Abstract
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) characters do exist in children’s and young adult literature, yet there is a lack of classroom exposure to such literature. Educational organizations have realized the need for dispelling prejudices about LGBT people by including such texts in the classroom as well as discussions regarding LGBT themes and characters in the books. Yet the practice of simply including diverse texts without discussing LGBT issues could cause greater marginalization for students because the silence regarding LGBT issues and characters encourages the practice of heteronormativity. This inquiry examined a range of children’s and adolescent books that could be used in classroom discussions to develop insight about LGBT themes and characters in order to understand if the texts were saturated with LGBT themes and characters to the point that teachers and students could not avoid the LGBT factors while reading.
Highlights
Educational organizations have realized the need for such a change in the classroom and have made a call for action; the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) passed a resolution (2007) calling for inclusion of LGBT issues in the classroom in addition to providing guidelines for training teachers on such inclusions
The identity formation of the LGBT student could possibly form positive roots in LGBT literature and classroom discussion that does focus on LGBT characters and issues
LGBT literature is becoming more available for young readers, and K-12 curriculum should include literature with gay and lesbian themes and/or characters
Summary
Gay and Lesbian Literature in the Classroom: Can Gay Themes Overcome Heteronormativity?. The LGBT themes must be so deeply embedded in the development of the story that teachers would not even have an option to practice heteronormativity Since such a need exists, do quality LGBT texts exist in children’s and adolescent literature that would develop discussion about pertinent LGBT characters and issues? An analysis of quality LGBT books could help educators when beginning to incorporate diversity into the classroom and avoid heteronormativity, which can undermine the positive aspects of LGBT literature being used in the classroom. This inquiry examined a range of children’s and adolescent books that could be used in classroom discussions to develop an understanding of LGBT themes and characters. Are the common themes indigenous to the LGBT experience, or are the themes reflections of the common experience of all children and teens?
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