The author tells how he, as a high school principal in a small rural school, reacted when "Pete," a student in a class of 38, revealed his sexual identity and brought his boyfriend to the senior prom. The author describes how his initial reactions came from an administrative, managerial, "try to keep the lid on" mentality as he feared various…

In this paper, the author provides an overview of the theoretical background of critical educational research--namely, critical pedagogy--and discusses the relationship between critical pedagogy and queer issues. In doing this, the author addresses the current strengths and weaknesses of queer studies in education. The author suggests that making…

A decade after Kinsey published his famous studies on sexuality, a special legislative committee in Florida targeted gay and lesbian teachers in an investigation that led to the dismissal and loss of credentials for scores of educators. The Florida purge of 1959-1964 remains without parallel in educational history in terms of its intensity and…

This article focuses on the effectiveness of antihomophobia discourses and explores the process of teaching and learning about heteronormativity. The author offers an interrogation of the regulatory fictions within heteronormativity and frameworks of resistance and examines attempts to move beyond established views of sexual minority students and…

This article deals with controversial issues in recruitment of Latino/a faculty in higher education in the United States. The authors present a hypothetical faculty hiring case scenario that they follow throughout the manuscript. Through this case scenario, they examine aspects of Latino/a identity, Latino/a demographics in higher education, and…

This study examines the classroom practice(s) of seven gay male teachers from four school districts within a large southeastern state. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, it examines two main issues they face: how and when to introduce and use gay-themed materials while teaching the curriculum and how to confront homophobic slurs heard…

Evidence indicates GLB individuals may be at greater risk for high rates of alcohol consumption; however, few studies have identified specific factors explaining why differences exist. Using data from the 2001 College Alcohol Study, we examined the ability of drinking motives and social norms to explain the relationship between sexual orientation…

The authors examined variables that could be predictive of attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. A survey was conducted with 132 counselors-in-training in a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (2001). Participants attended a medium-size, regional university in the southwestern portion…

Fifty-two secondary teacher candidates from a Canadian university completed questionnaires assessing levels of homoprejudice, knowledge of homosexuality, and perceptions of professional issues related to sexual minority youth. The level of homoprejudice in this sample was lower than in earlier studies with teachers, and lower homoprejudice was…

This article describes the impact of receiving the Matthew Shepard Scholarship (a 4-year, full scholarship) on 8 students who were openly gay or lesbian in high school. Previous literature, while limited, paints a decidedly bleak picture of the prospects for gay and lesbian youth. However, this previous research is often based on students in…

To begin to understand the role that family relationships and interactions play in young gay men's decisions to avoid unsafe sexual practices, parents and sons (ages 16 to 25) in 30 families were qualitatively interviewed about issues and concerns related to HIV risk. Most of the youths reported feeling obliged to their parents to stay healthy,…

In this review essay, Robert Rhoads and Shannon Calderone consider how liberalism, as a guiding principle for school practices and educational policy making, reinforces heteronormativity through a doctrine of professed neutrality that circumscribes sexual expression and subjectivity. Through an analysis of Carol Vincent's "Social Justice,…

This article presents a teaching case that involves the presentation of an actual incident in which a state commission on judicial performance had to balance a judge's First Amendment rights to protected free speech against his public statements about a societal class/group that were deemed to be derogatory and inflammatory and, hence, cast…

This article examines differences in young adults' intimate relationships by social class. Lower-class adolescents are more likely to engage in intimate-relationship practices such as cohabitation, early marriage, and sexual activity that may lead to further economic and educational deprivation. Such adolescents have limited access to the special…

Bullying, aggression, and peer victimization among adolescents are significant public health concerns. Recent research has demonstrated that bullying and peer victimization sometimes include homophobic epithets directed at heterosexual and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. It appears that being at the receiving end of…