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The article discusses the experiences of a queer student named Jonathen in a rural high school and explores the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in such communities, in the U.S.. It highlights the impact of heterosexism, gender norms, and the lack of queer representation in rural areas. It also proposes the idea of a book club focused on queer literature as a means to foster understanding, provide support, and stimulate critical conversations among students.

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]

Homophobic behaviors can be seen as performances that reinforce masculinity or femininity linked to the heterosexual matrix. For this reason, study the prevalence of homophobic behaviors in the arena of sport and Physical Education (PE) are still important, particularly in societies profoundly marked by the patriarchal model. In the current study our aim is assess the perceptions of students about homophobia and heterosexism in secondary Portuguese schools, more specifically in PE classes. The sample of this study is composed of 223 first-year students taking a degree in sport. The perceptions of students about homophobia and heterosexism in PE classes were evaluated through a questionnaire. Heterosexist's behaviors were perceived with more frequency in PE classes, and girls are more sensitive to perceive them. The results show than more than a half of participants perceived than PE teachers never openly confront homophobic behaviors and one third of students perceived that PE teachers never openly confront heterosexist behaviors. Therefore, approximately half of the students perceive that PE teachers create inclusion spaces. However, in the classroom, gay and lesbian people are in no occasion mentioned as examples. [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]

Despite recent socially positive progression in the view and treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in the USA, the LGBT population continues to face complicated circumstances and significant hindrances in many societal institutions. One of the most challenging and complex arena is the educational system (). The present qualitative study explored the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of LGBT-identified school psychologists. Based on data gathered via interviews with LGBT-identified school psychologists and analyzed using the consensual qualitative research (CQR) method, several themes emerged: impact on professional role, the presence of heterosexism in schools, the role of relationships, individual resiliency, and advocacy. These insights help to better understand the successes, challenges, and potential negative outcomes LGBT school psychologists face on the job and how these issues can affect the students they serve. Finally, the implications for policy development, education, and training are outlined. [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]

It is heavily argued that art educators should consider the various ways racism, classism, and heterosexism work to shape consciousness and produce identity, as these constructions shape what content is privileged in the art classroom. his examination of power and privilege is what critical multicultural art education calls for. Unfortunately, K-12 art teachers continue to struggle to enact critical multicultural art education curriculum. his paper seeks to identify what personal pedagogical changes I can make to help pre-service and practicing art teachers transfer concepts and practices derived from social justice-oriented teacher education into their art classrooms. I assert that art teachers, practicing and prospective, must first establish positionality and recognize the implications of their position in order to facilitate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary heterosexism includes both overt and subtle discrimination. Minority stress theory posits that heterosexism puts sexual minorities at risk for psychological distress and other negative outcomes. Research, however, tends to focus only on 1 form at a time, with minimal attention being given to subtle heterosexism. Further, little is known about the connection between minority stressors and underlying psychological mechanisms that might shape mental health outcomes. Among a convenience sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) college students (n = 299), we investigated the role of blatant victimization and LGBQ microaggressions, both together and separately, on psychological distress and the mediating role of self-acceptance. We conducted structural equation modeling to examine hypothesized relationships. Heterosexism was measured as blatant victimization, interpersonal microaggressions, and environmental microaggressions. Self-acceptance included self-esteem and internalized LGBTQ pride. Anxiety and perceived stress comprised the psychological distress factor. Our results suggest that students with greater atypical gender expression experience, greater overall heterosexism and victimization, and younger students experience more overall heterosexism, and undergraduates report more victimization. Microaggressions, particularly environmental microaggressions, are more influential on overall heterosexism than blatant victimization. Overall heterosexism and microaggressions demonstrated main effects with self-acceptance and distress, whereas victimization did not. Self-acceptance mediated the path from discrimination to distress for both overall heterosexism and microaggressions. Our findings advance minority stress theory research by providing a nuanced understanding of the nature of contemporary discrimination and its consequences, as well as illuminating the important role self-acceptance plays as a mediator in the discrimination-psychological distress relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article studies the conditions of heterosexist domination in the teaching profession and the unequal gender balance among U.S. teachers. It analyses means to overcome heterosexist predomination not only in schools but also socially. The study also incorporates the issues of curriculum and social concerns in the school setting such as student bullying and sexual harassment.

This article suggests specific training standards are needed to challenge the silence around lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues in Counselor Education and to disrupt heterosexist practices in counseling training. The manner in which the CACREP Standards addresses the LGBT population is called into question, as the 2009 and the second draft of the 2016 standards continue to be vague concerning this population. The challenge of utilizing the historically exclusive and presently inclusive term "multicultural" in counseling when considering the LGBT population is examined. Recommendations for Counselor Education programs to go beyond the minimal CACREP Standards for preparing students to provide culturally competent services for the LGBT population are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

This article draws on qualitative data from observations, interviews, and focus-group discussions at seven secondary schools in the Wakiso district of the central region of Uganda. It shows that constructions of gender within the school environment include both overt and covert discourses on the interaction of sexual and gendered identities and behaviors that create a climate in which students are constructed simultaneously as "learners free of gendered and sexual identities" and as "girls/boys" deeply embedded within heterosexual trajectories. The study reveals a hierarchically ordered range of masculinities and femininities that constitute the students' informal world (that is, an unregulated space for students' natural, relaxed, casual, and informal gatherings) with activities organized around gendered notions of sexuality. Within this world, sexuality becomes a domain of control causing complex tensions and contradictions that are often reflected in the ubiquitous "sexualization" and "desexualization" of school events. Students interact through gendered sexual expectations and power imbalances, negotiating the lack of female sexual autonomy, compulsory heterosexuality, and the norms that locate girls as objects of male sexual desires. The article concludes that complex gendered sexual experiences position boys and girls differently, often causing gender inequalities reflected in girls' limited participation in schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have argued for reading and discussing children's and young adult literature containing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or questioning (LGBTQ) characters and related themes with youths. Yet, we know very little about how to do this among LGBTQ people and their allies. This study examined 18 transcripts of talk from a literature discussion group of 32 adolescents and adults, including the authors, using 24 texts over 3 years in an LGBTQ youth center. The goal was to identify the nature of the talk and the ways it was liberatory and/or oppressive. A Foucaultian analysis of the talk, combined with ethnographically collected information, was conducted, identifying discourses, uses, and ways of operating to reveal possibilities and limitations of LGBT-inclusive and queering discourses. Findings suggest a complex, reciprocal process among texts, talk, and context in which no discourse is monolithically liberatory or oppressive. Complementary and competing discourses in conversation with each other around diverse texts and in complex contexts, however, provide opportunities for conflicts and potential for change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we report results of a qualitative interview study focusing on middle school Language Arts teachers' perceptions, attitudes, and reported practices related to LGBQ topics. The study found that virtually all of the teacher participants recognized that the topic of same-sex sexuality was important for their students, yet the teachers used a variety of strategies to avoid or redirect discussion of the topic. We argue that teacher responses indicate that they generally reinforced the heteronormative silence about sexual orientation and, in some cases, blocked student attempts to disrupt the norm of silence or to change the discourse. In doing so, teachers shaped (inadvertently or not) student behaviors and attitudes to fit into the heterosexist and homophobic local school community of practice. Implications for teacher education and professional development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's insights regarding the response of Erik Malewski to his essay on curriculum studies. He says that Malewski do not see the kind of centeredness in his mind that is moved by his own certainty. He states that he appreciated the reminder of Malewski regarding the potential entanglement or complicity regarding the association of judgments with racism, classism, and heterosexism. He examines the book of Malewski entitled "Curriculum Studies Handbook: The Next Moment."

The article discusses the importance of the Harvey Milk Day in addressing heterosexism issues on educational culture in California. It says that heterosexism, which pervades public schools in the country, is the fear and hatred of people with alternative sexual orientations and forms of gender expressions. It notes that the Harvey Milk Day encourages educational institutions to discuss gender and sexual issues with their students.

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]

Self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) faculty along with heterosexuals with scholarly interests in these populations can face heterosexism, heterocentrism, homophobia, and hostility within and outside of social work programs. This article describes the risks and rewards of being an LGBT faculty based on the experiences of the authors. Myths and realities relating to coming out, promotion, and funding are discussed, along with the pitfalls of tokenism and the stress of being an LGBT faculty of color. Ways to endure and even thrive in spite of these potentially formidable burdens are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]