Handling Heteronormativity in High School Literature Texts

Abstract

Secondary schools are not safe for students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual (LGBT), or for those who are perceived to be LGBT (Kosciw, Diaz, & Greytak, 2008). Students belittle one another with heteronormative slurs (those which privilege heterosexuality as normal such as gay and fag), teachers ignore or, worse, perpetuate heteronormative attitudes, and texts in the curriculum are riddled with heteronormativity (Pascoe, 2007).