im-
provement of the city. We asked many women for input, and
their stories were troubling. Every woman shared a moment
when they felt intimidated — in most cases, on the street or
when they went out to a club or a bar. Although in the Nether-
lands, this topic is getting more attention, the policy solutions
focus almost exclusively on women. For example, women can
participate in self-defence training or ask for help when vio-
lence has already occurred. It is an important part of the so-
lution, but we are missing men. Gender equality is also for
men. When girls are in their teenage years, their parents
tell them to text when they are coming home, ask them not
to walk back home alone and be careful when they are par-
tying. The same parents tell their boys to “have fun”, while
they should tell them not to misbehave and speak up when
they see violence, in particular violence against women. Men
play a crucial role in reducing the amount of violence against
women. The current situation will change only when both
women and men are engaged.
The last theme within the European strategy is the pay
gap. Women earn 16% less than men, have 30,1% less pension,
and 75% of the unpaid household care tasks are being done by

79
12 UN Women (2021). The Shadow Pandemic: Violence against
women during COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.unwom-
en.org/en/news/in-focus/in-focus-gender-equality-in-covid-
19-response/violence-against-women-during-covid-19 [edi-
tor’s footnote]
women.13 Closing the pay gap requires several actions because
it is a multi-layered issue. The first is payment transparency:
companies must take responsibility for how they set a certain
level of a salary. The EU, rightly, wants to implement a law that
makes this mandatory.14 Moreover, many women work part-
time because they take care of the household and other family
members. Besides transparency, countries need to take other
measures such as providing childcare and parental leaves. We
should be clear that reducing the gender gap is also a task for
men. Women still frequently take care of the household and
children on their own. And even when men can help, thanks
to parental leave, they do not. Dividing simple house tasks
fairly will contribute to gender equality, as well.

On Every Level
Addressing gender equality requires changes in the EU mem-
ber states. The Gender Equality Strategy of the European
Commission is a step in the right direction. A multidimen-
sional — international, national, and local — approach is key
in s­ olving the complex problem of the gap between men and
women. Also, the importance of the international aspect can-
not be forgotten as it can be translated into feminist foreign
policy. Only a few countries have this kind of policy — Swe-
den, Canada, and France can be seen as the trailblazers
in this field.15 When the Prime Minister of Canada Justin
Trudeau visited the Dutch parliament, Dutch MP Petra
Stienen asked what the Netherlands and the EU could learn
from the Canadian feminist international assistance policy,
especially regarding the future challenges after Covid-19.
His answer was: ‘It is not just trying to help more women and
girls by sending a big cheque. One must work on the ground
with local organisations and activists. This is where the dif-
ference is made. My recommendation is to build partnerships

80
13 European Commission (2020, March). Strev-
en naar een Unie van gelijkheid. Retrieved from
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/
aid_development_cooperation_fundamental_rights/
gender_equality_strategy_factsheet_nl.pdf
14 Ibid
15 https://www.wo-men.nl/kb-bestanden/1625576079.pdf
at the grass-root level for the empowerment of all women and
girls.’16 He emphasises the importance of policy at all levels so
that they can reinforce one another.

Micro-Revolutions
The topics discussed in this article seem so vast and distant
it seems they could only be addressed by government pro-
grammes and international cooperation. But is this the case?
Is it impossible to do anything right here and now? Is there
anything that any of us can do?
Awareness is the first step towards change. A lot of peo-
ple do not realise that inequality still exists between men
and women. And they do not see the gender bias: this means
we estimate the competencies of men to be higher than that
of women. But everyone can contribute to change. The Dutch
writer Sinan Çankaya introduced the term ‘micro-revolutions’.
These are small actions of resistance. He said: ‘where there is
power, there is resistance’. Micro-revolutions are disorganised
and informal — everyday individual forms of resistance. They
are implicit and hidden, but a small change can make a big dif-
ference. Everything starts with one person who decides to ex-
press their discontent.17
The Dutch economist and writer Sophie Gool uses this
term in her book about closing the pay gap in order to explain
what you can do within your circle of influence. We can use her
advice to create our micro-revolutions. First, join a demon-
stration and vote. Demonstrating has an impact, it shows how
many people fight against injustice. And if you do not want
to join a live demonstration, you can also join online by making
statements or sharing articles on your social media. In addi-
tion, use your right to vote. Research which parties are com-
mitted to gender equality. And vote for a woman. Second, let
your voice be heard. This one is easy — speak up when you do

81
16 Eerste Kamer (2021, Oktober 26). Bezoek Justing Treadeau van
Canada aan de Staten-Generaal. Retrieved from https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=K_LNhTCWc00
17 Çankaya, S. (2020). Mijn ontbelbare identiteiten. De Bezige Bij.
not agree with someone. Do not judge women by their looks.
You do not have to share all the ideas. You will not always be
able to speak out, but if you can, use your voice because it will
inspire and motivate others to do the same. Thirdly, recom-
mend women. When asked for advice, recommend women
and promote their rights. And finally, fight stereotypical
roles at work and home. The only way to break the stereo-
types is to begin. Start in your household. Try to map out how
much time you and your partner spend on household tasks
and divide them fairly. At work, you can discuss topics such
as the pay gap or gender bias. Try to organise a meeting with
your colleagues about these important themes.18 All these
changes start within your circle of influence.

Conclusion
To conclude, we must keep putting gender equality on the
political agenda — for multiple reasons. First, we need more
women in leadership and decision-making positions for
the female perspective to be voiced. Secondly, we must close
the pay gap, women should be paid equally. Thirdly, we must
stop gender violence. Part of the solution is increasing aware-
ness and ­making men part of it. Women can adapt, but men
need to embrace the gender equality policy to make it effec-
tive. It might sound abstract, but everything begins within
your circle of influence. Everyone can contribute to change.
To quote Justin Trudeau: ‘We have to start at the grass-root
level of our ­society’. If we want to change the system, we must
start within our circle of influence. It would be a great step for
gender equality.

18 Gool van, S. (2021). Waarom vrouwen minder verdienen: en wat

we eraan kunnen doen. Business Contact.
 Authors
Miłosz Hodun, PhD. President of the Projekt: Polska
Foundation and legal expert at HejtStop programme.
Second Vice-President of the European Liberal
Forum. Author and editor of various publications
on hate speech and populism. Visiting adjunct profes-
sor at Reykjavik University Law School.
Żaneta Krysiak. Member of the Avalon Foundation,
where she works at Sexon educational project fo-
cused on sexuality and parenthood of people with
disabilities and equal access to social and medical
services. Co-organizer of the Sexon Conference that
aims to engage people with disabilities to share their
experiences.
Anna Makówka-Kwapisiewicz. Historian, member
of the steering committe of European Network —
Countering Antisemitism Through Education. Pro-
ject coordiator at National Democratic Institute for
International Affairs focused on democratisation
processes and cooperation with political entities and
CSOs. Expert in advocacy, countering antisemitism
and discrimination.
Michał Sawicki. Sexologist and psychotherapist,
member of Association for Cognitive and Behavioral
Therapies and Polish Sexological Society. He spe-
cialises in sexuality education, health prevention and
harm reduction. He coordinated various projects
on STI prevention and supervised a number of NGOs
which provide psychological help for people in crisis.
83
Matthew D. Skinta, PhD, ABPP. Clinical health psy-
chologist and assistant professor at Roosevelt Uni-
versity. He has spent time as a researcher, educator,
and clinician, and conducts psychotherapy work-
shops internationally. His time is divided between
the United States and Europe.
Michał Tęcza. Sexuality educator and anti-discrimi-
nation trainer. Specialized in psychological aid for mi-
norities. Coordinator of health prevention projects.
Author of many workshops and trainings on LGB-
TIQ+ rights, inclusivity of minorities, sex transmit-
ted infections, sexuality education. Coordinator
at the Projekt:Polska’s HejtStop campaign.
Małgorzata Waszczuk. Sociologist and educator fo-
cused on intercultural and anti-discrimination educa-
tion. She has experience in cooperating with NGOs,
cultural institutions and local governments. Manager
of Intercultural and Leadership Programmes Section
At the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews.
Demi van Wijk. Member of D66, a social-liberal
party in the Netherlands. She works for the party in
the Senate and has an active role in the local women’s
network. She has contributed to ‘The Hague Wom-
en’s Manifest’, a plan on gender equality that focuses
on better representation in city government and
combating violence against women.
 Publishers

Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Projekt: Polska are people who are dreaming
is a p
­ olitical foundation in the Federal Republic of a modern, open, and liberal Poland. Those,
of Germany, founded in 1958 and devoted to the pro- to whom a democratic, effective and citizen-friend-
motion of liberal principles and to political education. ly government is a key goal, and who help accom-
The goal of the foundation is to advance the princi- plish this goal while enjoying themselves, forming
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of society, both in Germany and abroad. The Friedrich The Projekt: Polska Foundation is our framework,
Naumann Foundation is active in over 60 countries a group of professionals with ­immense experience
around the world, spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, in direct action: e­ ntrepreneurs, leading ngo heads,
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84
 Disclaimer

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom is

not responsible for the content of this publication,
or for any use that may be made of it. The views
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85
 Table of Contents

Respect, a Constant Commitment  5

by the editors

Acknowledgments  14

1 Language and (In)equality: The Struggle

for Inclusive Language in Education  15
by Matthew D. Skinta

2 The Others. Addressing Antisemitism

and Xenophobia through Education  27
by Anna Makówka-Kwapisiewicz

3 For a real image of LGBT+ people.

The Role of Media, School and Politics  37
by Michał Sawicki, Michał Tęcza

4 Including People with Migration and Refugee

Experience in Educational Activities   50 
by Małgorzata Waszczuk

5 (In)visibility of needs. Equality education

and people with disabilities  60
by Żaneta Krysiak

6 Equal Rights for Men and Women

Starts within Your Circle of Influence  76
by Demi van Wijk

Authors  83
Publishers  84
Disclaimer  85

87
Autor Autor
Full Control of Our Bodies
Sexual Education in an
Ideologised State
Colophon

RespectEd. Opportunities 
and Challenges of Equality Education
edited by Miłosz Hodun, Michał Sawicki, Michał Tęcza
 
Copyright © by Friedrich Naumann
Foundation for Freedom

Photo on page 2: Wikimedia Commons

First published in Warsaw by Projekt: Polska

 
Translation and proofreading
Natalia Czekalska

 Design and typesetting

Marcin Hernas | tessera.org.pl

 Typeset in Macklin

 Printed on Pergraphica
 
ISBN 978-83-64847-99-8
 
Printed in Poland by Petit

88
 Equality education is usually
associated with broadening
knowledge about non-
heteronormative people, and
indeed, it is one of its areas. It is
not, however, a complete definition.
Equality education is something
more. It is caring about the rights
of minorities, and the language
used when speaking about them.
It is increasing awareness about
their existence, everyday problems
they face and providing them
with an opportunity to take
part in public life. It is also
an effective tool for protecting
lives and opposing discrimination,
hate speech and hate crimes.
from chapter 3
 I S B N
9 7 8 - 8 3
Equality is a dynamic phenomenon. The pur-
suit of equality is a constant commitment,
listening to the voices of many people and
groups, focusing on minority rights, a­ ctive
lookout for discrimination and genuine -
desire to counter it. It is a never-ending
6 4 8 4 7 - 9 9

project. The same is true of equality educa-

tion, which reflects the state of e­ quality in
a given society and should actively respond
to its current social needs. Educators must
not miss that moment. On the contrary,
they should be in dialogue with representa-
tives of minority groups, experts, scientists,
and representatives of NGOs to update
their knowledge and teaching m ­ aterials.
- 8

This is why RespectEd was created.