ABSTRACT
This chapter turns the spotlight on queer and trans activists. It examines how connection, emotion and social action coalesce and feature in advocacy work that addresses gender and sexuality diversity in schools. Four implications come directly from this examination. First, a common thread in the activist's accounts suggests that a one-size-fits-all approach to outreach work in schools may be counter-productive. Instead, they emphasize tactful maneuvering whereby advocacy was not only responsively practical but had to be multi-dimensional as a strategy. Second, the activists discuss action not in the singular but as a collective or pooled inter-dependence, signaling a commitment to solidarity, social agency and collective resistance. Third, placing connection, emotion and social action conjointly can forge political activism. Stated differently, the activist's storylines reveal a shared commitment to understand emotions such as hatred, anger and fear and turn these into collective efforts to open up productive opportunities for social action and change. Fourth, queer and trans activists spoke of four areas of substantive engagement with schools – learner support, professional development, school climate and curriculum. I conclude by discussing the implication of the analysis for how queer social movements and schools might connect in future collective social justice and change-orientated actions.
