Being a lesbian in a high school classroom: An exploration of the experience.

摘要

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experience of lesbians in a high school classroom. The researcher interviewed participants between the ages of 18 and 24 who knew they had same sex attraction during their high school years. The in-depth interviews provided insight into what it is like to be a lesbian in a high school classroom. The findings affirmed some areas of the extant literature for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations such as their perceptions and desires around invisibility in the classroom, but it did not confirm other findings such as academic failure among lesbian students. The study confirmed the important role of teachers and other significant adults as queer youth seek to navigate the journey to their sexual identity while also trying to succeed academically and socially in high school classrooms. The importance of safe and inclusive environments was also confirmed as was the need for teachers and staff to be trained in how to create those learning spaces for this population of students.