Two literacy leaders acknowledge the challenges of teaching LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) issues in the classroom. While children come from a variety of family structures, it is necessary to acknowledge that a gay individual was once a child sitting in a classroom. An argument against marginalization and an advocacy for inclusion of…

Revisiting AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) restarts the "panic of loss" characterizing the author's youth. The author argues that the 25th anniversary of ACT UP marks the failure to consider Raymond Williams's "structure of feeling". Williams counterposes this structure against falsely viewing the past as formalized into something…

This essay provides a review of a resource guide written by Kristopher Wells, Gayle Roberts, and Carol Allan (2012) titled "Supporting Transgender and Transsexual Students in K-12 Schools: A Guide for Educators". The guide is an invaluable resource for educators in schools and teacher education programs.

Presents a negative critique of Bette Greene's novel "The Drowning of Stephan Jones." Suggests that while Greene tries to break stereotypes of homosexuals, she reinforces other societal stereotypes, thus "drowning the novel's strengths." (RS)

Makes a case for the importance of young adult literature about homosexuality and discusses a cross-section of the books that publishers have made available, finding some of them stereotypical and misleading, while others informed and worth reading. (TB)

Provides a genealogy of the "fichera" (cabaret dancer/prostitute) genre in Mexican cinema, moving from the figure of the female prostitute to that of the "queen" homosexual type. Discusses the ideological function of homosexual stereotyping and to the way the queen homosexual stereotype is deployed to very different ends in…

A rationale for viewing gays as a minority group is presented, and the moral underpinnings of this view are analyzed. A model of gay studies based on this view is outlined, and a brief sketch is given of how gay studies might articulate itself in the study of stereotypes. (IAH)

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

Interviews James Earl Hardy, author of several novels on the experiences of young urban men who are both gay and black. A recent novel challenges labels and stereotypes accompanying those living with HIV/AIDS. The struggles of Hardy's characters parallel those of Eazy-E, a controversial hip-hop artist who succumbed to AIDS in 1992. (SM)

This paper argues for discussion on the idea that "multi-culturalism" programs at universities, and particularly in journalism programs, should include exposure to gay/lesbian/bisexual issues in addition to material about minorities and women. The paper's premise is that blacks, women, and gays have received similarly shoddy,…

The legal status of homosexual teachers is addressed. Some of the issues examined include society's reaction to homosexuals, society's view of the role of the teacher, court cases involving gay teachers, and recommendations of affirmative and aggressive strategies to improve the legal position of homosexual teachers. (JMD)

This paper uses the conventional treatment of homosexuality in public schools to illustrate how public schools are being drawn into the battle brewing between "new right" fundamentalists and progressives in American culture as society is changing and cultural diversity is increasing. Public schools may play an important role in building…

New research and structures of higher education must be explored to create positive learning environments for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students, whose needs may be different from those of traditional students. This requires attention to college and classroom environment, curriculum, and services, including campus activities, career and personal…

The essays of this collection explore the restriction of speech and the hate speech codes that attempt to restrict bigoted or offensive speech and punish those who engage in it. These essays generally argue that speech restrictions are dangerous and counterproductive, but they acknowledge that it is very difficult to distinguish between…

North Americans' fear and preoccupation with safety and security as a result of the September 11 attacks is similar to that felt by gays and lesbians in daily life. Queer persons are not part of the Christian family, according to Jerry Falwell and other rightist Christian fundamentalists, including those involved in transformative ministry and…