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A Qualitative Exploration of the Experiences of Individuals Who Have Identified as LGBTQ and Who Have Homeschooled or Unschooled

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Abstract

This grounded theory study focuses on the experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) students who have homeschooled or unschooled. Although some research has been done regarding the experiences of LGBTQ students attending public or private schools, this research is the first of its kind exploring the experiences of LGBTQ students who have homeschooled or unschooled. Eighteen adults, aged 18-47, who had homeschooled or unschooled for at least four years chose to participate in the study. Participants reported four main benefits of being LGBTQ and homeschooled. The benefits included: increased freedom and autonomy, escape from traditional school culture, having time for education and exploration about sexuality and gender, and increased peer support from the queer homeschooling community. The greatest challenge of being LGBTQ and homeschooled, as reported by seven participants, was the lack of resources they felt were available to them growing up. The unschooled community in particular seemed especially open to those students who were exploring their sexuality or who identified as LGBTQ.
Other Education: The Journal of Educational Alternatives
ISSN 2049-2162
Volume 7 (2018), Issue 1 · pp. 3-17
3
A Qualitative Exploration of the Experiences of Individuals Who
Have Identified as LGBTQ and Who Have Homeschooled or
Unschooled
Gina Riley
Hunter College, US
Abstract This grounded theory study focuses on the experiences of Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) students who have homeschooled or
unschooled. Although some research has been done regarding the experiences of
LGBTQ students attending public or private schools, this research is the first of its
kind exploring the experiences of LGBTQ students who have homeschooled or
unschooled. Eighteen adults, aged 1847, who had homeschooled or unschooled for
at least four years chose to participate in the study. Participants reported four main
benefits of being LGBTQ and homeschooled. The benefits included: increased
freedom and autonomy, escape from traditional school culture, having time for
education and exploration about sexuality and gender, and increased peer support
from the queer homeschooling community. The greatest challenge of being LGBTQ
and homeschooled, as reported by seven participants, was the lack of resources
they felt were available to them growing up. The unschooled community in
particular seemed especially open to those students who were exploring their
sexuality or who identified as LGBTQ.
Keywords LGBTQ, unschooling, homeschooling
Introduction and literature review
Not much is known regarding the experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals who have homeschooled or
unschooled. However, research has been done focusing on the experiences of
LGBTQ students who have attended school (Kosciw, Greytak, Giga, Villenas, &
Danischewski, 2016; Murray, 2015; Pizmony-Levy & Kosciw, 2016). Currently,
there are over four million identified LGBTQ school aged individuals living in the
United States (Murray, 2015). A majority of those individuals are traditionally
schooled. However, there is a population of students who identify as LGBTQ and
have homeschooled or unschooled. This particular research focuses on the
experiences of adults who identify as LGBTQ and have been homeschooled or
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unschooled.
According to Murray, “Over the past 40 years, equal rights and
antidiscrimination legislation have extended an umbrella of protection to many
disenfranchised groups, but efforts have failed to adequately cover the health and
safety of queer youth” (2015, p. 3). Stories of LGBTQ students being bullied within
private and public school settings are common (Swearer, Espelage, Vailancourt, &
Hymel, 2010) and the number of LGBTQ individuals who have been victims of
violent crimes have risen (Park & Mykhyalyshyn, 2016). A 2011 study by the Gay,
Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that over 82% of
LGBTQ students between the ages of 1320 have experienced some form of verbal
harassment in an educational environment, while 38% of students reported being
physically harassed (Kosciw, Greytak, Giga, Villenas, & Danischewski, 2012). The
result of this harassment is multi-layered. Students who identify as LGBTQ tend to
have higher truancy and drop out rates than the average school population. They
also tend to have lower academic aspirations, not because of ability, but because of
the ramifications of negative social and emotional experiences in school (Russell,
Kosciw, Horn, & Saewyc, 2010).
The purpose of this particular study is to qualitatively examine the experiences
of individuals who identify as LGBTQ and who have also homeschooled or
unschooled. Although the number of LGBTQ students who homeschool or
unschool may be comparatively small, it is important that their experiences be
documented and taken into account. This is the first academic paper of its kind that
has set out to explore this topic.
Methodology
In February of 2016, I posted a call for research on Facebook and Twitter, asking
for individuals who identify as LGBTQ over the age of 18, and who had also been
homeschooled or unschooled, to contribute to a qualitative study focusing on their
particular educational experience (see Appendix A). Twenty four individuals from
the US and Canada responded, and were sent a consent form as well as the
questionnaire. Eighteen individuals gave consent to participate in the study and
responded to the questionnaire (see Appendix B). The sample size was small, as
expected. Although approximately 3.4% of the school aged population is
homeschooled or unschooled (National Center for Education Statistics, 2013), the
researcher estimates that 510% of the homeschooled population currently
identifies as LGBTQ.
Idzie Desmarais, author of the blog I’m Unschooled. Yes, I Can Write, and a
well known LGBTQ advocate within the homeschooling community hypothesizes
that the percentage may higher. She states:
In my experience with the unschooling community specifically (not
LGBTQ...Homeschooled or Unschooled
5
the broader homeschooling community), the percentage of children
and teens identifying as LGBTQ is…closer to 20%. I’ve speculated
that one of the reasons for this is being part of a very accepting
community, with parents working off of a philosophy that’s all about
supporting the individual child for who they are, meaning that
unschoolers are more likely to “come out” at a younger age. I’d also
suspect that LGBTQ+ children, being far more likely to feel
ostracized and unwelcome in school…are more likely to be pulled out
and unschooled/homeschooled than their straight/cisgender
counterparts (Desmarais, personal communication, June 21, 2016).
After receipt of responses, data was collected and coded using an Excel spreadsheet.
In terms of methodology, the researcher came into this research with no
preconceived hypotheses or notions regarding the experiences of individuals who
have identified as LGBTQ and have also been homeschooled or unschooled. As of
this writing, there has been no peer reviewed academic research published on the
topic. The research itself was grounded in the views and responses of the
participants of the study. Therefore, in terms of qualitative data analysis, this study
would be considered grounded theory research (Smith, 2015).
The participants
Participants in this study ranged in age from 1847, with the mean age of
respondents being 28.7 years old. Ten participants identified as female, four
identified as gender queer, one participant identified as gender context dependent,
one identified as transmasculine/gender fluid and two participants identified as
transgender. All participants had been homeschooled or unschooled for at least four
years, with a majority of the participants stating they were homeschooled their
entire lives.
The process of coming out
The average age individuals participating in the study “came out” to their parent(s)
was 17.4 years old (range 1325). In terms of reaction, 13 out of 18 participants
rated their parent’s reactions as supportive to semi-supportive. Reactions coded as
supportive or semi-supportive included the following:
I came out at 13 after a year of unbearable anxiety, and I was indeed
unschooling. They were supportive, and not surprised. My mom
connected me with resources and was in the process of moving our
family from a small town to a city in part to broaden my resources as a
teen who was clearly a bit different. As was typical of them, they did
not want to discuss my in-depth feelings on what I was going through,
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but that is more an issue of family system…than me being queer.
I came out as genderqueer to my parents almost a year ago. I’d been
an ally for years and they weren’t surprised. I don’t think they
understand my gender experience but are curious about it and
supportive of me changing names, pronouns, identities, and clothing
as I see fit. I don’t know how they’d feel about me taking HRT
(Hormone Replacement Therapy).
I was eighteen when I officially came out to my parents as bisexual,
although I suspect they knew long before that. I was not
homeschooling at the time. They were very positive and accepting,
which is how I expected (and hoped) they would react. With my
mother in particular, I can see her making an effort to understand
more about the LGBTQ community through her book and movie
choices. We discuss news stories and social issues, and she’s even
come with me to anti-homophobia rallies.
Those whose reactions were coded as non-supportive reported parents who were
generally more confused or shocked than outwardly unsupportive. For example, one
participant reported:
The first time I tried coming out to my mum, I was probably about 16-
17. I was unschooled at the time. She pretty much reacted with
confusion (I was coming out about gender issues, mostly, because it
was the part I felt clearer about for myself, and that was more
important and thought-consuming and unhappiness-making for me). I
got the impression she didn’t understand at all and didn’t really take it
seriously. I didn't really bring it up again until I was about 19, and she
took it a little better, seemed to actually listen. I’ve never really talked
about it with anyone else in my family.
The link between homeschooling and being LGBTQ
Within the questionnaire, participants were asked “What (if any) is your
relationship between choosing to homeschool and being LGBTQ?” Two
participants did see a direct link:
Leaving school when I did (as well as the house I grew up in and the
town I grew up in) hugely allowed me to come out to myself in the
first place. I went to Not Back to School Camp and felt very supported
in my questioning process through that community (both during camp
LGBTQ...Homeschooled or Unschooled
7
itself and maintaining those friendships/connections throughout the
year), so I really doubt I would have come out to myself as a teen at
all if I had stayed in public school. I think I would have stayed in
denial as a coping mechanism, and I’m glad I didn’t have to.
I felt I avoided a lot of social stigma and pressure (and bullying) by
being homeschooled. I’m not sure if this has any effect on how
comfortable I am with my queer identity now, but it’s worth noting.
Most participants saw no direct relationship between homeschooling and their
sexual or gender identity (i.e., generally, participants did not choose to homeschool
or unschool because of their sexual or gender identity). However, two participants,
although not seeing an immediate connection, stated:
I initially started homeschooling/unschooling (it started out as more
structured homeschooling and became unschooling as time went on)
because I was severely depressed and being atrociously
bored/generally unfulfilled in school wasn’t helping, but it was around
the same time that I first started identifying as queer (it took me a
solid two years to come out to my mom after that). So, it wasn’t an
explicit connection, and that depressive episode was in the context of
a lifetime of mental health problems, but I also wouldn’t be surprised
if being a kid with a non-normative gender presentation who was
starting to question their sexual identity contributed somewhat.
Unschooling feels linked to queerness in that they are both rejections
of the supposedly compulsory. I (with the help of my parents) rejected
compulsory schooling, and I imagine that action helped me to see
rejecting compulsory heterosexuality as an option. For an unschooler,
nothing necessarily has to continue on as prescribed.
Bullying, homeschooling, and school
Once considered a school based rite of passage, bullying is now considered a
national epidemic. Approximately one out of every four students under the age of
18 has reported being bullied during the school year. Because of the power dynamic
inherent in bullying, those who are most bullied include students of color, students
who identify as LGBTQ, students with body image issues, and students with
disabilities (Gladden, Vivolo-Kantor, Hamburger, Lumkin, 2014).
Although some participants within this study attended school and felt bullied
there, that bullying didn’t necessarily go away when they chose to homeschool.
Some individuals who were homeschooled their entire lives also felt bullied. In all,
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while 13 participants were coded as responding “No” to the question “Did you ever
feel bullied within a homeschooled setting? four participants were coded as a firm
“Yes.” (One respondent chose not to answer the question). The responses from
those who were coded as “Yes” can be found below:
Yes. Growing up, I was an in-between age in my homeschooling
group. The older kids teased me for being young and I didn’t like
playing with the younger kids. I have struggled with social anxiety
and low self esteem in part because of overhearing older kids telling
each other how unattractive and unlikeable I was. There was one
person in particular who seemed to just really not like me and would
say mean things to me.
I never really thought of it in terms of having been bullied, but looking
back on interactions among homeschool groups and afterschool
programs I was occasionally part of, I acted pretty shy and tended to
get ignored or picked on basically all the time.
I didn’t, but I feel that was likely only because I was in very
specifically unschooling circles by the time I came out. Up until I was
about 12, my family was involved in local homeschooling groups that
were largely religious, school-at-home families, and I clearly
remember hearing negative things from parents there about LGBTQ
people.
In retrospect, yes. Other people in my homeschool group realized that
I liked girls before I really figured it out. I was branded a bad
influence, lost most of my friends, would get singled out or cornered
in group settings. When I was fifteen, the girl I considered my best
friend (a fellow homeschooler and neighbour, so I spent a lot of time
with her) would chase me and spit on me. However, at the time, I
didn’t consider this to be bullying. Bullying was seen within my peer
group as a “public school thing,” along with things like listening to
rock music, swearing, or reading Harry Potter. Bullying was not
considered to be something that homeschoolers did, so I didn't think
that what I was experiencing could be classed as bullying. So, while it
was happening, I felt like I was experiencing some negative, hurtful
side of having friends. I didn’t feel bullied so much as I felt confused
and uncomfortable. In retrospect, I see it as bullying.
Interestingly, the above respondent did attend school for part of high school and did
LGBTQ...Homeschooled or Unschooled
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not recall feeling bullied there at all. It is important to note that bullying is not just
a school based issue, but also a community based issue, generally characterized by
social isolation and exclusion from a community or group (LeBlank, 2001).
The benefits of being LGBTQ and homeschooled
Participants reported four main benefits of being LGBTQ and homeschooled. The
benefits included: increased freedom and autonomy, escape from traditional school
culture, having time for education/exploration about sexuality and gender, and
increased peer support from the queer homeschooling community.
In describing the freedom/autonomy felt from being unschooled, one
participant stated:
With unschooling (if you’re in the right subculture, I suppose) you
already have the benefit of the doubt just by being a human being, so
when you say “I’m queer” or “I’m trans,” people are just like...
“Okay!” Public school, on the other hand, it would be like, 1) “That’s
horrible, why would you say that?” but also, 2) “You’re too young to
know/it’s just a phase.” Unschooling helped me believe myself (about
so many thingsthe way I learn, the abuse I grew up with, my
identity, all of it) and gave me the power to assert my identity to
myself and the people around me who would be supportive.
Those who mentioned “escape” as a benefit specifically mentioned the importance
of having escaped from school and its associated “straight culture.” Sample
participant responses included:
I think I very much got to escape what would have rapidly become a
really destructive environment by leaving school right at the
beginning of middle school, based on what I’ve heard about the high
school experiences of queer friends of mine. I had transferred from
public school in my aforementioned extremely conservative and
homophobic town to a slightly more liberal private school for the few
months of 7th grade that I completed before starting to homeschool, so
I’m not entirely sure it would have been as bad as I imagine, but I
think I would have wound up feeling extremely isolated at the very
least. Instead, because I spent the vast majority of my time during the
day online instead of in school, I was able to connect with other queer
teens. I also met a number of queer teens and queer adults through the
gifted education community (a large majority of involved people
homeschooled or had some kind of non-traditional education going
on) I was part of, and through that wound up spending a year studying
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literature and math and competitive scrabble with a queer woman who
was a really fantastic role model and one of the first successful real
life queer adults I got to know. It meant that the vast majority of
representations of queerness I ran into on a regular basis were actually
quite positive, in contrast to the ones I had grown up with. I think had
I stayed in school, I would have been exposed to far more negative
imagery that would have made it a lot harder for me to make it
through my teen years feeling like being queer was a good thing.
I think that the biggest benefit of being homeschooled and bisexual
was the strength it gave me to be myself. As a homeschooler, I always
knew I was different; not going to school made me grow up outside of
the norm. I absolutely loved being homeschooled, and because I loved
it so much, this helped me realize that being different could be a
wonderful thing. So, when I started figuring out my sexuality and
realized just how that would go over with my peers, my
homeschooling experience helped combat the negativity. I already had
experience being different, and it wasn’t inherently a bad thing to be
different from other people. Additionally, because I faced negativity
from the homeschool group, being bisexual has made me less focused
on what others think of me. I learned to ignoreor at least not be
bothered bytheir opinions.
Middle school sounds like hell on earth for many reasons, but in the
context of this questionnaire, I’m happy I was able to explore
queerness (and for that matter, everything else that came with puberty)
in privacy….Also, for some strange reason….a bunch of other
unschoolers I met as a kid ended up being queer too, so growing up
queer seemed pretty normal in the context of my queer group.
Having time for increased exploration about sex, sexuality, and gender issues was
seen as a benefit for many participants. Several participants reported investigating,
through the internet, books, materials, and role models, what it meant to be lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer in the United States, and/or just investigating
gender norms in general. Through the internet and informal gatherings, some also
found queer peers and role models that became a source of support for them
throughout their journey.
The challenges of being LGBTQ and homeschooled
The greatest challenge of being LGBTQ and homeschooled, as reported by seven
participants, was the lack of resources they felt were available to them growing up.
LGBTQ...Homeschooled or Unschooled
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Although the internet is a good source of education and support, community
resources would have also been welcomed by many, especially by those who grew
up in smaller towns/communities. One participant noted:
When in a small town I was unable to meet other queer teenagers.
This was probably more a consequence of the town than being
unschooled. From what I heard, there was one out lesbian at the local
high school. I luckily had the Internet, and, upon moving to a city, a
queer resource center.
Although most individuals surveyed felt that they were generally accepted by peers
and adults around them, a challenge noted by four participants was the feeling of
not belonging. One participant mentioned being unschooled and being gay was a
“double whammy” in terms of social acceptance. This was not an unfamiliar
feeling, as another participant concurred that:
I think the biggest challenge is the sense of not belonging in either
community. While my parents were not religious in how they raised
me, my homeschooling group (and, as a result, most of my friends)
consisted of fundamentalist Christians. Unsurprisingly, my sexuality
was an issue for them, and I'm no longer comfortable around the
friends I grew up with. I don’t belong with my homeschooling
community either…. So, I’m a former homeschooler, and I’m
bisexual, but I don’t feel comfortable in either community. I’m too
gay for the homeschooling community... but I feel like I get read as
too much of a fundamentalist Christian homeschooler to fit into the
LGBTQ community, too. It’s like I have feet in two worlds, but each
world keeps me from belonging in the other.
Attitudes towards gender and sexuality
One of the last questions asked in the survey was “How has home education shaped
your attitudes towards gender and sexuality?”, and the resounding answer by all but
one participant was coded as “a lot.” Many mentioned the freedom of being able to
be truly oneself, and not having to worry daily about conformity (gender
based/sexuality based, or otherwise). One participant, who did attend public school,
stated “My public school education taught me that a heteronormative existence was
the only possibility,” and reiterated the freedom she found in unschooling. Another
participant expanded, by stating:
So much! I think homeschooling and unschooling first and foremost
allowed me to question social norms in general. Not having to do the
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thing that is supposed to completely define teenagerhoodgo to
schoolopened up the possibility of being able to question everything
else I was supposed to do. I had always leaned towards trusting my
own understanding and knowledge over any that was outright handed
to me, and generally questioned anything that didn’t make sense, but
homeschooling gave me even greater permission to do that. I had the
opportunity to come to my own conclusions about the world, and
gender and sexuality were part of that. The more specific stuff came
later, in college, when I started taking classes in gender history. I’m
not sure if I would have started identifying as trans had that not
happened. I might have, but I think it would have taken much, much
longer. Reading texts on the history of sexuality and gender theory
once again allowed me to question the social norms that I was
supposed to adhere to. If gender categories had been invented anyway,
there was no need for me to define myself according to them; I could
make up a new way of being. I can’t say for sure if that was related to
homeschooling, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that ability to rapidly
throw out social rules that didn’t make sense to me was in some way
rooted in my history of dropping out of middle school to educate
myself.
Additional comments
When asked for other comments, participants in this study had important things to
say. One participant wrote about the importance of mental health services for
LGBTQ individuals, both schooled and unschooled:
Regardless of educational status, resources online and outside of
school environments are IMPERATIVE. If it isn’t safe for someone to
be out, they need to have access to resources either outside their home
or outside their school….Mental health resources for unschooled teens
are important and can be difficult to access if one doesn’t go through
their parents or if one’s parents are not well insured. This isn’t to say
that mental health resources in school systems are any better. The free
confidential counseling at my city queer resource center was literally
potentially life saving.
Others spoke about how thankful they were that they were homeschooled, despite
the challenges:
Just that I’m glad I’m both (homeschooled and queer). While I have
had some negative experiences, I feel like they’ve had a positive
LGBTQ...Homeschooled or Unschooled
13
impact overall on my life and who I’ve become as a person. If you
gave me the opportunity to change my sexuality and/or my education,
I don’t think I’d change either. I credit that to my parents and their
choices for my schooling/upbringing.
Conclusion
Despite the small sample size of the study, which is an obvious limitation, it is
important to collect and analyze the insights of LGBTQ young adults who were also
homeschooled or unschooled. Although there is literature on the experiences of
students who identify as LGBTQ attending private or public school (Russell,
Kosciw, Horn, & Saewyc, 2010), this study is the first of its kind to examine the
experiences of LGBTQ students who are also homeschooled or unschooled. The
unschooled community in particular seemed especially open to those students who
were exploring their sexuality or who identified as LGBTQ (Desmarais personal
communication, June 21, 2016).
However, as noted, not all participants in this study felt supported and
embraced by the homeschool or unschool communities. Four participants reported
feeling clearly bullied and unaccepted by other homeschool or unschoolers, a
feeling that is experienced by those enrolled in public or private schools as well.
Although a benefit of being homeschooled or unschooled and LGBTQ was reported
as being able to escape a school environment and its associated “straight culture,”
the homeschooled and unschooled communities also have a long way to go in terms
of total acceptance of individuals who identify as LGBTQ.
The comment about increased mental health and supportive health services for
those who identify as LGBTQ was echoed by many, especially those participants in
small towns or rural environments where support services are rare. In terms of
statistics, it has been reported that LGBTQ individuals are three times more likely
to experience a mental health condition as compared to individuals who identify as
heterosexual (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2016). It is imperative that
communities take this to heart, opening more mental health and supportive health
services specifically for the LGBTQ population.
Overall, however, individuals who were homeschooled or unschooled and
LGBTQ reported positive experiences. Many felt that the freedom and autonomy
inherently present in many homeschooled and unschooled environments made it
easier to explore one’s gender identification and sexual preference openly and
without judgment. Others stated that because they were homeschooled or
unschooled, they got to escape heteronormative school culture, and also got a
chance to embrace who they were in a less pressured way.
It is so important to continue to study the experiences of individuals who
identify as LGBTQ, especially within the realm of education. Educational
alternatives for individuals within this population should also be explored. For
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some, learning environments specifically geared to LGBTQ students and their allies
may be the answer. Models of these learning environments are seen in the US with
The Pride School (Atlanta, Georgia), The Harvey Milk School (New York) and The
Alliance School (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). Democratic schools may also be safe
spaces for students who identify as LGBTQ. For others, homeschooling or
unschooling may be a viable alternative option to private or public schools; and
making the choice to homeschool or unschool may decrease the physical,
emotional, or social discomfort experienced by some LGBTQ students within a
school environment.
LGBTQ...Homeschooled or Unschooled
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(2012). The 2011 national school climate survey: The experiences of lesbian,
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Murray, O. J. (2015). Queer inclusion in teacher education: Bridging theory,
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be targets of hate crimes than any other minority group. The New York Times.
Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/06/16/us/hate-
crimes-against-lgbt.html?_r=0
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LGBT students: A comparison of the US and Israel. Journal of LGBT Youth,
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http://www.nami.org/Find-Support/LGBTQ
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Retrieved from
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Russell, S. T., Kosciw, J. K., Horn, S., & Saewyc, E. (2010). Safe school policy for
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Smith, J. A. (Ed.). (2015). Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research
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Author details
Gina Riley is Clinical Professor of Special Education at Hunter College. Contact
address is Department of Special Education, 695 Park Avenue, New York, New
York 10065. Email: professorginariley@gmail.com
Appendix A: Call for Participants
Call for research participants:
My name is Gina Riley Ph.D. I am a clinical professor, educational psychologist
and researcher. I primarily research issues related to homeschooling, unschooling,
self determination, and intrinsic motivation. A complete list of my work can be
found at: http://chestnyc.academia.edu/ginariley. Currently, I am writing an
academic article about individuals who have homeschooled/unschooled and also
identify themselves as L/G/B/T/Q. It is a qualitative study, open to participants’
ages 18 or older. If you are interested in participating in this study, please send me
an email at professorginariley@gmail.com and I will send you a consent form and
questionnaire. Feel free to forward this call for research participants to anyone who
may be interested. Thank you.
Appendix B: Questionnaire
-Name (optional)
-Gender:
-Age:
-Current Occupation:
-Personal pronoun you prefer to be referred to as:
-How long had you been homeschooled or unschooled? Between what ages?
-At what age did you “come out” to your parent(s)? Were you
homeschooling at that time? What was their reaction?
-What (if any) is your relationship between choosing to homeschool and
being L/G/B/T/Q?
-Did you ever feel bullied within a private or public school setting?
LGBTQ...Homeschooled or Unschooled
17
-Did you ever feel bullied within a homeschooled setting?
-What is the biggest benefit of being homeschooled and L/G/B/T/Q?
-What is the biggest challenge of being homeschooled and L/G/B/T/Q?
-Did you feel accepted by peers as a child/teen? Did you feel accepted by
other adults you came into contact with?
-How has your education shaped your attitudes towards gender identification
and sexuality?
-Is there anything else you want to add about the experience of being
L/G/B/T/Q and homeschooled?
This work by Gina Riley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported
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The 2015 national school climate survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth in our nation's schools
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Kosciw, J. G., Greytak, E. A., Giga, N. M., Villenas, C., & Danischewski, D. J. (2016). The 2015 national school climate survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth in our nation's schools. New York: GLSEN.
Queer inclusion in teacher education: Bridging theory, research, and practice
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Murray, O. J. (2015). Queer inclusion in teacher education: Bridging theory, research, and practice. New York: Routledge.
people are more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other minority group. The New York Times
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Park, H., & Mykhyalyshyn, I. (2016, June 16). L.G.B.T. people are more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other minority group. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/06/16/us/hatecrimes-against-lgbt.html?_r=0