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Social Sciences
Special Issues
The Embodiment of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Education
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The Embodiment of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Education

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Childhood and Youth Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 3764

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Catherine Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK
Interests: equality, diversity and inclusion; leadership; LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools; teacher identity and well-being; autoethnography and narrative enquiry; LGBTQ+ history
Dr. Adam Brett

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Arts, Humanities and Education, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
Interests: secondary education; LGBT+ inclusion in schools

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to invite you to contribute to a Special Issue entitled "The Embodiment of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Education".

We seek contributions that explore the lived experiences, narratives, expressions, and material realities of LGBT+ inclusion within educational settings. We encourage submissions that cover any phase of education, from early years through to postgraduate higher education. We would especially welcome submissions that address one or more of the topics listed below:

  • How LGBTQ+ identities and experiences are embodied in classroom practices.
  • Case studies highlighting the impact of LGBTQ+-inclusive practices on students and educators.
  • The role of signs, symbols, dress codes, and physical spaces in fostering LGBTQ+-inclusive educational environments.
  • Navigating gender identity in schools for young people and/or educators.
  • Intersectionality and its embodied implications for LGBTQ+ inclusive education.
  • Challenges and opportunities of embodying LGBTQ+ inclusivity in different cultural contexts.
  • Trainee teachers and LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
  • Embodying LGBTQ+ identities in faith schools.
  • The LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum, highlighting diverse contributions and experiences across subjects.
  • LGBTQ+ inclusive education spaces, support groups or alliances that foster a sense of community and belonging.
  • The role of allies in LGBTQ+ inclusive education.
  • The embodiment of LGBTQ+ Leadership in education.
  • LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport and physical education.
  • Ethical issues in LGBTQ+-inclusive education.

We encourage both empirical research and opinion pieces that offer new sociological, psychological, pedagogical, and political perspectives on LGBTQ+-inclusive educational environments for teachers and learners.

Please submit your proposals and any questions to the Special Issue editor by 15 February 2025.

Through this Special Issue, we aim to inspire transformative change in the field of LGBTQ+-inclusive education. We look forward to receiving your contributions and collaborating with you on this project.

Prof. Dr. Catherine Lee
Dr. Adam Brett
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • LGBTQ+ inclusion
  • equity
  • diversity
  • education
  • schools
  • further and higher education
  • gender
  • sexuality
  • identity
  • embodiment

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1587 KB  
Article
Queer, Trans, and/or Nonbinary French as a Second Language (FSL) Teachers’ Embodiment of Inclusivity in Their Teaching Practice
by Robert Grant
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(10), 598; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14100598 - 10 Oct 2025
Viewed by 356
Abstract
Increasingly, scholars are attending to questions of identity and power in French as a second language (FSL) education. An underdeveloped area of research is the experience of queer, trans, and nonbinary FSL teachers in Canada. Understanding how marginalized teachers navigate building inclusive and [...] Read more.
Increasingly, scholars are attending to questions of identity and power in French as a second language (FSL) education. An underdeveloped area of research is the experience of queer, trans, and nonbinary FSL teachers in Canada. Understanding how marginalized teachers navigate building inclusive and equitable learning spaces is the focus of this study. To this end, this study used narrative inquiry and photo elicitation methods to understand how—if at all—participants embody inclusivity in their classroom practices. Four themes emerged from this study: (1) (in)visibility of queerness, (2) performing a balancing act, (3) urgency to disrupt, and (4) navigating the teaching of a gendered language. These findings suggest that while participants in this study strive to build inclusive spaces for themselves and their students, external factors, such as fear of opposition and being reprimanded, abound. These findings offer insights into discursive moves to facilitate a meaningfully queered and inclusive FSL learning space, and contributes to the growing body of queer applied linguistics by revealing how queer teachers’ embodied practices can reshape inclusivity in FSL education. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Embodiment of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Education)
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16 pages, 238 KB  
Article
Transforming Gender and Sexuality Education: An Autoethnographic Journey of Pedagogical Innovation in South African Higher Education
by Jane Rossouw
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(10), 594; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14100594 - 7 Oct 2025
Viewed by 394
Abstract
This autoethnographic study examines my transformation as an educator teaching gender and sexuality to future helping professionals in South African higher education. Through systematic analysis of personal journals, teaching reflections, and pedagogical materials collected over 180 contact hours, I explore how innovative approaches [...] Read more.
This autoethnographic study examines my transformation as an educator teaching gender and sexuality to future helping professionals in South African higher education. Through systematic analysis of personal journals, teaching reflections, and pedagogical materials collected over 180 contact hours, I explore how innovative approaches can create collaborative learning environments in traditionally sensitive subject areas. Drawing on critical pedagogy, queer theory, and decolonizing methodologies, the research reveals three interconnected pedagogical innovations: structured vulnerability protocols that transcend traditional “safe space” models, progressive exposure pedagogy that challenges heteronormative assumptions by introducing diverse content early, and indigenous knowledge integration that positions students as knowledge co-creators. The findings demonstrate how my professional evolution from knowledge authority to learning facilitator enabled authentic engagement with diverse epistemologies while maintaining academic rigor. Students consistently contributed concepts absent from academic literature—from social media discourse about sexual identity hierarchies to traditional cultural practices—enriching collective understanding. This study addresses significant gaps in South African literature on tertiary-level sexuality education pedagogy, offering concrete strategies for implementing transformative approaches. The research contributes to autoethnographic scholarship by demonstrating how systematic reflection can generate theoretical insights about collaborative knowledge construction while acknowledging the ongoing challenges of teaching sensitive subjects within complex cultural contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Embodiment of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Education)
26 pages, 673 KB  
Article
Can I Be Myself Here? LGBTQ+ Teachers in Church of England Schools
by Rhiannon Love and Julie Wharton
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(10), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14100590 - 4 Oct 2025
Viewed by 521
Abstract
Set against the current societal and religious contexts that Church of England schools find themselves positioned in, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Plus (LGBTQ+) teachers must navigate the contested space between their embodied identity and expectations of others. Whilst this research focuses specifically [...] Read more.
Set against the current societal and religious contexts that Church of England schools find themselves positioned in, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Plus (LGBTQ+) teachers must navigate the contested space between their embodied identity and expectations of others. Whilst this research focuses specifically on Church of England schools in England, broader questions of belonging, purpose, and pedagogy are argued to transcend geographical and denominational boundaries. In this series of six interviews with teachers at different career stages who work, or have worked, in Church of England secondary and primary schools, we explore their lived experience of balancing their queer identity against the professional standards of teaching and the views of the school community. Five LGBTQ+ teachers and one ally were interviewed—all but one of whom hold or held senior leadership positions. Key foci for the researchers were discussions around the often-unacknowledged pressure and responsibility that teachers might feel for being a role model for the LGBTQ+ community, with particular nuances due to the Church school context, and, in particular, if the teachers felt that the school environment enabled them to be their authentic selves. An overarching concern was the extent to which LGBTQ+ teachers felt that they were able to thrive in these communities. One consideration for the authors was a hope that key messages could be shared with Diocesan Education Leaders that might enable future generations of LGBTQ+ teachers to feel that they were being appropriately supported and enabled. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Embodiment of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Education)
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23 pages, 317 KB  
Article
Lessons in Lockdown: Rethinking LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Post-Pandemic English Secondary Schools—Teachers’ Perspectives
by EJ-Francis Caris-Hamer
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(10), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14100583 - 30 Sep 2025
Viewed by 472
Abstract
The year 2025 marks the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, a crisis that profoundly disrupted secondary schools in England and intensified existing inequalities, including those experienced by LGBTQ+ students. Through an analysis of teacher interviews and the lens of intimate citizenship, [...] Read more.
The year 2025 marks the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, a crisis that profoundly disrupted secondary schools in England and intensified existing inequalities, including those experienced by LGBTQ+ students. Through an analysis of teacher interviews and the lens of intimate citizenship, this article explores how pandemic-driven changes, such as remote learning, school closures, and ‘social bubbles’, exposed the precariousness of LGBTQ+ inclusion and embodiment within educational institutions. The research highlights how cisheteronormativity was sustained through symbolic institutional compliance and cisheteronormative fragility, as LGBTQ+ inclusion was deprioritised through the erasure of safe spaces and restrictions on self-expression. While previous research has primarily focused on students’ well-being, this article centres the perspectives of teachers to consider what can be learned from their experiences to better support students in future crises. The pandemic revealed critical gaps in inclusion efforts, underscoring the urgent need for proactive strategies that extend beyond individual teacher initiatives or informal, hidden curriculum practices. The findings emphasise that LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion must be structurally embedded within curricula, school policies, and teacher training and that the emotional and relational labour of inclusion must be institutionally recognised rather than left to individual educators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Embodiment of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Education)
23 pages, 327 KB  
Article
Observations on the Implementation of Relationships, Sex, and Health Education (RSHE), Which Include LGBT Themes in an English Primary School
by Alex Baird
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(7), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14070406 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 947
Abstract
The latest Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education (RSHE) Draft Guidance seeks to reduce the inclusion of LGBT themes in English schools. Additionally, the Gender Questioning Draft Guidance for Schools and Colleges and the Cass Review overlook the rights of [...] Read more.
The latest Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education (RSHE) Draft Guidance seeks to reduce the inclusion of LGBT themes in English schools. Additionally, the Gender Questioning Draft Guidance for Schools and Colleges and the Cass Review overlook the rights of trans and non-binary young people, further intensifying the heated debates surrounding their lives. In response, the author draws upon research conducted in a primary school in Greater London in 2021, when statutory RSHE, including LGBT content, was first introduced. The research aimed to understand how teachers felt about teaching RSHE and to collaborate with them to enhance pupil learning within and beyond the RSHE curriculum. This paper critiques lesson observations and teachers’ reflections on their lessons using a Framework for Sexuality Education and Queer Theory. The researcher’s call to rethink how RSHE is taught should not be taken to mean it should not be taught. To the contrary, the findings suggest a need for the school to broaden its curriculum, teaching methods, and strategies to become a truly ‘LGBT-inclusive’ environment. However, the paper also illuminates the apprehensions these primary school teachers experienced, which in turn influenced pedagogical decisions. The article concludes by recommending specific whole-school approaches and effective pedagogical practices for RSHE in the school, which could be beneficial to other primary school settings. Effective teaching of LGBT themes requires clear support for educators, especially within the complexity of a primary school setting and given the changing political and social climate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Embodiment of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Education)
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