As teacher educators who teach a variety of courses that engage "difference," there comes a moment almost every semester where a reading or set of readings discusses sexuality in education as sexuality impacts student and teacher bodies, curricula, and educational policy. Invariably, such readings cause a student or two to raise any…

In this article, Sara Staley presents a conceptualization of "stuck" places in the field of gender and sexual diversity educational research. She argues that in the process of pursuing complex questions about preparing educators to disrupt the cis-heteronormative context of schools, the field has created a master narrative in which the…

Dominance in any sector prevents minority voices from being heard. Challenging dominance can be vulnerable, especially if the challenger identifies as part of a minority group. Marginalisation and silencing of issues pertaining to the gay community have long been the accepted norm in the education sector (Lee & Duncan, 2008; Robinson 2002).…

Many primary, secondary and tertiary educators need support to engage in inclusive pedagogical practices that challenge homophobia, transphobia and heteronormativity. We present a border-crossing pedagogy (BCP) designed to assist English language arts educators in translating knowledge into action to demolish deeply engrained anti-lesbian, gay,…

In order to understand the current social, cultural, and political period of ascendant racism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, classism, and xenophobia -- personified in the actions and statements of the current President of the United States -- and its relationship to education, Ken McGrew suggests that the scholarship of Paulo Freire is…

This paper considers the educational implications of the recent emphasis on the mental health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer (LGBTQ) people in Ireland. Operating from the perspective that discourses constitute rather than merely reflect material reality, thereby shaping or "structuring" how we…

Part of the Center for Education Equity, Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium's (CEE's) "Exploring Equity Issues" series, this paper defines and discusses the gender spectrum and the challenges that LGBTQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning] youth face. It concludes with strategies that teachers and administrators…

Essays within this forum grapple with the multilevel ways that anti-LGBT bullying manifests within educational spaces. The essays for this forum provide a clear articulation of the wicked problem of LGBT bullying while also offering clear pedagogical advice for how instructors can change themselves, their institutions, and society to be more…

Sexuality education teachers in the USA are often the only officially sanctioned voice in schools charged with teaching students about sexuality and gender. This paper considers the ways in which sexuality education teachers conceptualise gender and anti-queer bullying in order to explore the ways in which teachers understand their own role in the…

Framed by a queer theoretical perspective on the problem of heteronormativity in schools, this qualitative case study traces one teacher's journey of cultivating and enacting commitments to affirming gender and sexual diversity as she moved across contexts of teacher preparation and in-service teaching. Data informing analysis were collected over…

This article sets out to outline how prevailing gender structures can be challenged in physical education (PE) by exploring queer potentials in an event that took place during a dancing lesson in an upper secondary PE class. The event and its features were documented through video recording and post-lesson interviews with the teacher and some of…

In this article, I explore one lesbian teacher's ethical dilemmas and resulting disappointment related to the lack of participation by queer students in the Gay Straight Alliance she helped to create. Her dilemmas hinge on the paradoxical subject position of queer teacher in tension with the "coming out imperative" and intersecting…

There is a small body of work examining how picture books can be used with young children and their families to develop understandings of contemporary issues including diversity and practices towards inclusion. This article describes a study in one New Zealand kindergarten that explored teachers' interpretations of children's responses to a…

In this article, the author notes that diversity and America's schools have historically played a crucial part in the broader movement for civil rights. This often has him considering the ways one can celebrate their community's diversity and curate meaningful conversations about their multiple identities/affinities, especially as they…

The number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning students is increasing in schools. School districts, administrators and teachers need to increase awareness of these students and work to make them feel included and welcomed in a safe school environment, one free from offensive languages and practices. This article discusses some…