Contested Care: The Politics of Gender, Sex, and Sexuality in U.S. Education

Multiple Presenter Session: Panel

Abstract

This panel examines the intensifying far-right, conservative backlash against transgender and LGBTQ+ inclusion in American education through three complementary analyses. "History on Repeat" documents the alarming acceleration of anti-transgender legislation that disregards research-based health information and ethical obligations to students. "Manufacturing Hysteria" analyzes Florida's "Parental Rights in Education" and "Individual Freedom" Acts, demonstrating how seemingly neutral rhetoric selectively privileges certain families while marginalizing LGBTQ+ students and parents. "We Are Real" provides a philosophical examination of the ontological assumptions underlying anti-LGBTQ+ arguments, exposing the "epistemic fallacy" that confuses knowledge claims with claims about existence. Together, these papers reveal how far-right, conservative movements operationalize parental rights discourse, religious doctrine, and manufactured moral panic to restrict discussions of gender and sexuality in education. The panel offers critical insights for educators, health professionals, and policymakers committed to creating inclusive environments.

Sub Track

• AESA

Presenters

• Jessica Heybach, Western Michigan University

• Cris Mayo, University of Vermont

• Mollie McQuillan, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Matthew Thomas-Reid, Appalachian State University

• Adrienne Sulma, Western Michigan University