Examining Queer Education Practices in Schools
This content explores various aspects of queerness in educational settings, touching on topics such as homophobia in schools, inclusive history textbooks, diversity in curriculum, and the need for queer representation in mathematics and quantitative literacy education. Through examples and analyses, the discussion highlights the challenges and advancements in promoting LGBTQ+ inclusivity in elementary and secondary education.
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Chapter 7: Queering School Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Varieties of Homophobia in Schools Language: gay and fag (middle school usage) Bullying: Tyler Clementi Foucault: discipline and punish general issues of surveillance and penalties for non-normativity Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Other Examples Sociology of Women s Health: Who is a woman? Analogous Example: Proposed Arizona law to ban courses promoting ethnic solidarity Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
An Inclusive Advance In November 2017, California became first state to approve LGBT-inclusive history textbooks in elementary school grades. Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Elementary Education: The Wonder Years Common Core Standards: Currently, only in Language Arts and Mathematics for K-12 Standards in History/Social Studies and Science Technology for 9-12 Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Beyond Heterocentricity Example: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, And Tango Makes Three: Based on true story of two male penguins (Roy and Silo) in Central Park Zoo (NYC) Engaged in coupling and parenting behaviors typically associated with heterosexual penguins Can be used for language arts as well as science Challenged in some school districts across the U.S. Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Mathematical and Quantitative Literacy No explicit mention of queer content in Common Core Standards Possibilities? Sparks: Story or word problems best place to begin algebra for reticent/mathphobic learners Could content include queer situations (such as different kinds of families, businesses, and so forth)? Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Schoolworld/Schoolworlding Refers to the entire ( gestalt ) experience of school: Includes classroom learning Interactive and informal learning, such as playgrounds Social spaces and other functions: hallways, rest rooms, buses Family attitudes towards school Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Erving Goffman: Total Institutions Discussed in his book Asylums (1961) Looked at various total institutions (prisons, mental hospitals, etc.) Places where people are separated from the larger world for a period of time Their needs met within the institution (at least as needs are determined by officials of institution or legal authorities) Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Total Institutions and Queer Students Opportunities for verbal bullying, physical attacks, other forms of devaluing self or other Gender nonconforming children particularly at risk: 2016, North Carolina: law required that children use restrooms matching the gender or sex on birth certificate Jazz Jennings: trans girl/young women, spokesperson against such laws public awareness raised Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Teachers (and Other Adults) All teachers need to show respect and withhold judgment Responsibilities of queer teachers? Should they always be out at workplace? Depends on community, comfort, and context May raise risks, if community does not support Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Middle and High School: Moving Towards Adulthood Times of great developmental change Physical (growth and puberty) Socio-psychological: adolescence between-ness Middle school: binary polarization around gender and sexual identity; often conflation of two Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
King-McInerney Case 2008, Oxnard, California Larry King, gender nonconforming/gay male student Brandon McInerney, 14 year-old classmate, object of King s flirting behaviors McInerney brought gun to school, shot and killed King Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
King-McInerney Case, continued Question of whether King s behavior constituted a form of bullying McInerney tried as an adult, found guilty Evidence presented that this was not an isolated incident of homophobia/transphobia by McInerney Still, some, while approving conviction, concerned that trial did not address McInerney s developmental stage (i.e. still forming brain) Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Dont Say Gay: Proposed Legislation (2012) Tennessee Senate, proposed twice by Stacey Campbell Potential outcomes: Health classes would have to omit all discussions of safer-sex guidelines that spoke specifically to same-sex behaviors History classes would have to omit discussion of sexual identity and gender expression of important figures, as well as mention of important social events and movements (i.e. Stonewall, AIDS epidemic, and so forth) Ban on many literary texts Bill defeated Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Spotlight on School Clubs: John Heineman and GLOBE (Lincoln, NE) Nebraska generally viewed as conservative state Lincoln more liberal than many areas Success over many decades Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Queering Colleges and Universities: Higher (?) Education Reading this book is an act of queering college Development of LGBT (later Queer) Studies: Outgrowth of growth of such fields as Black Studies and Women s Studies in 1960s and beyond Presence of queer topics in courses not centered on queerness (literature, history, social sciences) Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
What Might a Queer College Curriculum Look Like? (Purposely left blank: YOU create, invent, decide!) Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Challenges Outside the College Classroom: Residential Life Residence halls cannot have 24-hour surveillance; to some degree, must have some self-regulation Roommates: some conflict unavoidable, due to stranger matching (i.e. not knowing roommate ahead of time) Issues of homophobia, transphobia, privacy, respect arise Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Tyler Clementi and Rutgers University Rutgers, large flagship state university in New Brunswick, NJ Tyler Clementi, freshman, shy and reserved Roommate: Dharun Rav, more outgoing and social: Set up surveillance camera Announced a viewing party to watch Clementi s second date with a man he had recently met Clementi not yet out (had older gay brother who was out) When he learned of this, Clementi jumped off George Washington Bridge Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Trans Students and Residential Life Some colleges are adding gender-neutral options Voluntary roommate matching policy While conflicts may still arise, they are less likely to be based on issues of sexual orientation or gender expression Trans* Policies & Experiences in Housing and Residence Life (2018): collection of essays on topic Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
Anti-Bullying Curriculum: Keith Berry and Puffy Selves Berry, Communication scholar at University of South Florida Essay, Seeking Care: Mindfulness, Reflexive Struggle, and Puffy Selves in Bullying (2013) Self-described chubby boy who spun as Wonder Woman for my friends and teachers, engaged in act of bullying a fellow student, Norman, a Pakistani-American boy
Berry, continued Reflection on this incident from childhood led to development of a class on anti-bullying strategies Based on the It Gets Better Project Circle of bullying/being bullied: deflection of attention from the bullied self Related to Kenji Yoshino s concept of covering Related to Tony E. Adams s theory of the closet, Harrington Park Press 2019 Bruce Henderson, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries, Harrington Park Press 2019
