ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors begin with a case study that speaks to the impact of perpetuating unexamined curricula and pedagogy at the university level. They must reflect on their own gender journeys; their preconceptions and assumptions about the relationship between gender and sexuality; and the impact of being socialized with rigid gender binaries and heteronormative social structures on their teaching, curriculum, and pedagogy. Teaching in higher education requires teachers to build cross-cultural competence in order to improve student experiences, beginning with identifying and addressing systemic barriers toward inclusivity. The National Education Association identifies five skill areas for faculty to develop in order to become more Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and gender inclusive: valuing and adapting to diversity, being culturally self-aware, understanding the dynamics of difference in cross-cultural communication and how to respond, learning about students' cultures, and institutionalizing cultural knowledge.
