Incorporating LGBTQ issues into Family Courses
The current study analyzed how college/university instructors incorporated lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) issues and perspectives into their courses, as well as the challenges faced when doing so. Until recently, sexual orientation and a mixture of gender identities were rarely discussed inside of college/university classrooms. In family courses, a variety of family types are included (e.g., divorced families, single parent families, and families with adopted children), but rarely have LGBTQ family members been included. Since our society includes people of various sexual orientations and genders, this diversity should be reflected in the content of our education. Forty-two college/university instructors of family courses were recruited by email to complete a survey. Both closed- and open-ended questions were asked about respondents’ experiences related to teaching about LGBTQ family issues. Answers to the questions were analyzed using grounded theory to identify the respondents’ most/least successful teaching activity, and to summarize issues related to challenges and successes associated with including LGBTQ content in their courses. In utilizing various activities/lectures/assignments some instructors might have been trying to develop empathy within students, broaden their worldview, challenge the way students think about their surroundings, or even build a comfortable classroom climate. By utilizing these constructs instructors were successful in educating students about the subject although some were not as successful as others. This study is unique because it obtained data by using the qualitative approach and contributed more detailed information about how LGBTQ issues are taught inside of college/university classrooms.