ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the experiences of young gay men in a Spanish context. It is framed within a holistic notion of education as something which can and does happen outside the school context but which, nevertheless, can offer insights into how school contexts may be transformatively ‘queered’. To this aim, the chapter explores the use of media and the internet described by 12 young gay men in relation to their self-identification and socialization as gay, while the data comprises semi-structured interviews of each participant. The author’s queer theory-informed analysis of the interviews examines how participants, via the media and the internet, come to understand that to self-identify and socialise as gay was a legitimate possibility. Importantly, this realization was something that happened outside school. But the media and internet practices that these young men engaged in could perhaps be incorporated more directly into school-based practices which promote positive attitudes towards sexual diversity. Finally, this chapter suggests that if schools adopt a pragmatist approach which cares for aesthetic experiences (such as those narrated by the young men in the study), this could help to develop a holistic and potentially transformative education for all.
