By Emily Ventura

As we move towards a more accepting and understanding society, students are feeling more comfortable expressing themselves and their sexual or gender orientation with schools beginning to slowly follow their students and become more accepting and inclusive. Resources for students such as, Safe spaces and LGBTQ-focused learning in classrooms are some ways schools are incorporating LGBTQ learning and inclusion into the learning environment (Snapp et al., 2015).

When creating my collage, I thought about how members of the LGBTQ community, especially the younger generations often deal with: hardships from lack of acceptance from their peers, bullying, struggling to be seen as valued members of their school community (Gilbert et al., 2081), and have a hard time expressing themselves outside of their safe spaces, as well as seeing themselves represented within heteronormative society (Hanna, 2017). I wanted to be sure to not just show LGBTQ histories like the Stonewall riots and LGBTQ gay liberation activist Marsha P. Johnson (Rothberg, n.d.), two important aspects of LGBTQ history that are not often taught, but also show what LGBTQ history makers had helped to create for today’s youth.

I added pictures of students learning about LGBTQ unity and equality, as well as showcasing the pride that LGBTQ community members have for their sexual and gender identity.  I also show how diverse and inclusive the LGBTQ community is, while also portraying how important it is for schools to understand and accept their LGBTQ students and create a safe space for them to express themselves and see themselves within society (Wagaman et al., 2018) and their learning environment to help foster acceptance and understanding and teach their students about the LGBTQ community and its history.

References

Gilbert, J., Fields, J., Mamo, L., & Lesko, N. (2018). Intimate possibilities: The beyond bullying project and stories of LGBTQ sexuality and gender in US schools. Harvard Educational Review, 88(2), 163–183. https://doi.org/10.17763/1943-5045-88.2.163

Hanna, J. L. (2017). One student at a time: A reflection of support for a first-year GSA club and its impact on perceived acceptance for LGBTQ students. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 90(3), 98–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2017.1301154

Rothberg, E. (n.d.). Marsha P. Johnson. National Women’s History Museum. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson

Snapp, S. D., Burdge, H., Licona, A. C., Moody, R. L., & Russell, S. T. (2015). Students’ perspectives on LGBTQ-Inclusive curriculum. Equity & Excellence in Education., 48(2), 249–265. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2015.1025614

Wagaman, M. A., Shelton, J., & Carter, R. (2018). Queering the social work classroom: Strategies for increasing the inclusion of LGBTQ persons and experiences. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 38(2), 166–182. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2018.1430093