Queering the Secondary English Classroom Or, "Why Are We Reading Gay Stuff?"

Abstract

This qualitative multiple case study examines the experiences of one middle and two high school English teachers who incorporate literature with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) content and queer issues in their classes. The teachers' intentions, methods, and experiences are examined through the lenses of queer pedagogy and critical multiculturalism. What emerge are portraits of teachers who, to varying degrees and through various methods, work against homophobia, heterosexism, and heteronormativity while attending to their students' social-emotional, intellectual, and academic needs. They do so through their curriculum and instruction, as well as their personal interactions and participation in activities outside of the English classroom. This study asserts that the impulses of critical multicultural education and queer pedagogy are the same; both seek to disrupt hegemonic understandings of what is normal. However, existing theory and professional literature from the two fields largely neglect one another. Through an analysis of relevant theory and of the participants' teaching practices, this study advances a vision of queer-inclusive critical multiculturalism. Practical implications of the study include recommendations and a call to action for secondary English classroom teachers and teacher educators. To illustrate what a queer-inclusive critical multicultural pedagogy might look like in practice in a secondary English classroom, a sample curriculum is offered. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone [phone]. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]