Isolation or Inclusion: Creating Safe Spaces for Lesbian and Gay Youth

This article demonstrates the use of action research to bring youth and adults together to address homophobia in their community. Two community-based organizations led an action research project, using student surveys, peer-to-peer interviews, student artwork, and artifacts of homophobia in schools. The research found that 94% of the students surveyed hear anti-gay epithets “frequently” or “sometimes” in their schools; 86% of students say that anti-gay harassment is “rarely” or “never” confronted by school officials; and nearly 1 in 10 (9%) of students have been physically harassed based on their real or perceived sexual orientation. This project culminated in an inter-generational conference during which participants developed a network to provide ongoing education, advocacy, and youth development around the problem of school-based homophobia.