Understanding LGBTQ+ Curriculum in Schools
By Nickolas Campa
A growing number of states – consisting of California, Colorado, Illinois, and New Jersey – in the US are requiring schools to include LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum in instruction. Families may be wondering what that means for their child’s education, what is actually involved in such curricula, and why they are needed.
LGBTQ+ stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning” with the plus referring to other gender and sexuality variations that are also welcomed and included in LGBTQ+ spaces and content. In this context, questioning refers to those who are unsure of what their sexual orientation or gender identity is. Also, while historically queer has been used as a derogatory word and there are still many in the LGBTQ+ who still do find it offensive, a growing number of LGBTQ+ people feel that it serves as a good umbrella term for the whole community and have been working to reclaim it for that purpose. (For a comprehensive explanation of the full LBGTQ+ acronym as well as additional resources, individuals and family members, visit Ok2BeMe) . A common misconception is that because many of the letters in LGBTQ+ refer to a sexual orientation, an LGBTQ+ curriculum is sex education and would not be appropriate for all ages.
While some content may include sex education, there are elements that can be appropriately introduced to younger children. For example, many students in kindergarten and 1st grade are already taught about gender and pronouns, so it is simple to add that there is more variation than just male and female. Such curricula may also include content to explain gender stereotypes and gender roles to students so that, for example, they understand why people may refer to some colors as being a “boy color” or a “girl color” and to help them process the expectations they may have heard about how they are expected to behave because of their gender.
In older grade levels, an LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum may simply be a matter of providing stories that feature LGBTQ+ individuals as main characters in order to present these individuals and their experiences as normal to students who may otherwise have never met or heard about LGBTQ+ people. Some misconceptions that may be held about adding these stories is that it is going to encourage students to identify as gay, trans, or another LGBTQ+ group; or that it is somehow obscene to have gay or lesbian characters. However, school language arts curriculum already includes stories where straight romance plays a large role in the story (Romeo and Juliet for example), but one would hardly say those characters are “just straight”, that the characterization of their relationship is obscene, or that it is somehow encouraging students to enter into relationships. Additionally, it is important to note that, regardless of whether educators formally discuss this in school, students may bring these topics into the school themselves in negative or dangerous ways. For example, students may attempt to explore these ideas by policing or bullying their peers for not being as “masculine” or “feminine” as expected, dressing differently, or not being as interested in certain topics as their peers [4].
Why is it necessary to include LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum in schools? Schools are not always safe or welcoming to LGBTQ+ students. Currently, 85% of LGBTQ+ students face verbal harassment and 27% are physically assaulted at school [2]. Students who experience bullying, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, have worse academic outcomes, lower self-esteem, and are at greater risk for depression and suicide [2,3]. With LGBTQ+ inclusive curricula, students are encouraged to challenge gender stereotypes, have healthy conversations about different experiences, and expand their ideas on gender roles to create a more accepting environment for all students, LGBTQ+ students included [1]. As a result, schools with LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum have fewer instances of bullying and are perceived by students to be safer and more welcoming [5].
References
[1] Blackburn, M. V. & Smith, J. M. (2010). Moving beyond the inclusion of LGBT-themed literature in English language arts classrooms: Interrogating heteronormativity and exploring intersectionality. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(8), 625-634.
[2] National Association of School Psychologists. (2018) Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth During Troubling Times [handout]. Bethesda, MD: Author.
[3] Perron, T., Kartoz, C., & Himelfarb, C. (2017). Cultural competence for school nurses caring for LGBTQ youth: Learning the culture and the language. NASN School Nurse, 107-115.
[4] Ryan, C. L. (2016). Kissing brides and loving hot vampires: Children’s construction and perpetuation of heteronormativity in elementary school classrooms. Sex Education, 16 (1), 77-90.
[5] Snapp, S. D., McGuire, J. K., Sinclair, K. O., Gabrion, K., & Russell, S. T. (2014). LGBTQ-inclusive curricula: Why supportive curricula matter. Sex Education, 15 (6), 580-596.