I’ve Completely Changed: The Transforming Impact of the

Of all the topics within education, issues surrounding gay and lesbian students may be the least commonly researched and chronicled. Despite the fact that gay and lesbian characters are increasingly present in the media, the cultural debate about gay rights burns hotter than ever. Research into the experiences of gay and lesbian youth is very limited, especially when compared to other topics in education (Harris & Bliss, 1997; Kielwasser & Wolf, 1994; O’Conor, 1995; Rofes, 1995). Although some form of sex education is almost universal in school curricula, informa-tion on sexual orientation is typically considered out of bounds. The near-toxic environment often faced by gay and lesbian students also discourages many from disclosing their sexual ori-entation. Unks (2003) called high schools “the most homopho-bic institutions in American society ” (p. 323). Therefore, it is not surprising that the lives of gay and lesbian high school students are so seldom studied. Their reluctance to identify themselves is understandable and has presented practical challenges for researchers. When gay and lesbian students do get consideration in the literature, a bleak and disturbing picture typically takes shape. The small body of research often reveals a host of problems an