school-based homophobia

[jawnbc]

I'm gearing up to start my next publication project: an article on school-based homophobia. The data are from the interviews I did with Sydney (n=15) and Vancouver (n=12) queer (gay, queer, bisexual) men (17-24 years old) in 2003 and 2004. The study was about the construction of the queer self, and how that process is culturally derived. A spike in HIV among men 18-29 in Vancouver (which hasn't yet happened here in Sydney) was the inspiration for the project.

I didn't ask about school and homophobia: I asked the guys about their lives, starting from early childhood onwards. I'm not using a developmental model (I'm a sociologist, Jim, not a magician psychologist)--but chronology is a natural, comfortable way for people to speak of their lived experience. I asked about: family, school, sex/sexuality, learning about gay/homosexual, coming out, seeking community (including lovers and playmates) and now.

The narratives about school were, with few exceptions, terrible. Several of the guys' experiences would constitute war crimes, were they committed in a conflict zone. We're talking hunting, torturing, humiliating--often with school officials being complicit. Only 1 guy claimed to have never seen any homophobia in his school. The "best" experiences were those of guys whose presentation didn't overtly challenge rigid notions of gender and masculinity: in other words, guys who could "pass" as str8. Though that eliminate fear, anxiety, isolation and depression.

Having a supportive family helped--if the guy knew it safe to come out (many didn't). But what helped more was when school staff actively fought homophobia, something much more common in the Vancouver schools it seems. And the sooner the guys connected to queer youth services (as opposed to "the scene"--bars clubs etc--which most found lacking), the sooner their perspective changed. And their senses of selves transformed. The developments about gay marriage in Canada (and conversely in Australia) also greatly informed these guys' sense of their value to (Canadian or Australian) society. The Canadian men not only felt more valued, they felt more entitled--whereas the Australian lads were nearly all pessimistic about their status (my interviews in Sydney predate the gay marriage ban being table BTW).

Bottom line: family is important, civil entitlement is great, but for queer teens, it's school--and it's concomitant culture of homophobia--that is the greatest factor in how young queer men construct their selves. To fight homophobia is school is to fight sexism (a 'defective' male is an effeminate one: an indictment of females), injustice and ignorance. And depression and suicidality. It is, to use Australian parlance, about giving everyone "a fair go".

I start writing in earnest tomorrow, but this post is significantly inspired by This Article about how some Muslim parents are trying to pressure Toronto's public schools from integrating anti-homophobia education into the high school curriculum.

Fuck anyone who uses a religious argument to hierarchize (and therefore de-prioritize) the fight against homophobia. In particular, fuck anyone who benefits from such protections for them and theirs, but who is quick to withhold such guarantees for others.

Fuck 'em. Fuck you. I'm tired of your shit. And so are most Canadians

Comments

[poohbearjim.livejournal.com]

Is 27 a large enough sample to be significant?

[jawnbc]

Fair question: yup.

In qualitative research, there are different sorts of claims made. But for an emergent finding--something that wasn't explicitly solicited during interviews--the question of reliability (significance is a statistical term) are often determined by saturation.

Saturation occurs when you keep getting the same data/stories with little or no variation. In this instance saturation about school-based homophobia occured in both sub-samples very quickly.

[zurcherart.livejournal.com]

1. This might be a dumb question, but what is that on your "magique" face ???

2. Cool post. Cool study. Glad you're working towards publishing it.

3. I had forgotten, until just now, how hot Sociology (and Sociologists) make me. You might think I'm being facetious ... but I am actually (mostly) serious.

[jawnbc]

1. a magic wand (of course) It's from the Sydney gay Mardi Gras 2003

2. Thanks, thanks, and I'm trying!

3. Well thanks!

Example

[whiskerfish.livejournal.com]

I just posted this last night on danthered's journal. We had a little chat about school, teachers and all those lovely classmates.
Example-
I don't know anybody from school.
Never had any friends until I got out of school.
There was one lovely experience where I was finally invited to a party. I jumped at the opportunity. I thought my luck had changed. The party was supposed to be at this cabin way out of town at some lake. I hitched a ride. I walked down the long dirt road. No cabin, no party, nothing. It was dark when I got there. I decided to walk to 8 or 10 miles back to my parents house.
The next monday @ school it was a complete laugh riot.


I wasn't shocked because Columbine happened. I was shocked that it took so long.

Re: Example

[danbearnyc.livejournal.com]

Amen.

Re: Example

[jawnbc]

I've made contact via email with a few of the folks I hung out with in high school (all str8, all geeks). They never have understood that my connection to them was tenuous--and that my time in high school was miserable. They bandied together as a group ostracized for the same reason (geeks). I knew that being queer was much worse.

So big hugs. Living a full life without rancour is the best revenge!

[clauditorium.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a great and important project. Go John.

[jawnbc]

merci ourson!

[danbearnyc.livejournal.com]

Actually this doesn't surprise me. I'm no sociologist, nor do I play one on tv, but the text we use in Women's Studies was compiled and edited by sociologists, and your figures jive completely with the data they present on gender socialization. The text Feminist Frontiers includes essays on gender segregation in the playground and classroom, and features a study of "fair families" who attempt to rear their children to move beyond gender roles only to see what happens to the children's behavior when they reach school.

[jawnbc]

Kewl. And I'm not a big fan of queer theory (gets very wanky), but Sedgewick's "How to Bring your Kids Up Gay" does a good job outlining how APA made homosexuality a non-disease, while simultaneously topologizing a whole new range of gender disorders. In effect saying "being homosexual is OK if you're not too nelly (a male) or too butch (a female)."

Meh.

[danbearnyc.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, and Sedgwick is such a flake. I've had two seminars with her and she is NOT on my committee.

[art-thirst.livejournal.com]

I've started looking at what is available at my univ. Here's what I found that has something worthwhile (Ph.D. in Comparative Studies): http://www.comparativestudies.fau.edu/. I haven't had a chance to go very far investigating it yet because of this week's work schedule. I need to find out about taking the GRE since I've never taken one. Studio arts programs require portfolios, not GRE's.

This weekend is a social event for MACT South Florida (http://www.mact-southflorida.org) of which I seem to be a part. I did the website. Sunday, I'm volunteering at the botanical gardens. Busy weekend.

[jawnbc]

Aim higher. you have more to offer and you should be looking at prestige schools--who will have more $$ anyways.

Email those fellas you mentioned yesterday. Send each a specific email, outlining what you'd like to study/research, and ask for suggestions on who to approach as a supervisor.

[art-thirst.livejournal.com]

Yes, sir. Thanks.