Transphobia and Cisgender Privilege: Pre-Service Teachers Recognizing and Challenging Gender Rigidity in Schools

Authors

  • Laura-Lee Kearns Saint Francis Xavier University
  • Jennifer Mitton-Kukner Saint Francis Xavier University
  • Joanne Tompkins Saint Francis Xavier University

Abstract

Our study provides examples of how critical curricula and social justice education can be brought together to inform teacher education. Building upon our ongoing longitudinal study, which investigates the impact of an integrated LGBTQ awareness program, we focus in this article on five pre-service teachers who identified critical incidents in schools related to transphobia and gender construction, and who were concerned about the enduring gender binary that presents itself in schools. Their experiences highlight the ways in which gender surveillance, both overtly and covertly, reinscribes heteronormativity, and that homophobia, transphobia, and gender stereotypes need to be continuously challenged.

Author Biographies

Laura-Lee Kearns, Saint Francis Xavier University

Dr. Laura-Lee Kearns is an Associate Professor in Education at Saint Francis Xavier University.

Jennifer Mitton-Kukner, Saint Francis Xavier University

Dr. Jennifer Mitton-Kukner is an Associate Professor in Education at Saint Francis Xavier University.

Joanne Tompkins, Saint Francis Xavier University

Dr. Joanne Tompkins is an Associate Professor in Education at Saint Francis Xavier University.

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Published

2017-03-10

How to Cite

Kearns, L.-L., Mitton-Kukner, J., & Tompkins, J. (2017). Transphobia and Cisgender Privilege: Pre-Service Teachers Recognizing and Challenging Gender Rigidity in Schools. Canadian Journal of Education/Revue Canadienne De l’éducation, 40(1), 1–27. Retrieved from https://journals.sfu.ca/cje/index.php/cje-rce/article/view/2367

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Articles