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Understanding Gender and Sexuality in a Gay/Straight Alliance

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Date Issued:
2012
Abstract/Description:
Gay/Straight Alliances aimed at providing sexual minority youth and their allies with support, social events, and activism and education opportunities have proliferated in high schools in the United States over the past two decades. This study employs a qualitative, grounded theory approach to examine how sexual minority youth and their allies navigate gender, sexuality, and social movement participation. A year and a half of observation and 16 semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with Gay/Straight Alliance members in a high school setting in the southeastern United States. The study reveals that, through the lens of frame analysis, the G/SA is analogous to larger and more organized social movement organizations. The findings also suggest members often struggle and engage with issues surrounding sexuality, including its origins, coming out as a process, and judgments and evaluations surrounding sex and desire. Additionally, the findings address elements of gender conformity and non-conformity.
Title: Understanding Gender and Sexuality in a Gay/Straight Alliance.
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Name(s): Duesterhaus, Megan, Author
Grauerholz, Elizabeth, Committee Chair
Lynxwiler, John, Committee Member
Carter, James, Committee Member
Schippert, Claudia, Committee Member
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2012
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Gay/Straight Alliances aimed at providing sexual minority youth and their allies with support, social events, and activism and education opportunities have proliferated in high schools in the United States over the past two decades. This study employs a qualitative, grounded theory approach to examine how sexual minority youth and their allies navigate gender, sexuality, and social movement participation. A year and a half of observation and 16 semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with Gay/Straight Alliance members in a high school setting in the southeastern United States. The study reveals that, through the lens of frame analysis, the G/SA is analogous to larger and more organized social movement organizations. The findings also suggest members often struggle and engage with issues surrounding sexuality, including its origins, coming out as a process, and judgments and evaluations surrounding sex and desire. Additionally, the findings address elements of gender conformity and non-conformity.
Identifier: CFE0004228 (IID), ucf:49008 (fedora)
Note(s): 2012-05-01
Ph.D.
Sciences, Sociology
Doctoral
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): gay/straight alliance -- sexual minority youth -- adolescents -- gay -- lesbian -- gender -- frame analysis -- social movements
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004228
Restrictions on Access: public 2012-05-15
Host Institution: UCF

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