This presentation takes an historical approach to homosexuality and homophobia in public schools. The methodology of "history from below" is applied. Methodological considerations are discussed, and experiences of gay and lesbian teachers and students are explored. The psychological, moral and political meanings various groups attach to homosexuality are reviewed in the context of history, paying attention to political issues and the pathologization of homosexuality. The legacy of the McCarthy era "witch hunts" is discussed. Despite the American Psychiatric Association's removal of homosexuality from the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" in 1973, a number of educators and administrators have continued to view it as a form of mental illness. Since the 1970s, the emerging gay and lesbian rights movement coupled with the rise of the religious right have served to polarize the politics of American public education. Suicide is a major problem among young homosexuals. The fight against California's "Proposition 6," which would have barred gays and lesbians from working in public schools, is reviewed. The coming of AIDS to the United States heightened public awareness of homosexuality and presented an opportunity for education. The political and social climate of the 1990s has intensified the paradoxes. Appendix A shows results of a Dissertation Abstracts search and ERIC search. (Contains 58 references.) (EMK)