Teaching undergraduates about LGBTQ identities, families, and intersectionality

Teaching undergraduate students about LGBTQ identities and family issues presents several challenges, or “opportunities,” which we address within personal, ecological, and historical contexts. We begin by articulating our positionality as scholars and instructors, and the feminist intersectional and queer lens that guides our research and pedagogy. We organize our presentation of contemporary teaching opportunities around three primary and interrelated topics: (a) teaching about LGBTQ issues with attention to intersectionality as a conceptual framework, (b) teaching about sexual orientation diversity and fluidity, and (c) teaching about gender diversity and transgender identities. We incorporate suggestions for educational practice throughout and recommend that instructors continually revise their teaching practices to reflect the changing technological and social landscape, thus maximizing opportunities for student engagement and learning