Homophobia is an incredible problem within educational settings. Therefore, we must begin examining how we can address the challenge in an effective manner. Researchers postulate professional development (PD) discussing homophobia is an appropriate method to address the problem. To date, there is little published literature that discusses how a PD…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore how preservice social work and teacher education majors navigate field practicums (e.g., student teaching) as self-identified gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) individuals. In-depth interviews with 26 preservice candidates, representative of two public, comprehensive…

Teacher education is plagued by challenges pertaining to preservice teachers' attitudes toward diversity issues and the impact that these attitudes can have on instructional practices and teacher-student relationships. This study measured preservice teacher attitudes toward gender, race, and GLBTQ issues over the course of a semester, at a…

Literature about the school experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth report unsafe and unaccepting school environments detrimental to their social, emotional, and academic success. LGBTQ bullying is recognized as a complex issue that teachers are expected to face in their schools. The present study examined…

The authors extend the ideals set forth by the universal design (UD) framework seeking to include the unique needs of students in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Universal design is a philosophy that, when applied to higher education, constitutes acceptance of, equal access for, and equal opportunities for…

The work-life policies and benefits practices of public universities and the extent to which lesbian and gay (LG) faculty, staff and families receive different work-life benefits than their heterosexual married counterparts are examined. The analysis was conducted by searching university work-life benefits websites. Major benefits for domestic…

To counter heterosexism, homophobia, and gender binarism in higher education, "safe zone" or "ally" programs are efforts by American universities to create a welcoming environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ) members of the campus community. This study describes perceptions of campus…

(Purpose) The purpose of the study was to assess changes in college students' attitudes towards lesbians and gay men over a five-year span. A secondary purpose of the study was to build a foundation for assessing the relationship between spirituality and observed attitudes. Previous studies have only used religiosity, which is one of the most…