Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-2002

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Education

Major Professor

Joy T. DeSensi

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) students are an at-risk population. They attend classes and move through school campuses that can be hostile. The hostility they face can originate with fellow students or teachers/administrators. Positive attitudes from their educators can be beneficial in curbing homophobia and setting the tone of school campuses. I interviewed nine teachers/administrators who were graduate students in education. They volunteered to share information about experiences with LGBT issues before and after being employed as educators. The group consisted of one black female, one black male, four white females, and three white males. These participants were interviewed twice. The themes that appeared after the interviews were analyzed ranged from intolerance to tolerance. The participants also reported interactions with LGBT students, parents of students, and fellow educators. In the second interview the participants spoke of understanding how past events had helped form their attitudes toward LGBT students. They also mentioned their desires to treat LGBT students with equality. They concluded with 'concerns that reflected their homophobia. The implications of this study are that educators can become aware of their knowledge concerning LGBT issues and their own homophobia. To effectively work with LGBT students, educators not only need reliable information regarding the issues, they also need to be aware of how their attitudes can influence -- positively or negatively -- the lives of their students

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