English Classrooms and Curricular Justice for the Recognition of LGBT Individuals: What Can Teachers Do?

Abstract

Discrimination against LGBT[1] individuals remains widespread across Australia. Since schools continue to promote regimes of heterosexuality and cis-normativity, teachers have a crucial role in creating contexts in which LGBT young people feel accepted and safe. Drawing on North’s (2006) work on social justice and Connell’s (2012) discussion of curricular justice, this article explores opportunities and constraints experienced by a group of English secondary teachers attempting to practise in socially just ways. Results indicate that through the English curriculum, it is possible for teachers to find moments to achieve social justice for LGBT individuals. [1] In reference to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, the acronym LGBT is used in this manuscript. Whilst we appreciate that different terms such as LGBTQI may be used for people who may not self-identify as heterosexual and/or cisgendered, in this article we limit the terminology to LGBT given that teacher participants spoke only about this group of students.

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