LGBTQ Inclusive Curriculum and Classroom Climate

October 2, 2013, the Center for Ethics Education hosted a discussion with Fordham faculty and teaching fellows on creating LGBTQ inclusive classroom experiences. Our discussion included brief presentations by Fordham faculty from different departments and honest discussion illuminating opportunities for and challenges of creating LGBTQ curricula and welcoming classroom climate.

Below are recommendations and helpful teaching resources that emerged from this very fruitful interdisciplinary dialogue. These, as well as more information developed from the discussion, may also be d Please contact the event organizer with any question: Celia Fisher, Ph.D., Director, Center for Ethics Education.

  • Fordham Office of Multicultural Affairs
    Fordham’s Office of Multicultural Affairs provides a variety of resources to help facilitate an engaged campus community that proactively explores topics of diversity, including race and ethnicity, gender, culture, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, religious orientation, ability, international concerns, social justice and oppression.

    Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) and Ally Network of Support
    The Ally Network of Support (administered by the Office of Multicultural Affairs) is a university-based training seminar open to all Fordham University community members who would like to demonstrate their active commitment to creating a campus environment that is open and welcoming to all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) students and their allies, in keeping with the Jesuit tenet of Cura Personalis (care for the whole person) and the principle that all persons should be treated with dignity and respect which is explicit in Catholic teaching.

    Fordham PRIDE Alliance
    PRIDE Alliance is a Fordham Rose Hill-based club that is devoted to supporting students as they integrate their sexual orientation into their personhood. PRIDE Alliance promotes and advocates for an open, accepting environment at Fordham University for all people. PRIDE Alliance is comprised of LGBT members as well as straight allies.

    Fordham Rainbow Alliance
    The Rainbow Alliance is a  Lincoln Center-based club that aims to support all students as they integrate their sexual orientation into their personhood and promotes an open and tolerant environment at Fordham University for all sexual orientations through education. Rainbow Alliance is comprised of LGBT members as well as straight allies.

    Fordham OUTLaws
    The OUTLaws seek to foster a sense of community and pride among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students at Fordham Law School through social and networking events for law students, including educational lectures and panel discussions on important issues affecting our community and host alumni gatherings. Membership in the OUTLaws is open to all students regardless of sexual orientation.

    Fordham Center on Teaching Excellence
    The Center for Teaching Excellence provides the guidance, an environment, and the resources needed to further the art of teaching throughout the university and offers a range of resources for teaching, both inside and outside the classroom.  The Center for Teaching Excellence sponsors lectures and workshops on LGBTQ-related curriculum and classroom climate as well as teaching instruction on diversity and related topics.

    Fordham Center for Ethics Education
    The Center for Ethics Education provides a broad range of multidisciplinary ethics education opportunities, including degree programs, major lectures and support for ethics research and scholarship. The Center organizes cross-disciplinary seminars to discuss emerging and recent scholarship on ethics and ethics-related topics, promote ethics-based pedagogy and to develop ideas for cross-disciplinary team-taught courses. Finally, the Center features a wide-range of web-based ethics resources for faculty and students and social media platforms to explore ethics-related topics, including bioethics, responsible conduct of research, and responsibilities toward vulnerable populations.

    More than a Monologue: Sexual Diversity and the Catholic Church
    Fordham University, with Union Theological Seminary, Yale School of Divinity and Fairfield University, organized a four-part conference on topics related to sexual diversity and the Catholic Church. Topics included “Learning to Listen: Voices of Sexual Diversity and the Catholic Church”, “Pro-Queer Life: Youth Suicide Crisis, Catholic Education, and the Souls of LGBTQ People”, “Same-Sex Marriage and the Catholic Church: Voices from Law, Religion and the Pews”, “The Care of Souls”: Sexual Diversity, Celibacy, and Ministry.”

    >Findings of the Fordham Que(e)ry: Report to the Fordham University Community
    The Fordham Que(e)ry Report was compiled by FCRH student Jeff Lockhart and included a survey of over 180 LGBTQ students at Fordham. One of the primary aims of the study and report was to better understand the experiences of gender and sexual minority students at Fordham.

  • Teaching While Gay
    D. Scudera | Chronicle of Higher Education (5/9/13)

    Access and Equity for all Students: Meeting the Needs of LGBT Students
    California Post-secondary Education Commission (June 2009), Report 09

    Applying the Seven Learning Principles to Creating LGBT-Inclusive Classrooms
    M. DiPietro, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Kennesaw State University

    Broadening our Definition of Diversity
    T. Haring Smith | Liberal Education (2012), Volume 98

    Delectable Diversity: Gender and Sexuality Studies in General Education
    S. Cooper, G. Walton, C. Ivey | California State University, Chico

    Graphing Institutional Change Towards More Inclusive Environments
    D. Brauer | LGBTQA Center, University of Vermont

    Heterosexism: An Ethical Challenge. Changing Awareness, Changing Attitudes
    P. Hornbeck | Conversations on Jesuit Education (Fall 2013), Volume 44, pp. 8-9

    In Dreams Begins Responsibility: LGBTQ Work in Higher Education
    S. Subbaraman, LGBTQ Resource Center, Georgetown University

    LGBTQ Campus Climate: The Good and the Still Very Bad
    W. Blumenfield, Iowa State University

    Queer's Dual Meanings: Possibilities for Service Learning
    D. Donahue, Mills College

    Queer Theory's Relevance to Student Learning
    N. Davis, Northwestern University

    A Rainbow Over Catholic Colleges: How Georgetown became a Gay-Friendly Campus
    K. Spencer | New York Times (7/20/13)

    Safe Zone Dialogues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
    M. Kurata, R. O'Beirne, Elizabeth Casswell | University of Alabama at Birmingham

    Stylebook on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Terminology
    National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (2012)

    Supporting LGBT Students through Mentoring
    F.E. Ross | NASPA (full text available from the Center for Ethics Education)

    Teaching for Inclusion: Diversity in the College Classroom
    Center for Teaching and Learning | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    Teaching LGBTQI Issues in Higher Education: An Interdependent Framework
    H. W. Hackman, St. Cloud State University

    Transgender Education and Support Resources
    Lambda 10 Project

    Transgender Issues on College Campuses
    B. Beemyn, B. Curtis, M. Davis, & N.J. Tubbs | New Directions for Student Services (2005), Volume 111, pp. 49-60

    Classroom Climate Resources *

    • Managing Hot Moments in the Classroom (Lee Warren, Harvard University)
    • Diversity Experiences in Classrooms (Ohio State University)
    • Ground Rules for Class Discussion (Pat Langley, University of Illinois-Springfield)
    • Disruptive Students ( Handbook for Graduate Teaching Assistants, University of Delaware's Center for Teaching Effectiveness)
    • Teaching Challenges: Sexual Orientation in the College Classroom (Shelly Bannister, Northeastern Illinois University)
    • Overcoming Resistance to Learning about Sexual Identity (Diversity Digest)

    Campus Climate Resources*

    • What can an Individual Faculty Member and an Academic Department do to Improve the Campus Climate for LGBT Students? (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
    • Assessing the Status of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Students on Campus (Lisa Bernstein, American Association of Colleges & Universities)
    • Creating Inclusive College Classrooms (Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan)

    *Assembled by the University of Minnesota Center for Teaching and Learning

  • This section features LGBTQ teaching resources from various disciplines. This list will be continuously updated and the Center for Ethics Education welcomes all faculty suggestions and additions to this list ([email protected]).

    Science/Pre-Health

    LGBT Pioneers in STEM (PowerPoint)
    A PowerPoint of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people who impacted on science, technology, math and science and helped change the world.

    Integrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Content into Undergraduate Medical School Curricula: A Qualitative Study
    G.M. Sequeira, C. Chakraborti, B.A. Panunti | The Ochsner Journal (2012), Volume 12, pp. 379–382

    Building Boxes and Policing Boundaries: (De)constructing Intersexuality, Transgender, and Bisexuality
    B. Lucal. Sociology Compass (2008)., Volume 2, pp. 519-536
    (full-text copy available from the Center for Ethics Education)

    Teaching Intersectional LGBT Psychology: Reflections from Historically Black and Hispanic-Serving Universities
    K.A. Case & M.K. Lewis | Psychology and Sexuality, Volume 3, pp. 260-276
    (full text copy available from the Center for Ethics Education)

    Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients
    American Psychological Association | The American Psychologist (2012), Volume 67, pp. 10-42.
    Note: These include guidelines for practice, assessment, teaching and research
    (full text copy available from the Center for Ethics Education)

    Society for the Teaching of Psychology: Books, Chapters, and Articles on Sexual Orientation
    Society for the Teaching of Psychology

    Confronting Heterosexism in the Teaching of Psychology
    J.M. Simoni | Psychological Perspectives on Lesbian and Gay Issues: Volume 5. Education, Research and Practice in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Psychology: A Resource (2000), pp. 74-90
    (full text copy available from the Center for Ethics Education)

    Guidelines for Gay/Lesbian/Bi-Sexual Affirmative Educational Practices in Graduate Psychology Programs
    M. Biaggio, S. Orchard, J. Larson, K. Petrino, and R. Mihara | Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (2003), Volume 34, pp. 548-555.
    (full text copy available from the Center for Ethics Education)

    APAGS Resource Guide for LGBT Students in Psychology
    American Psychological Association for Graduate Students

    Affirm Web Resources
    AFFIRM: Psychologists Affirming their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Family

    Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health and Medical Education
    H. Ng | Journal of the American Medical Association (2011), Volume 306, pp. 2326-2327

    Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender-Related Content in Undergraduate Medical Education
    J. Obedin-Maliver, E.S. Goldsmith, L. Stewart, W. White, E. Tran, S. Brenman, M. Wells, D.M. Fetterman, G. Garcia, M.R. Lunn | Journal of the American Medical Association (2011), Volume 306, pp. 971-977

    Understanding, Designing, and Teaching LGBT Issues
    J. Gendro | Advances in Developing Human Resources (2010), Volume 12, pp. 352-366

    Addressing Homophobia and Heterosexism in the Mental Health Classroom: An Inter-subjective Framework for Learning
    S. Bennett | Journal of Lesbian Studies (2002), Volume 6, pp. 133-143

    An Examination of the (In)visibility of Sexual Orientation, Heterosexism, Homophobia, and Other LGBTQ Concerns in the U.S. Multicultural Teacher Education Coursework
    P.C. Gorski, S.N. Davis, A. Reiter | Journal of LGBT Youth (2013), Volume 10, pp. 224-248

    Diversity in the Introductory Classroom
    D.S. Collingridge, C.Z. Enns, J.M. Simony, L.A. Whitten | Handbook for Teaching Introductory Psychology, Vol. 2 (2000)

    Business/Accounting/Law

    Bringing Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity into the Tax Classroom
    A.C. Infanti | Journal of Legal Education (2012), Volume 59, pp. 3-34

    Humanities

    Teaching Diversity: What can History Offer?
    A. Rutherford | History of Psychology (2013), Volume 16, pp. 1-5

    Fordham Collection: People with a History: An Online Guide to lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans* History
    People with a History presents the history of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people and includes hundreds of original texts, discussions, and [soon] images, and addresses LGBT history in all periods, and in all regions of the world.

    The LGBTQ Component of 21st-Century Music Teacher Training: Strategies for Inclusion from the Research Literature
    M.L. Garret | Applications of Research in Music Education (2012), Volume 21, pp. 55-62

    Anti-Defamation League: Unheard Voices
    A multimedia collection of resources for teaching LGBT history and literature

    Teaching about Homophobia in a High School Civics Course
    B.K. Marchman | Theory & Research in Social Education (2002), Volume 30, pp. 302-305