Educators, Homosexuality, and Homosexual Students: Are Personal Feelings Related to Professional Beliefs?

This study is based on interviews with Southern lesbian and gay young adults and survey data from school counselors and prospective teachers living in the South. The essay explores adolescents' perceptions of the beliefs and abilities of school counselors and teachers with regard to issues of h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of homosexuality 1992-04, Vol.22 (3-4), p.29-80
Main Author: Sears, James T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Attitude
Counseling
Educational Status
Female
Gays & lesbians
Gender Identity
Homosexuality - psychology
Human relations
Humans
Interpersonal communication
Literature
Peer Group
Personal relationships
Prejudice
Psychology, Adolescent
Religion
Risk-Taking
Sex Factors
Sexual Behavior
Students - psychology
Teaching
Vocational Education
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Summary:This study is based on interviews with Southern lesbian and gay young adults and survey data from school counselors and prospective teachers living in the South. The essay explores adolescents' perceptions of the beliefs and abilities of school counselors and teachers with regard to issues of homosexuality and the treatment of gay and lesbian students. As a complement and a contrast, it also presents educators' personal beliefs about homosexuality, and how these attitudes are actualized in the schools. One major conclusion is that while school counselors and, to a lesser extent, classroom teachers often expressed the feeling that they should be more proactive and supportive of professionals committed to the welfare of all their students, due to countervailing expressions of high levels of personal justice, ignorance, and fear, the realities of their professional intervention and support were negligible.
ISSN:0091-8369
1540-3602
DOI:10.1300/J082v22n03_03