ABSTRACT
Many were shocked by the mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse, an LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer) nightclub. This tragedy had a devastating effect on gifted LGBTQ students. Long considered a nonissue in K–12 education, these youth have become visible enough that gifted educators must now consider implications of having them in their classrooms. There are six issues that may create a need for intense, personalized social-emotional support, and additional protections. They are: violence, harassment, and/or discrimination; gender-varied interests and/or behaviors; lack of role models; isolation; heightened sensitivities; and lack of inclusive language. Many gifted children tend to be androgynous, exhibiting characteristics and interests of both genders. The value of a traditional heterosexual gender role identity is implanted in early childhood by parents and community and is further reinforced in school, but at the cost of stifling creativity and achievement. School communications commonly use terminology that assumes heterosexuality and traditional family configurations.
