Schools as Heteronormative Spaces

This entry is concerned with understanding schools as heteronormative spaces. It defines the term heteronormative by drawing on understandings from queer theory. The means by which schools might be seen as heteronormative is then explored. This discussion reveals how, through schooling practices and processes, heteronormative meanings and identities are produced as a normal part of everyday schooling experiences. The importance of understanding schools as heteronormative spaces lies in the negative implications this can sometimes have for LGBTQ students. Recognizing negative effects of heteronormativity for students is the first step to changing the heteronormative culture of schools.