School Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Youth

The Invisible Minority

School Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Youth: The Invisible Minority shows teachers, youth advocates, administrators, and academic researchers how to embrace the needs of sexual minority students. Through research and case studies, this book explains the ways in which schools are failing the vulnerable population of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths. This text shows you how to take responsibility for recognizing and protecting the rights and needs of gays and lesbians and ridding schools of discrimination, harassment, and violence.

As School Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Youth illustrates, the consequences of the cognitive, social, and emotional isolation that sexual minority youths experience as a result of homophobia and heterosexism can be devastating. With this book’s helpful suggestions, provocative insight, and open challenges, you can help gay and lesbian youths develop feelings of self-worth as well as positive aspirations for their futures. Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Youth will help social workers, psychologists, academics, counselors, and other professionals understand:

• the dearth of role models in the career development of lesbian and gay youths

• how to integrate sexual orientation into career counseling

• how to incorporate the topic of homosexuality into educational curricula

• forms of homophobia (from the victim’s and the agressor’s points of view) and heterosexism in the high school environment

• how to open discussions about gay and lesbian issues at school

• the importance of having visible lesbian, gay, and bisexual staff who can provide support for sexual minority youth

  School Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Youth also informs you on the experiences gay and lesbian adults who attended high school five to fifty years ago, as well as college students who have reported incidents of homophobic behavior in high school. In addition, this text discusses teachers’fears of being fired as a result of talking about sexual minority issues and how school environments can lead students to become drop outs. Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Youth will inform you on the issues facing gay and lesbian youth and provide you with suggestions on how to make the classroom a welcoming environment, regardless of sexual orientation.