The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) debate is one that has attracted vast opinions worldwide especially in social institutions. While there are those who advocate for the attempt to understand the issue in a bid to encourage tolerance, others are completely against it. In schools, particularly, the topic is not only controversial but also challenging, as some cases of LGBT occasionally get reported. A search on Google scholar to further understand the topic revealed important elements.
Most of the research done on LGBT is recent. The research on Google Scholar revealed that majority of the publications on the topic had been done from the year 2000. This fact could be influenced by the more recent acceptance of the existence of the issue in society than was the case before. Other than the result on periods of publications, the search on Google scholar also showed that researchers had explored various angles on the topic. Some of the angles explored are issues of inclusion in public schools; experiences of LGBT in small-town schools and rural schools compared to urban schools; demographic and ecological factors; as well as the relationship between openness on sexual orientations and educational performance for LGBT.
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One strong article on the topic of LGBT is “Who, what, where, when, and why: Demographic and ecological factors contributing to hostile school climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.” The article explores how variables in different locations affect signs of hostility towards LGBT youth in schools. The idea behind the research in the article is that factors such as school district poverty levels, district population or adult educational attainment levels in the community can affect attitudes towards LGBT youth (Kosciw et al., 2009). Hostility, in this case, is noted to be indicated through prejudiced remarks made by other students and school personnel as well as victimization through, for instance, bullying among others. Data was sampled from a nationwide survey. The researchers, consequently, noted that, among other things, LGBT youth going to schools in rural areas or living in communities with low adult educational attainment are more likely to suffer hostility (Kosciw et al., 2009). The results are essential in the highlighting of the need to consider various factors especially as they relate to the experiences that LGBT youth have in schools.
Another article providing a deeper understanding of the topic is “Strengths and silences: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students in rural and small-town schools.” The article focuses on the experiences of LGBT youth in rural schools. Victimization, biased language, harassment, and limited LGBT support are noted to be some of the challenges faced by these youth. Further, the article explores the use and prevalence of LGBT –related resources in these institutions, noting them to be minimal (Palmer, 2012). Finally, the article advocates for more measures, programs, and policies that support LGBT youth education.
The two articles above deepened my understanding of the topic by revealing that LGBT issues are varied, influenced by a number of factors. Particularly, it is notable that the level of understanding and acceptance is dependent upon the nature of the community within which LGBT youth exist. Low levels of adult educational attainment, for instance, would imply limited knowledge on the needs of LGBT, thus limited acceptance. On the other hand, limited resources in rural schools further contribute to a lack of understanding of LGBT issues. A determination of these specific factors enables the realization of a need to structure and implement policies based on locations of schools and their unique needs.
The topic exists in the field of education as LGBT youth, similarly, need education. Discrimination against the LGBT community in schools affects educational performance, as noted in the results from the articles above. Consequently, teachers should have an understanding of LGBT in schools, as each student is unique.
References
Kosciw, J. G., Greytak, E. A., & Diaz, E. M. (2009). Who, what, where, when, and why:
Demographic and ecological factors contributing to hostile school climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Journal of youth and adolescence , 38 (7), 976-988.
Palmer, N., Kosciw, J., & Bartkiewicz, M. (2012). Strengths and silences: The experiences of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students in rural and small town schools.
