Abstract
Queerness is always on the move, in the making, in partiality, in contestation. Therefore, I cannot provide a fixed framework or techniques on what works with queer students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) because its rigidity will continue to perpetuate normative frames of thinking of/about queer students in the classroom. Rather, I offer a dialogic space for us (i.e., teachers, administrators, policymakers) to think queer and consider what would/could happen when sexuality and education meet. In this chapter, I argue that as sexuality and language education intersect, the affective domains and emotional aspects of the queer SLIFE youth population require special attention prior to, or in conjunction with the teaching of language and literacy. I will start by introducing the queer SLIFE youth population, the challenges this population has faced, and what actions adults might consider taking if we want to co-learn with them. I conclude by offering a few questions to discuss how to co-deconstruct the binary and essentialized thinking in our personal and professional spaces after we finish this chapter.
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Notes
- 1.
I use queer as an inclusive term in this chapter to challenge the normative frames of thinking about the LGBTQ+ community and against the oppressive history placed on queer people or bodies (see more in Kumashiro, 2002).
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Acknowledgment
I appreciate Luis Javier Pentón Herrera for his critical comments in supporting me throughout the peer-reviewed process. He has pushed me out of my normative thinking to create something that has not existed before. I also appreciate Manuel de Jesús Gómez Portillo for his insightful comments so that this chapter can be teacher-friendly for the teacher/practitioner to consider putting into practice. This chapter is a community effort and a starting point in supporting queer SLIFE youth in schools now and in the future.
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Appendix: Brief Summary of Challenges Queer SLIFE Youth Face in Comparison with Other Students
Appendix: Brief Summary of Challenges Queer SLIFE Youth Face in Comparison with Other Students
Non-queer EL youth with adequate formal schooling | Non-queer SLIFE youth | Queer SLIFE youth | |
|---|---|---|---|
Before arriving in the host country | Had access to or received appropriate formal schooling. | Did not have access or did not receive appropriate formal schooling. | Did not have access or did not receive appropriate formal schooling due to different factors including gender and sexuality identity. |
May have faced prosecution, bullying, rape, sexual assault, rejection by their family and loved ones, prostitution, and life-threatening events due to different factors including gender and sexuality identity. | |||
In the host country | Learning L2 | Learning L2 | Learning L2 and learning language related to gender and sexuality. |
Becoming accustomed to the new culture and environment. | Becoming accustomed to the new culture and environment. | Becoming accustomed to the new culture and environment. Hiding their queer identities or trying to “fit in” with queer community in the host countries. Worrying about their physical safety due to different factors including gender and sexuality identity. | |
Bullying from non-ELs due to language learning status and/or race. | Bullying from non-EL due to language learning status and/or race. Becoming accustomed to a formal school environment. | Bullying from non-EL due to language learning status and/or race. Becoming accustomed to a formal school environment. Additional bullying from homophobic classmates. | |
Usually have family support back home for school-related matters. | Usually, parents are also SLIFE or have limited print literacy skills and can provide limited support in school-related matters. | Usually, parents are also SLIFE or have limited print literacy skills and can provide limited support in school-related matters. Also, they may be unaccompanied or alone because they have been rejected by their family members and their communities due to their gender and sexuality identity. | |
Learning print literacy in L1 and L2. | Learning print literacy in L1 and L2. Learning non-print literacy (i.e., verbal and/or non-verbal expressions) in queer culture in the host country. |
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Trinh, E. (2022). Supporting Queer SLIFE Youth: Initial Queer Considerations. In: Pentón Herrera, L.J. (eds) English and Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education. Educational Linguistics, vol 54. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86963-2_12
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