Meaningful LGBTQ Inclusion in Schools: The Importance of Diversity Representation and Counterspaces

Abstract

This article presents a call to action for improving the school climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth, which incorporates lessons learned from educational research with students of color. Recommendations in this article are grounded in critical race theory and reflect the importance of LGBTQ representation in key school positions as well as the development of counterspaces that facilitate critical consciousness and the acquisition of skills to combat oppressive conditions. Incorporating scholarship on students of color in LGBTQ school climate research is critical as many LGBTQ students are also students of color.

KEYWORDS:

• critical race theory
• LGBT students
• school climate