Youth's Experiences of LGBTQ+-Inclusive Curriculum in a Secondary U.S. Classroom at the Intersections of Sexuality, Gender, Race, and Class

Queer and transgender joy: A daily diary qualitative study of positive identity factors among sexual and gender minority adolescents.

“…The social support theme, particularly family acceptance and support, is consistent with prior research, which has linked family acceptance and support to increased feelings of self-esteem (Ryan et al, 2010) and parental affirmation with less shame and guilt (Mereish, Cox, et al, 2021). Family support and acceptance have also been found to serve as a protective factor against negative mental health outcomes such as depression, suicidality, substance abuse (Mereish, Cox, et al, 2021, 2023Ryan et al, 2010), and psychological distress (McConnell et al, 2016). Extant literature has also demonstrated mixed effects of romantic and sexual relationships on SGMA wellbeing, with protective impacts depending on specific SGM identity and other demographic factors (Whitton et al, 2018(Whitton et al, , 2020.…”

“…Additionally, many participants in our study highlighted the joy they experienced in being represented through an LGBTQ+ inclusive school curriculum and media. Accordingly, LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculums have been theorized as a step toward creating anti-oppressive and liberatory school environments (Schey, 2023). Future interventions should explore training and implementation efforts for educators on affirming approaches to teaching SGM topics.…”

The consequences of intimacy, oppression, and activism on gendered power relations in a high school LGBTQ+‐themed literature class

“…In other words, they help illuminate some dimensions of small, prosaic classroom acts that function as moments in which broader power relations—including but not limited to gender power relations—can be reproduced, challenged, or even transformed through the use of these curricula. Past research has suggested that teachers—both queer (Brockenbrough, 2012; Kenney, 2010; Melvin, 2010) and cishet (Blackburn et al., 2018; Gonzales, 2010)—report experiences of risks as do students, especially in relation to different social locations of oppression and privilege due to sexuality, gender, race, class, religion, and more (Blackburn, 2022; Schey, 2020, 2023; Schey & Blackburn, 2019). To navigate such dynamics at the scale of the interpersonal, scholars have suggested various pedagogical techniques to mediate LGBTQ+‐inclusive curricula (Athanases, 1996; Ryan, 2011) or even anonymize students to attempt to remove risk (Kavanagh, 2016).…”

“…Vetter (2010), for example, demonstrates how curricula inclusive and exclusive of queer sexualities either alienated or affirmed a lesbian student. Schey (2019Schey ( , 2020Schey ( , 2023 illustrates how intersecting dimensions of social capital, race, class, sexuality, and gender resulted in different experiences of vulnerability and privilege, all of which influenced how LGBTQ+ youth experienced LGBTQ+ inclusive lessons and in turn how they chose to (dis)engage during such lessons, such as through using humor and parody. Blackburn (2022) explores how power relations defined by sexualities, genders, races, and religions unfolded among students in classroom conversations in which they discussed their experiences and perspectives with one another.…”