Same Song, Different Voice Page 1 DRAFT: Please do not disseminate Lesbian and Gay Students in Social Work Education: “That Relationship Is Such An Important Piece”

This article presents the findings of a phenomenological study exploring the experience of lesbian and gay MSW students in two Schools of Social Work in the Pacific Northwest. The research was driven by two issues: 1) a discrepancy between social work education’s stated curricular policies of integrating sexual minority content in discussion of oppressed populations and the implementation of those policies; and 2) the dearth of research conducted directly with lesbian and gay students. Interview analysis revealed that lesbian/gay students experience their education as a series of interactions and relationships that exist along a continuum from Marginalizing to Inclusive, encompassing Dismissive, Ambiguous, Supportive, and Validating experiences. A model of this continuum and implications for social work education are presented