GLBTIQ Students: From objects to activists in Sexual Health

Abstract

Both historically and recently, dominant constructions present gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer students as 'victims' - of their own deviance, of disease, of bullying or of schooling systems. In contrast, a range of media cases and data from several recent studies present a different picture. GLBTIQ students have been particularly pro-active in promoting their own rights and sexual health interests, and in advocating for better sexuality education in schools. Greater recognition is needed of GLBTIQ students as teachers and activists, to contrast with the victim-based constructions that are privileged in the research and policy literatures today.