Homophobia and heterosexism in a college of education: a culture of fear, a culture of silence

Abstract

In this study, we examine how broad heteronormative discourses circulate, become embodied within, negotiated by, and potentially resisted within a university, a college of education, and educators themselves. We pay special attention to how heteronormative discourses at Southwestern University (SWU) impact the various roles this college of education undertakes to train professionals in a range of human service occupations, most notably K‐12 schools. In our findings, we demonstrate ways in which the institution of SWU maintains a hostile environment toward LGBTQ individuals, ways in which the college of education fails to interrogate such issues and train its educators and other human service personnel to deal with issues of sexuality and schooling, and how SWU, in regards at least to its conservative position on homosexuality, is constituted discursively as quite normal.

Keywords:

• homophobia
• schooling
• discursive analysis

Notes

1. As we will discuss in vignettes throughout this piece, we have personal histories of either attending SWU or teaching there.

2. The state law referenced was 1 of 13 remaining state sodomy laws, later overturned by Lawrence v. Texas (2003).

3. This is a pseudonym for a Safe Zone‐like program that conducts trainings to create safe spaces, support, and information for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people, and heterosexual allies. Such programs and spaces are usually identified through a sticker or placard with a pink triangle or rainbow placed on office doors or within living spaces (The Safe Zone Foundation 2009).