Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Youths' Perspectives of Inclusive School-Based Sexuality Education

Abstract

Sexuality education is perceived as one way to prevent unhealthy sexual behaviors. However, current sexuality education materials are not tailored to fit the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth, and many have been critiqued for disenfranchising these populations. This study solicited the perspectives of LGBTQ youth on their experiences with school-based sexuality education in order to create a framework of LGBTQ-inclusive sexuality education. Five semistructured focus groups (N = 30 LGBTQ participants) were conducted to investigate the sexuality education experiences of LGBTQ youth and to solicit youth suggestions for improving the inclusiveness of sexuality education curricula. Results indicate that LGBTQ youth perceive current sexuality education as primarily "exclusive," although examples of "inclusive" sexuality education were provided. In addition, participants provided suggestions for creating a more inclusive experience, such as directly discussing LGBTQ issues, emphasizing sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention over pregnancy prevention, and addressing healthy relationships. Educators and policymakers can use these ideas to help improve the quality of sexuality education-not only to make it more inclusive for LGBTQ youth but to make sexuality education more inclusive for all young people.

Comprehensive Sexuality Education as a Longitudinal Predictor of LGBTQ Name-Calling and Perceived Willingness to Intervene in School

“…The first pertains to the specific topics that are covered in sexuality education (content). For this variable, students were presented with five different topics: Sexual orientation and gender, resources, STI prevention, relationships, and anatomy (adapted from Gowen and Winges-Yanez 2014) and asked the following question “Are the following issues ever mentioned in class or a lesson?”All topics were presented with examples: Sexual orientation and gender: “such as sexual orientation, LGBT people, gender expression,” resources: “such as folders, online resources, local resources,” STI prevention: “such as STI preventions, safer sex, condoms,” relationships: “such as communication, healthy relationships, dating violence,” and finally, anatomy: “such as different body parts, diversity in external appearance, body acceptance” (see Table 1 for descriptive statistics for the overall sample and by school). Participants reported the frequency with which these five topics were covered in their curriculum on a 5-point Likert scale (0 =  never to 4 =  a lot ).…”

“…Item response options were on a 5-point Likert scale (0 =  never to 4 =  a lot ). Adapted from Gowen and Winges-Yanez (2014) …”

Sexual Orientation and Sexual and Reproductive Health among African American Sexual Minority Women in the U.S. South

“…Moreover, federally-funded, school- and community-based sex education programs have traditionally ignored the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals (Gowen & Winges-Yanez, 2014; Santelli et al, 2006). Indeed, under Section 510 of Title V of the Social Security Act (1996) and the Community-Based Abstinence Education projects (2000), sex education programs, which focused on abstinence until (different-sex) marriage until 2010, were barred from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity (Santelli et al, 2006).…”

Implementing an LGBTQ Training for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Facilitators

“…Furthermore, many sexual health programs are experienced as non-inclusive of their sexual health needs by LGBTQ youth (Gowen & Winges-Yanez, 2014). The majority of school sexual education programs do not include information on…”