Critical Inclusion: Disrupting LGBTQ Normative Frameworks in School Contexts

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite recent social and political advancements for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people and an increased focus on LGBTQ-inclusive practices in K-12 schools, there is a lack of research examining relations of power that inform current conceptualizations of national LGBTQ “inclusion,” particularly in school contexts. The authors investigate current and emerging normative approaches to inclusion related specifically to LGBTQ students and examine their limitations and exclusionary implications, including the ways in which said approaches perpetuate and sustain homonormativity and homonationalism. They then introduce a framework for more effectively addressing issues of LGBTQ inclusion in K-12 schools. The authors conclude the article by outlining practical suggestions that educators can use to disrupt homonormativity and homonationalism and adopt critically inclusive practices within their classrooms and broader school community.