The modern classroom is more diverse than ever. Efforts have been dedicated to ensuring that all cultural groups are represented. Today, it is not uncommon for classrooms to bring together students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. The ever-increasing cultural diversity of the classroom is being hailed as progress and the key to promoting harmony. While it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the progress that has been made, it is also crucial to recognize that serious challenges remain. There are some cultural groups which are yet to gain full and fair representation. The LGBT community is among these groups. While the US has made same-sex marriage legal across the country, there are gay students who continue to face discrimination and abuse. Stuart Hall’s work on representation and identity allow for a clear understanding of the experiences of the LGBT community in education to be gained. By contextualizing these experiences within the framework that Hall outlines, the need for greater efforts to enhance LGBT representation in the classroom becomes evident.
Queer Culture, Identity and Representation
In Who Needs Identify?, Hall sheds light on the meaning of identity and its implications for representation. He suggests that identity is concerned with the full, free and unhindered expression of the self: identities “arise from narrativization of the self” (Hall, 1996, p. 4). Here, Hall essentially indicates that one’s identity it their truest self. To understand queer culture within the framework that Hall outlines, one needs to consider how LGBT students are forced to live in fear and secret. Human Rights Watch authored an article in which it described the hardships that LGBT students in US schools endure. This organization describes American schools as being extremely hostile and failing to create friendly spaces for students from the LGBT community (“Like walking through a hailstorm”, 2016). This revelation mirrors the issues that Hall raises in his text. In essence, the modern school environment does not accommodate the needs, preferences and unique challenges that LGBT students have.
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Another aspect of identities that Hall addresses in his text is the role that historical developments play in shaping them. According to Hall, the formation of identity does not occur in a vacuum. Instead, this process is subject to the influences of social, cultural and historical forces. Griffin and Ouellett (2010) are among the scholars who have examined the historical issues that surround the treatment of LGBT students in American schools. In their text, they track the changes that have occurred in American schools and the impact they had on the perceptions of LGBT students. According to Griffin and Ouelett, initially, American schools responded to LGBT students and teachers with hostility. LGBT teachers were presented as posing a serious threat to students. As the nation became more accepting of LGBT students, schools softened their harsh stances. However, Griffin and Ouelett complain that schools remained silence and that it is not until recently that they have taken steps to create safer spaces for LGBT students. From the article by Griffin and Ouelett, among the themes that emerge is that the changes that American LGBT students have witnessed have been the result of strong social and historical developments.
This class has involved the exploration of a number of insightful texts. Questions can be raised about why the text by Stuart Hall was selected to serve as the basis for the research project. Hall’s text is extensive, relevant and inspired. It sheds various issues that relate to identity and can be extended to the experiences of LGBT students. Furthermore, this text traces the origins of discrimination and exclusion. In the text, Hall notes that individuals tend to identify with those with whom they share a culture. Hall’s view on how culture can be used to create division and classes help to explain the hardships endured by LGBT students. These students are ostracized and abused because they are different. In the following sections, a closer look at how identity interacts with LGBT student experiences to create the negative outcomes that these students witness in school.
Queer Culture, Popular Culture and Education
No discussion on the interactions of queer culture and education can be considered complete if it does not include an examination that popular culture plays. Various scholars have explored how these three issues intersect to define the experiences of LGBT youth in education. Marshall (2009) is among these scholars. The focus of his text is how popular culture depicts LGBT students and youth in general. According to Marshall, popular culture like television shows and literature presents LGBT individuals as victims. In addition to being inaccurate and unfair, this depiction exposes LGBT students to the threat of harm in school. Higa et al. (2014) collaborated to conduct a study on the experiences of LGBT youth. One of the issues that emerged from the study is that when they are regarded harshly by their peers, these individuals tend to develop a negative impression of themselves and general outlook on life. This finding shows that by perpetuating certain negative stereotypes and images of LGBT youth, popular culture erodes the progress that has been made in making the classroom friendlier to LGBT students. Therefore, for this progress to be sustained, film, literature and other forms of popular culture must present queer culture in a positive light.
From the discussion above, it is evident that in the past, popular culture has been used to attack and encourage further discrimination of LGBT students by fueling inaccurate stereotypes. It is worth noting that remarkable progress has been made in reclaiming popular culture to safeguard the interests of LGBT students and the wider community at large. Marshall (2013) authored an article in which he describes how LGBT campaigners integrated popular culture into their initiative to transform cultural views on homosexuality. He focuses on the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, an initiative that was launched in the UK in the 1970s. The purpose of this initiative was to challenge British school to embrace informal sex education and gave special focus to the wellbeing of LGBT individuals. This campaign shows that the power of popular culture is dynamic. On the one hand, as noted in a previous section, popular culture can be used to destroy the LGBT community by fanning unfavorable perspectives. On the other hand, campaigns to promote the interests and welfare of LGBT individuals can leverage the power of popular culture. Gomillion and Guiliano (2011) confirm that popular culture can have a positive effect on LGBT experiences. They contend that when such forms of popular culture as television shows present LGBT students with role models, they gain the confidence to reveal and fully embrace their identity. This observation shows that popular culture interacts with queer culture to create conditions that either hurt or improve the lives of LGBT students in school settings.
Hall’s text challenges one to reflect on the roots of identity. Among the arguments that he presents is that identity is the result of societal impositions: identities are “the result of successful articulation or 'chaining' of the subject into the flow of the discourse” (p. 6). This claim reflects the experiences of many LGBT students who are forced to conform to societal traditions and expectations. After conducting their study, Higa and his colleagues found that one of the issues that cause LGBT youth to experience distress and anxiety is being forced to fit into societally-defined gender roles. For example, boys and men are expected to display strength and dominance. Given this expectation, it is little wonder that LGBT students choose to remain closeted. They comply with societal expectations at the expense of faithfulness to their true identities. There is no doubt that schools should play a leading role in pushing for changes that enable LGBT students to feel valued and validated.
Challenges and Opportunities
This far, focus has been given to the identities and representation of LGBT students and the role that popular and queer culture plays in shaping their experiences. Focus can now shift to exploring the challenges that schools face and the opportunities that they can exploit to make the classroom environment friendlier to LGBT students. One of the hardships that teachers have complained of encountering concerns discomfort with the queer culture. This is according to Page (2017) who performed a survey to collect the views of teachers regarding the challenges that they face when they attempt to make their classrooms friendlier and more inclusive of LGBT students. Some of those who Page surveyed shared that given the stark differences between queer culture and their own cultural beliefs, they experience discomfort when required to incorporate elements of queer culture into the curriculum. The discomfort that the teachers experience can be blamed on homophobic cultural attitudes and perspectives. Most cultures find homosexuality to be immoral and unnatural and the teachers from these cultures naturally experience difficulties when required to embrace LGBT students. While many teachers continue to hold homophobic views, it is encouraging that an increasing number of teachers are joining the rest of America in adopting friendlier perspectives. As Page reports, younger teachers are most likely to adopt policies and practices that facilitate the inclusion of LGBT students. These teachers can be charged with spearheading the campaign to make the classroom more inclusive and equal.
Religious convictions that are incompatible with queer culture and lack of awareness regarding the need for inclusivity and the resources that teachers can leverage to make LGBT students feel valued are other challenges that Page identifies as among the factors that frustrate efforts to transform classrooms into LGTB-friendly spaces. According to Page, older teachers with deep religious convictions do not understand the need to create avenues for LGBT students to express themselves fully through interactions with curricula that reflect their identities and experiences. Unless these challenges are tackled, no meaningful progress will be made in incorporating queer culture into education. There is a need for all teachers to join forces with other stakeholders to protect the dignity and interests of LGBT students.
Nearly all of the issues discussed this far concern the delivery of education to children and adolescents. It should be noted that queer culture also relates to adult education. For example, this culture has found its way into colleges and universities which are grappling with debates on the place of queer culture in higher education. Gjelten (2018) explores the changes that have been witnessed in American higher education as colleges battle with the question of queer culture. He gives special focus to Christian colleges which have adopted policies that prohibit homosexuality and other aspects of queer culture such as marriage equality. According to Gjelten, these policies place teachers in a difficult situation where they are forced to balance between pursuing the best interests of their students against honoring the policies. The example of the Christian schools indicates how culture can encourage intolerance, prejudice and hostility. Furthermore, the case of these schools confirms Hall’s assertion that identity is the product of strong cultural and social forces. In most nations, such religious institutions as the church command tremendous influence. This influence has mostly been used to fan hatred and promote prejudice, thereby exposing LGBT students to the threat of harm and anguish.
Above, some of the challenges that teachers encounter as they attempt to integrate queer culture into their work have been explored. One should understand that while these challenges frustrate progress, there are numerous opportunities that can be exploited to restore the dignity of LGBT students by ridding the classroom of hostilities. Walker (2004) is among the scholars who have discussed these opportunities. The focus of his text is how educators and other stakeholders in education can leverage queer culture to challenge the education system to abandon backward notions and attitudes that have made it difficult for LGBT students to gain full and fair representation. For instance, in an earlier section, Christian colleges were identified as among the institutions that perpetuate hate and intolerance through their anti-LGBT policies. These schools have a special opportunity to lead the nation in demonstrating love, respect and tolerance by abandoning these policies. Given how deeply entrenched the homophobic beliefs and attitudes that these schools hold, it may be many years before any meaningful change is witnessed. However, it can still be hoped that as American society becomes more accepting of LGBT people, the Christian schools and other religious institutions will follow this example.
Integrating Queer Culture into the Classroom
It is evident from the discussion above that the status quo is unsustainable. Queer culture is making inroads into the classroom and it is only a question of time before this culture causes serious disruptions that force schools to become more inclusive and tolerant. To amplify the effects of this culture, there are some simple steps that teachers and other stakeholders can implement. In his text, Walker (2004) advises that teachers should be in the forefront of the campaign to normalize queer culture. Hall argued in his text that the formation of identities is made difficult by forces that impose expectations, roles and beliefs that all individuals are required to comply with. This argument is manifested in the treatment that LGBT students receive. Walker suggests that these students are presented as abnormal and their lifestyles are labelled unusual. These conceptions of the queer culture and identities are harmful and must be eliminated for LGBT students to develop a sense of belonging in modern classrooms.
It is true that teachers can lead other parties in abandoning hostile attitudes and embracing LGBT students. However, the efforts of teachers have a limited impact and must be accompanied by other initiatives for real progress to take place. According to George (2014), training for teachers is another initiative that should be implemented for queer culture to be accepted and incorporated into curricula. In a previous section, it was pointed out that one of the challenges that teachers face is that many of them lack an understanding of the resources that they can use to improve the experiences of their LGBT students. As George makes clear, this challenge can be solved through training. Training should focus on providing teachers with the skills and knowledge that they require to identify and respond to the needs of LGBT students. For instance, it is understood that many LGBT students struggle to come to terms with their sexuality and as a result, a worryingly high number of these students become stressed. Leveraging the training that they have received, teachers can help such students to embrace their identities and to understand that the classroom has adequate and friendly space for them. Training can also play a critical role in changing the minds of teachers who report discomfort when asked to accept LGBT students. Thanks to training, these teachers gain a fresh perspective that allows them to recognize the value and equality of all their students.
Labels are among the factors that impede progress in the incorporation of queer culture into education. This is one of the messages that Drazenovich (2015) conveys through his article. He laments that the use of labels in the classroom limits uninhibited sexual expression and results in poor outcomes among LGBT students. In the essay, Drazenovich urges teachers to abandon labels and instead focus on leading students to self-expression. The implementation of this proposal holds the key to addressing some of the serious challenges that LGBT students continue to face. Labels leave these students feeling different and odd. These feelings can lead to stress and anguish. To insulate students against these negative outcomes, there is a need for teachers to actively push for the scrapping of labels and for the adoption of curricula that recognize and celebrate each student.
The solutions recommended above are rather bold and may seem overly ambitious. While they are certainly attainable, it should be recognized that the implementation of these solutions may be difficult given the current cultural climate. It is true that more and more Americans are abandoning hostile attitudes and becoming more accepting of the LGBT community. However, there remain many Americans who refuse to abandon their prejudices and homophobic beliefs. This group of Americans poses a serious challenge to the implementation of the proposals presented above. For the classroom to be rid of all hostilities and hurdles that impede progress for LGBT students, the entire American nation should fully accept LGBT students. Therefore, even as teachers lead efforts to make the classroom friendlier, other stakeholders should also perform their role. For example, religious organizations that operate colleges are known to adopt strict policies that prohibit all forms of queer expression and behaviors. The teachers working in these institutions simply lack the power or influence to push for reforms. Changes can only be realized when the institutions respond to pressure from LGBT campaigners and drop their hostile attitudes. The recent declaration by the US Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage across the country can be taken as indication of the changes in the attitudes of Americans regarding the LGBT community. One can hope that these changes will soon make their way into classrooms.
Conclusion
The role that the classroom plays in driving progress in society cannot be overstated. For decades, classrooms have performed this role remarkably well. However, a closer scrutiny of the profile of the modern classroom shows that it has failed to ensure that all groups are fully represented. In particular, LGBT students have been alienated and many have experienced discrimination and various other forms of abuse. Poor mental health outcomes are just some of the hardships that define the experiences of most LGBT students. There is an urgent need for the classroom to reclaim its original function as a space for equality. Teachers need to spearhead efforts aimed at embracing LGBT students and enabling them to feel respected and highly valued. For change to occur, all hurdles that have historically hampered the entry of queer culture should be eliminated. Specifically, stereotypical portrayal of LGBT students should be rejected at all costs. Furthermore, teachers should be provided with training whose aim should be to equip them with insights that allow them to push for the equal and dignified treatment of LGBT students.
References
Drazenovich, G. (2015). Queer pedagogy in sex education. Canadian Journal of Education, 38 (2), 1-22.
“Like walking through a hailstorm”. Discrimination against LGBT youth in US schools. (2016). Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/12/07/walking-through-hailstorm/discrimination-against-lgbt-youth-us-schools
George, A. (2014). How teachers can support transgender students. The Guardian. Retrieved April 3, 2019 from https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/oct/29/transgender-supporting-students-school-lgbt
Gjelten, T. (2018). Christian colleges are entangled in their own LGBT policies. NPR. Retrieved April 3, 2019 from https://www.npr.org/2018/03/27/591140811/christian-colleges-are-tangled-in-their-own-lgbt-policies
Gomillion, S. C., & Guiliano, T. A. (2011). The influence of media role models on gay, lesbian and bisexual identity. Journal of Homosexuality, 58 (3), 330-54.
Griffin, P., & Ouelett, M. (2010). From silence to safety and beyond: historical trends in addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender issues in K-12 schools. Equity & Excellence in Education, 36 (2), 106-14.
Hall, S. (1996). Who needs identity? In Hall, S., & du Gay, P. (Eds.). Questions of cultural identity. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Higa, D., Hoppe, M. J., Lindhorst, T., Mincer, S., Beadnell, B., Morrison, D. M., Wells, E. A., Todd, A., & Mountz, S. (2014). Negative and positive factors associated with the wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Youth & Society, 46 (5), 663-87.
Marshall, D. (2009). Popular culture, the ‘victim’ trope and queer youth analytics. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 23 (1), 65-85.
Marshall, D. (2013). Queer breeding: historicising popular culture, homosexuality and informal sex education. Sex Education, 13 (5), 597-610.
Page, M. L. (2017). From awareness to action: teacher attitude and implementation of LGBT-inclusive curriculum in the English language arts classroom. SAGE Open. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017739949
Walker, R. L. (2004). Queering identities: agency and subversion in Canadian education. Canadian Online Journal of Queer Studies, 1 (1).
