Narratives of marginalisation: The legacy of homophobia at school

Abstract

This article reports the findings from a series of interviews which were conducted as part of a three-year study focusing on the experiences of a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people in the United Kingdom who were victimised by their peers at school because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation. Using Glaser and Strauss' (1967) Grounded Theory Technique, participants' responses were categorised according to the themes and issues that emerged. Responses suggested that participants had been sensitised to others' attitudes towards homosexuality/bisexuality from a very early age, and they had been particularly sensitised to the negativity of popular stereotypes of lesbians and gay men at the time. The fear of being discovered resulted in participants going through periods of denial in which they tried to disguise any behavioural traits or mannerisms they felt would alert peers to their sexual orientation. Coupled with the daily exclusion by peers from recreational activities, interviewees reported that they had been barred from gaining access to the social and sexual resources usually associated with adolescence, which left them unprepared for the adulthood. © 2011 A B Academic Publishers.