ABSTRACT
The denunciations regularly and unabashedly aimed at gays and lesbians prove the normativity of heterosexism in culture. The percentage of Americans who disapprove of homosexuality has ranged from 50–57 percent since 1982. In American courts, gays and lesbians "are at least three times as likely to face a biased jury as a person who is white, African American, Hispanic, or Asian". Societal ignorance and fear still restrict appropriate responses to the urgent needs of homosexual youth and adults. Important connections between homophobia and youth violence, both self-directed and other-directed, are seldom explored. Few school leaders recognize how homophobia is related to student promiscuity, substance abuse, academic problems, and suicide. Some government actions have created a substantial barrier to school-based efforts. Teaching about gays and lesbians and the diversity of their community would help reduce the problems. Even gays and lesbians with deep religious beliefs, conservative comportment, and manicured lawns face obstacles.
