What Meg told me bugged me all week. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The movie concerned showed a gay kiss – a gay kiss! – and this one teacher had it censored. It made my blood boil.

What amazed me was the difference in world-view between teachers and students. From my contact with my learners, I found them very progressive in terms of acceptance and tolerance. Most cared about each other, seemed relaxed about differences. It was in the staffroom that prejudice simmered like a poisonous stew.

Days went by. I enjoyed the learners – well, most of them. The packs of wild Grade 8s and 9s could be very out-of-hand and naughty, but despite myself, I even became fond of the trouble-makers. And my Grade 10s, 11s and 12s were awesome. They’d all elected to do Drama and so were eager to learn.

One of them I liked in particular. Her name was Naledi. I’d learned that she was the Deputy Head Girl, and I could see why. She was a lovely student, kind and warm, and she did something very special that I will I’ll come to later in the story.

The staffroom was still difficult for me. I clung to my corner like someone in a skate rink, nervous to go out onto the ice. A lot of the teachers were very cranky and spoke to me like I was a schoolgirl myself, which I found annoying.

This particular morning, Mr Hood fidgeted restlessly as various teachers gave their announcements. He looked tired. His skin was particularly red today. I wondered, briefly, about his health. His manner was grave. Eventually he stood up in a heavy way, like he had a rock on his back. He looked at his notebook the whole time he spoke, avoiding eye contact with any of us. He spoke with great control and restraint. His neck had gone lobster pink, like he was straining on a toilet.

“I can find nothing in the law,” he said slowly, his jaw gritted, “that says we need to permit Robert to wear a dress to the Matric Dance.” He spoke with a spooky calmness.

A voice came out of me, almost without me realising: “But there’s nothing in the law that says he can’t.”

A silence.

I was astounded I had spoken. I hadn’t meant to.

“Miss Comrie, let us agree to disagree,” he said, smirking in a self-satisfied way.

“She’s right,” said Mrs Patel rather quietly. She was a beautiful woman in her fifties. Her name was Kerishnie and she taught music. She was one of the only staff members to wear bright colours. Today she was wearing a pair of large turquoise earrings.

Mr Hood’s eyes darted to her like a lizard. Mrs Patel shifted in her seat.

“I mean, if it’s the law you’re using to say this …”

Eighty pairs of eyes were trained on her as if she were competing on a tennis court. I rose to help her, so that we might defend this child together.

“What Kerishnie is saying is that it’s illegal to discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation,” I said. My face felt hot.

Mr Hood snorted politely, then addressed me as if I was a child from another country. “You haven’t been with us for very long, Miss Comrie, so I will forgive you for not knowing that this school adheres to a certain set of beliefs.”

“And what beliefs are those?” said Miss Stone, the art teacher. The art teacher, I hadn’t mentioned, had a bob of strawberry blonde hair and thick glasses. “Because I’d like to know.” She folded her arms and sat back casually.

Mrs Mitchell leapt up as if stung on the backside.

“Shall we move on with the agenda? I know Mr Olivier needs to talk about Cape to Coast.”

“No,” said Miss Stone. “I think this is a good time to learn about Mr Hood’s specific stance on LGBTI issues.”

“This is neither the time nor the place–”

“I’d like to know too,” said one of the accounting teachers. I learnt later that his name was Ricardo Morris. He was short with a wild afro, and dimples.

Again all the eyes, like in a tennis match, switched to him. I got the feeling that Ricardo didn’t usually say much in staff meetings. I saw a flash of panic streak across Mr Hood’s dark eyes. In that moment they looked strange to me – like the pupils took up too much of the eye, without enough white. I looked again and the impression was gone.

Mr Hood chilled me in that moment.

***

Question: Do you know of any LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) learners at your school? If so, what would you say is the attitude of the Head and staff toward them? And the learners?