Authenticating Sexual Diversity in School: Examining Sociolinguistic Constructions of Young People’s Sexual Identities

ABSTRACT

Recent research into sexuality and education shows that homophobia is particularly prevalent and problematic in schools. However, little of this work has drawn on linguistic frameworks. This article uses the tactics of intersubjectivity framework to examine how a group of LGB-identified young people understand their sexuality identities in relation to the secondary school context. The application of this framework offers deeper insights into sexual orientation and education than can be gained from thematic analysis alone and can contribute towards developing understandings of sexual diversity issues in schools. The framework is applied to interview data in which young LGB people talk about their school experiences. Findings show that in the schools attended by the young LGB people, they have experienced a state of pervasive illegitimation surrounding LGB identities. The participants express a desire for this perceived institutional illegitimation to be replaced by authorisation using a range of authentication strategies.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexual diversity
• sexual orientation
• tactics of intersubjectivity

Notes

¹ Appraisal (Martin & White, 2005; Martin, 2000) is a framework for analysing evaluative language. Martin (2000) explains that some appraisal markers refer to feelings or judgements that relate to the future and are, as yet, unrealised (i.e., irrealis rather than realis).