Challenging Heteronormativity: Creating a Safe and Inclusive Environment for LGBTQ Students

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth face hostile and exclusionary learning environments. A qualitative phenomenographic method involving semistructured interviews of seven secondary school administrators was conducted to identify perceptions of experiences creating a safe and inclusive environment for students who identified as LGBTQ. The findings of the study were examined from a conceptual foundation that a heteronormative culture dominates the U.S. school system that perpetuates the marginalizing of nongender conforming students. The three emergent perceptions identified included: (a) providing safe spaces while working to create an inclusive environment; (b) promoting student awareness and acceptance of diversity; and (c) challenging heteronormativity within the context of formal policies and procedures.