Our Children Are Your Students

Many schools have failed to create a nurturing educational environment for LGBTQ students. Our Children are Your Students features a discussion about the various tactics that LGBTQ families use to work with schools that don’t anticipate the arrival of their families and children. The book features a verbatim theatre script called Out at School, which is based on interviews conducted with 37 LGBTQ families about their experiences in school. The families live in four different cities in the province of Ontario as well as in the suburbs and rural communities surrounding them. Written by Tara Goldstein, Jenny Salisbury, and Pam Baer, the play contains 22 scenes of verbatim monologues and dialogues. A set of images created by visual artist benjamin lee hicks accompanies each scene. The play also contains three original songs composed by musician Kate Reid, who draws on a number of the themes embedded in the scenes. Links to performances of the songs and to the artwork can be seen on the LGBTQ Families Speak Out project website: www.lgbtqfamiliesspeakout.ca. This is an important book for teachers and pre-service teachers who are interested in creating inclusive classroom environments for all students.


Perfect for courses such as: School and Society | Social Foundations of Education | Multicultural Education | Critical Pedagogy | Inclusive Education | Gender, Sexuality, & Schooling


List of Figures and Images


Acknowledgements


Foreword

Dennis Sumara


Introduction

The Experiences of LGBTQ Families at School


Chapter 1

From Anonymity to Testimony and Autobiography

Tara Goldstein


Chapter 2

This Is Our Family: A Verbatim Theatre Script

Tara Goldstein, Pam Baer, and Jenny Salisbury


Chapter 3

Queering Classrooms and Schools

Katie Reid and Tara Goldstein



Chapter 4

Ethical Principles and Practices for Research with LGBTQ Families: A Living Document

Yasmin Owis and Tara Goldstein


Chapter 5

Naming and Renaming

benjamin lee hicks and Tara Goldstein


Contributors


Index