This article is a commentary on the seven papers in this special issue of "Sex Education." A compelling theme interwoven throughout all the articles in subtle and explicit ways is the role that adults play in the lives of students, particularly in the ways in which adults impact how students enact and respond to the multiple…

When a gay male student began distributing letters at his high school alerting students and teachers to the antigay language in the school and teachers' lack of intervention, the letter was quickly confiscated. McGarry, an administrator in the central office, learned of the incident and of other incidents in which LGBT students and teachers were…

Cultural immersion experiences have been used in multicultural counselor training courses to address racism. Cultural immersion experiences include activities designed to provide concentrated, direct, substantial, and meaningful interactions with multiple elements of a target culture for the purpose of promoting crosscultural competency. In this…

The experience of being a gay teen is tremendously difficult. The statistics regarding hate crimes and threats are staggering. The results of these threats are even more appalling: Gay and lesbian youth are at greater risk of dropping out of school, engaging in substance abuse, and running away from home, and are two to three times more likely to…

Examines two major recurring, but paradoxical, fantasies in the rhetoric of social scientists' descriptions of homosexuals: the "homosexual as degenerate," and "mainstreaming the homosexual." Proposes the use of the word "gay" and its referents as a substitute research base for examining social and cultural meanings of same-sex relations. (JMF)

Discusses lesbian and gay concerns in the sphere of education. Recommends positive classroom discussion of homosexuality and lesbianism. (DM)

An anecdote describing anonymous censorship of classroom materials on gay literature and denotations/connotations of words associated with homosexuality. Contains reprints of the "censored" materials. (RL)

Homosexual college student issues of significance to college student union and student activities professionals are discussed. It is suggested that the knowledge base should include an understanding of various theories of sexual orientation development, the unique developmental tasks that gay men and lesbians face, legal sanctions and rights, and…

This study investigated the effects of attendance at a panel featuring gay and lesbian speakers on self-reported measures of individual homophobia. A total of 200 female and 120 male college students enrolled in human sexuality classes were randomly assigned to pretest or no pretest conditions and completed surveys before, after, and one month…