Educate, Not Titillate: LGBTQ+ Issues in Sex Education

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: Queering Approaches to Curriculum and Pedagogy

Abstract

This paper is based on a study that explores teachers’ practices of challenging heteronormative discourses in sex education. This paper informs current research and asks “how teachers can create LGBTQ+ inclusive classrooms when teaching sex education?” Using queer theory to analyze the data from interviews with two educators, three key findings emerged. Participants noted that in order to teach LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education, they create “possibility models”; they curate queer educational spaces that dismantle heteronormative discourses; and co-construct student-driven spaces that invite students to participate in their education. This research indicates a need for a pedagogical shift in LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education, and can inform policy and practicing teachers.

Author

• Bishop Owis, The University of British Columbia