“I don’t feel like I totally belong at school”: Exploring the school challenges of LGBTQ youth in PEI, Canada
Keywords:
LGBTQ youth, sexuality, gender, school climate, qualitative methods, CanadaAbstract
Schools are not neutral spaces, but are sites for learning, reinforcing, and reproducing values and norms such as cisheteronormativity. When there is not an affirming and inclusive school climate, LGBTQ youth can experience erasure, violence, and oppression. In this article, I explore how LGBTQ youth in Prince Edward Island, Canada, understood their schooling experiences. Participants experienced challenges at school, such as bullying and navigating being out, and they reflected on safety and inclusion with their teachers, the curriculum, and in school spaces. These factors contributed to a hostile school climate for LGBTQ youth participants. In light of these experiences, I argue that school leadership and teachers must work to ensure a positive and inclusive school climate for LGBTQ students.
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