Queer in school: the experiences of youth and educators in the United States

The acronym LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, agender/asexual) has become increasingly commonplace in schools. This chapter responds to the questions: How have LGBTQIA students and educators experienced schooling in the United States? And, what are the outcomes of those school experiences for LGBTQIA individuals and communities? We identify and describe two broad societal trends that have influenced the treatment and experiences of LGBTQIA students and educators in the United States over approximately one hundred years of contemporary schooling: (1) the treatment of LGBTQIA people as deviant and diseased and (2) increased visibility and protections for LGBTQIA people