Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues and Schooling

The term LGBT, which refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, was developed during the 1980s and 1990s as an evolving label by those who [Page 431]advocated for a more inclusive description of “gay” issues/rights/communities. Critics of the term LGBT assert that collapsing so many groups with disparate experiences and issues problematically homogenizes them. Nonetheless, the term LGBT is commonly used as an umbrella term for gender nonconforming people and/or people who engage in same-sex relationships and sexual practices. Although there have always been LGBT people in K-12 schools, targeted advocacy programs aimed to address related obstacles did not begin in the United States until the last decade of the 20th century. Action to improve educational experiences for LGBT students has taken place largely ...