Non-Normative Gender and Sexual Identities in Schools: - Schools Out

SS: …I mean he, that makes it pretty clear I think that I can be incredibly painful and
difficult and have you know post traumatic stress issues. Um I think going back to the
Allports you know behaviours of stigmatised groups…
AM: {yeah}
SS: …we know that lot’s of kids actually collude with and are perpetrators of
homophobia…
AM: {yeah}
SS:…in an attempt to hide themselves. We know that a high proportion of unwanted
pregnancies are done by young gay men and and lesbians.
AM: Really, that’s one I didn’t know actually.
SS: Um yes if you look at the Massachusetts figures, you’ll find that um Massachusetts
does an interesting sort of um questionnaire, America does questionnaires, each state can
actually add questions every year to it.
AM: Right.
SS: And Massachusetts has always asked about pregnancy and always asked about sexual
orientation and from that they’ve discovered that a very, you know a very high proportion
of young gay men and young lesbians are responsible for unwanted pregnancies.
AM: Yeah. And thinking about it, it doesn’t surprise me.
SS: No, no.
AM: But it’s not a fact that I’ve come across, so that’s very interesting.
SS: Yep.
AM: Ok, yeah I mean that sort of things that I’ve come up with so far are quite obvious
physical, psychological health…
SS: {yeah}
AM: …academic achievement, um I mean I did a focus group last week with a group of
15-19 year olds and very few of them had gone on past 16 in education.
SS: Um hum.
AM: some of them had you know really serious problems, some less so, um and also I
think possible I’ve discovered some problems in future careers and even in relationships.