In 2010, a number of suicides resulted in part because of bullying and cyberbullying. They include Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Eric Mohat, Meredith Rezak, Raymond Chase, and Billy Lucas. These students were gay and lesbian and felt that they had no other option than to take their own lives. Research shows that because…

This article presents a glossary of LBGT (lesbian, bisexual, gay, transsexual). This glossary is based on definitions culled from a few different sources, including the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN); the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance; and Wikipedia, which provides useful up-to-date information that people use when they…

In 1974, Ohio repealed its sodomy laws; Massachusetts Representative Elaine Noble became the first openly gay individual elected to a state legislature; and the National Gay Task Force collaborated with US Representatives Bella Abzug (D-NY) and Edward Koch (D-NY) to introduce the Equality Act of 1974 to ban discrimination against lesbians, gay…

Reading through her files, the author takes a journey back in time to 1991 when a few lesbians and gay men met in a conference room at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention in Seattle to discuss issues relating to their lives and their teaching. It was at this meeting that NCTE first discussed forming a new group…

In this article, the author highlights outstanding literature written for young adults that contains LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning) themes, or contains LGBTQ characters. One of the most critically hailed books with LGBTQ characters from 2007 was Perry Moore's debut novel, "Hero" (Hyperion). This book won the Lambda…

On April 25, 2008, students on college and public school campuses collectively committed to a vow of silence commemorating an event known as the National Day of Silence. This student-generated, nationwide action theatrically "speaks out" in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people who for one reason or another fear…

The author's late son Greg, who became known as Stephan Sure, started life as a teacher's and parent's dream. Not so much because he "behaved well" but because he was a natural wordsmith. Stephan's knack for clever language was visible through the years in crisp repartee and hilarious storytelling, but his secret life as a writer didn't fully…

In this article, the author describes how he uses performance pedagogy to open students' minds to sexuality and gender issues. The author uses Tony Kushner's "Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes"--an epic play about the AIDS epidemic and its impact on the gay community in the 1980s. Through the possibilities of drama available in…

Turkey, like many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures, is homosocial. Profoundly intimate, though nonsexual, relationships between members of the same gender predominate. In such cultures it is expected that male friends kiss one another on the cheek when greeting or saying goodbye, and it is common to see men walk arm-in-arm together, hold…

The young adult novels of Alex Sanchez belong in every high school English classroom and media center. With compelling plots and significant themes, Sanchez's six novels create numerous rich learning opportunities for students. In this article, the author describes how Sanchez's novels on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender themes can be…

In an effort to better understand the potential of process drama to overcome the reluctance of students to engage with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) characters, the author created a workshop that directly addresses the outcast mentality and the marginalization of LGBT youth in schools. Here, the author investigates the underlying…

The authors' belief that using LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender)-themed literature in schools is possible and necessary, coupled with students' sense that either it cannot or is not being done, prompted them to write this article. While the authors are sympathetic with students' perspectives, and agree that examples are limited, such…

While LGBTQ people may no longer need be considered the "invisible minority," LGBTQ books are often taken to be positive or affirmative based on their mere inclusion of gay people as characters. The authors believe the catalog of LGBTQ texts must continue to increase in both quantity and quality and that teachers must explicitly engage students in…

In this article, the author discusses that there is an abundance of quality LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) literature for young adults, filled with complexly rendered and experiences that mirror the often difficult and often exciting lives that young LGBT people live today. English language arts teachers work in a genuinely new and…

Teachers certainly appreciate the importance of an inviting classroom environment. The money spent on posters, the greeting at the classroom door, and the time invested in learning students' names all help to create a sense of community, and students who feel they belong are more likely to do their best work. No teacher would deliberately exclude…