Explore ways to reduce the impact of heterosexism on students, teachers, and educational institutions! This essential book focuses on lesbian and gay issues in education, demonstrating why and how educational administrators, teachers, and teacher educators need to re-evaluate their policies and pedagogy to create better learning environments. It explores the social and educational impact of homophobia and heterosexism upon students, teachers, and school systems--and suggests ways to limit the damage. With in-depth interviews, case studies, and cutting-edge research, this pioneering book examines: how representations of masculinity and sexuality in schools limit opportunities for male students how the needs of lesbian and gay youth are defined in educational contexts--and the consequences of framing those needs as they are a lesbian mother's experiences with the schooling and education of her children why queer theory can be useful in the general education of a surprising number of groups of students how heterosexism and homophobia are addressed--or not addressed--in teacher training how sexuality-based discrimination affects people working in education how definitions and understandings of homophobia are often caught in academic debates about whether it is a psychiatric disorder or simple prejudice in homophobes