In the pink? Lesbian students' experiences of social work education

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the experiences of lesbians as students on a Diploma in Social Work Course at a northern university. The study was underpinned by feminist values and methodology. The method reflected this and the need to protect the identities of those involved. Literature about the context of lesbian lives is reviewed briefly. Six women's stories are presented as ‘case studies’. The women are white, British, of different ages and social classes. Two are mothers. Two kept their lesbian identities a secret and ‘passed’ as heterosexual while the others were ‘out’ to varying extents. From their stories it is clear that the course does not challenge heterosexual dominance and some suggestions are made for making social work education more ‘lesbian friendly’.