Pursuit for Liberation in a Rural Kentucky High School: An Intersectional Queer Case Study of Two Youth Organizations

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research in Progress Roundtable Session Three
  In Roundtable Session: Examining the Experiences of Queer and Transgender Students and Teachers: Safety, Visibility, and Education Policy (Table 7)

Abstract

Educational institutions in the United States are reported to be overwhelmingly hostile and unsafe environments for queer and questioning youth. In Career and Technical Education programs, students in school-based agricultural education programs and the National FFA Organization have been found to be uncomfortable with gay students' presence. However, youth organizations like Gender and Sexuality Alliances have been found to be safe and empowering spaces for queer and allied students. In this qualitative case study, students in both youth organizations (i.e., FFA, GSA) shared experiences related to school culture. Preliminary findings show overall hostility to minority populations in the school; however, the GSA remains a safe and welcoming environment for queer and other minority students.

Author

• Eric Moser, University of Kentucky
  Presenting Author