From LGBTQ Studies to AP Gov/Econ: Students Consider Gender, Sexuality, and Media

• In Event: EXTENDED SESSION: From PR and Persuasion to Amorous Apps and Trans TV: The Latest in LGBTQ Studies

Abstract

In 2015, a college preparatory social studies course at a San Francisco public high school focused on the gay rights movement, the AIDS crisis, the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) activists. With the inclusion of the Lavender Scare, the Stonewall Riot, and the legalization of same-sex marriage as important parts of U.S. history, the LGBTQ social studies course is likely the first in the country to focus on gay rights and identity.

This research considers students’ perspectives on LGBT issues and history, as well as their views of these elements in relationship to mass media. Using interviews and textual analysis, this research considers 30 students’ content-creation efforts, totaling approximately 180 multimedia-enhanced digital pages, as well as their views on dominant and non-dominant perspectives. This paper highlights findings applicable to those seeking to engage young people as content creators and consumers and as the hoped-for next generation of promoters of an inclusive society.

Author

• Laura Moorhead, San Francisco State University