ABSTRACT
What are the implications of sexual plurality for language pedagogies? This study of over 100 English language teachers and students has shown that lesbian/gay themes and perspectives are, in fact, being raised in language classes-by learners, by teachers, and through materials used in class, in seriousness and in jest, as a brief sideline, and as the central focus of an activity or an entire unit of work. Sexual diversity is being discussed in relation to not only vocabulary and grammar but also broad themes such as cultural diversity, family, community, difference, and body language, to name a few. The topic of sexual diversity features in student writing and in discussions of current events, literature, popular culture, and classroom rules. In their day-to-day lives beyond the classroom, language learners are clearly encountering sexual plurality in the media and in a variety of social situations and settings-and, as such, need to be able to comprehend, negotiate, and produce often nuanced and culturally variable meanings pertaining to sexual identities.
