Lesbian and Gay Artists in the Curriculum: A Survey of Art Teachers' Knowledge and Attitudes

Abstract

Homosexuality is gaining greater acceptance in society and as a result various organizations are calling for increased awareness and understanding of lesbian and gay concerns. This study explored the attitudes of art teachers toward the discussion of homosexuality in the art classroom. It used a 31-item self-administered questionnaire that was sent to a random stratified sample of 2000 individuals from a population of 13,169 individuals who were members of the National Art Education Association in 1998. The questionnaire provides descriptive data concerning art teachers knowledge of and attitudes toward including lesbian, gay and bisexual artists in the curriculum. Average respondents were heterosexual female art teachers employed over 10 years. A large majority of respondents were aware of lesbian, gay, and bisexual artists and included the work of these artists in their teaching.