Fostering an Ideology of Inclusivity: Shared Critical Dialogue and Self-Reflexivity in the English Classroom

Despite a reported sociocultural shift in the public perception of rights affecting LGBTQ+ individuals and some changes in governmental policies and laws, there has not yet been a resulting shift in the overall K-12 pedagogical paradigm. Within the classroom, LGBTQ+ individuals and students growing up in LGBTQ+ households are frequently and actively silenced and, therefore, marginalised and stigmatised while LGBTQ+ topics and curricula are intentionally avoided. LGBTQ+ students, students raised in LGBTQ+ families, and LGBTQ+ educators may struggle to feel included within the heteronormative school environment. This lack of LGBTQ+ representation highlights potentially damaging implications for the microsystem of students, parents, and educators. To meet the needs of its LGBTQ+ population, schools must re-evaluate their current inclusivity practices and examine possible interventions to increase inclusion. Through a synthesis and discussion of the research literature rooted in Freire's (2017) critical dialogue, the author examines possible solutions to increase perceptions of inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community from within the English classroom.