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Organization of spaces in schools often revolves around gender and sexuality. For example, it has been reported that restrooms and locker rooms are the most heteronormative and heterosexist spaces within schools. Particularly within these spaces, hegemonic heterosexual masculinity/femininity is institutionalized, not only in the practices and individual performances, but also in the organization of these spaces. In that sense, the space of the restroom and the locker room is regulated and constructed on the basis of gender binaries, and as such, inscribes disciplinary power on those gendered bodies that do not conform to the hegemonic gender regime. For trans/transgender students and other gender-nonconforming students, these spaces have been experienced as hostile and problematic. The paper draws on ethnographic data from two Icelandic high schools and has the aim of moving the discussion about gender divided spaces (restrooms and locker/changing rooms) outside the sole emphasis on gender binaries by incorporating into the analysis identity categories based on sexuality and trans/transgender/gender-queer embodiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational literacy scholars have demonstrated the rich possibilities of the English language arts, and of queer-inclusive and critical literacy practices in particular, to disrupt heteronormativity and affirm gender and sexual diversity (GSD). However, there are few empirical studies that report what' s involved in preparing literacy teachers to organize classrooms in which recommendations for inclusive practice can land safely. In this article, we provide an account of what happened when we endeavored to prepare a group of secondary preservice literacy teachers for GSD-inclusive education in the context of a university-based literacy methods course and the negotiation of discomfort that ensued. Drawing on queer theoretical perspectives and Kumashiro's (2001) framework of anti-oppressive education--which figures an important relationship among the concepts o/desire, resistance, and crisis in unlearning common sense--we explore how the methods curriculum put many students into a state of emotional crisis. The sources of participants' discomfort included learning that teachers have been complied with the oppression of queer youth and wrestling with questions about how to bring their commitments to GSD-inclusive literacy instruction to bear in practice. Our findings suggest that participants who were willing to move toward their discomfort--what we call a deliberate move to lean in--positioned themselves to become strong advocates for queer youth. We argue that emotional discomfort should be figured as a productive tension in queer interventions in English education. Toward that end, we offer leaning in as a generative tool for grappling with the dynamics of heterosexism, homophobia, and broader oppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteronormative culture and heterosexism is experienced by many LGBT students and queer individuals in their daily interactions with their environment. Icelandic upper secondary schools are no exception in this respect. This article draws on interview data with five LGBT students supported by semi-participatory observations at two upper secondary schools. The main objective is to describe various modes LGBT students use when caring for the self. We depict LGBT students as active subjects who resist their heteronormative environment and its heterosexist discourse by caring for their selves. We are especially inspired by Foucault’s later works on the ethics of being, where he draws attention to the possibility of resistance and transgression as ethical work. The five participants we interviewed attended various upper secondary schools and had different backgrounds. Their life histories reflected diversity in regard to gender, sexual preference and transgression practices. The young people were all aware of how their environment subjectified and constructed them through discourse. Both similarities and differences were noted in their ethical work. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Forum Theatre (FT), a participatory improvised theatre form, raises consciousness, enables debate and critical reflection, and encourages a democratic form of knowledge production that engages the audience in their own learning and unlearning. I used FT as a platform to understand how 15- to 18-year-old learners, in a co-educational school in the Free State, experience and respond to heterosexism and heteronormativity. In this article, I explore whether FT sessions, based on the sociodramatic theories of Boal, are a sufficient enough construct to challenge heterosexism. Data collected for this article included videotapes of the performances, discussions, and field notes. The FT scenes and subsequent discussions suggest that young people bemoan heterosexism and heteronormativity in their school and demonstrate a commitment to challenge extreme examples of prejudice and behaviour by their teachers and peers, yet ignore or shy away from everyday examples of heterosexist exclusions and privilege. I argue that a participatory process, such as FT, can be a useful construct to challenge heterosexism, but it is not in itself liberatory, as the issues of socialisation, privilege, and context cannot be bypassed simply through 'participation'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the written reflections of aspiring principals in two principal-preparation courses where social justice is at the core of the content and which address sexual orientation as part of the responsibility of a social justice leader. Data Collection: Two instructors in a leadership-preparation program incorporated reflection assignments into their respective social-justice-related courses. One course was offered at the beginning of the program; the other offered at the end. Aspiring principals from two different cohorts of students participated in the study. The students’ reflections were coded to identify themes and patterns that were found in their reflections and to see if any of their reflections changed over time. Findings: The authors found that students had varied experiences with people who identified as LGBTQ. Second, we found that discussion of sexual orientation was complicated by students’ Christian beliefs. Third, we found that there was some change in the way in which students responded to sexual orientation, from a more passionate to a more analytical stance. We discuss these findings in light of the need for better assessment of future leaders’ attitudes and actions and of our own heteronormativity and heterosexism. We discuss implications for our own teaching as well as for other teachers in preparation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, two beginning qualitative researchers describe the challenges and successes of conducting a collaborative self-study. For two academic years, the authors wrote and analyzed personal narratives related to their experiences as a lesbian and a gay man, respectively, in educational contexts. This article addresses the data analysis phase of the research process. The authors attempt to make visible their analytic process in hopes that their struggles might be useful to those who conduct similar research. They rely on the metaphor of waves to capture what it was like to engage in their analytic work. Their experience demonstrates the importance of viewing data analysis as a fluid process that involves reflexivity, perseverance, and flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]