Gifted gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender annotated bibliography: a resource for educators of gifted secondary GLBT students.(Bibliography)

This bibliography makes available to educators and others a comprehensive resource for information regarding gifted youth who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning their sexual orientation and/or gender identity (G/GLBTQ). It includes articles, brochures, books, lesson plans, staff development, video media, and Web resources. As the average age of "coming out" continues to decrease and as GLBT individuals become more central in public discourse and media, the issues of G/GLBT have moved more visibly into K-12 education. Created out of the NAGC Work Group on Sexually Diverse Gifted Students, the bibliography focuses on crossover literature and resources that bridge between the gifted and GLBTQ populations.

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"If you are trying to transform a brutalized society into one where people can live in dignity and hope, you begin with the empowering of the most powerless. You build from the ground up."

--Adrienne Rich, "Going There and Being Here," Blood, Bread and Poetry: Selected Prose, 1979-1985

In response to requests for a place for those who wish to address the needs of gifted gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students, The National Association for Gifted Children Gifted Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Task Force (NAGC GLBT Task Force) was appointed in December 1998 by NAGC President Sandy Kaplan, and then affirmed by presidents Sally Reis, Carol Ann Tomlinson, and Richard Olenchak. Shortly thereafter, NAGC adopted a nondiscrimination policy that included sexual orientation. The NAGC GLBT Task Force submitted a policy statement that addressed sexual orientation that the NAGC Board accepted and published. The

NAGC GLBT Task Force ended in 2005, and NAGC President Joyce VanTassel-Baska appointed a NAGC Work Group on Sexually Diverse Gifted Populations, many of whom are original members of the task force, which continued the GLBT Task Force's work. In addition to the authors, the NAGC Work Group on Sexually Diverse Gifted Students consists of Richard M. Cash, Sanford J. Cohn, Andy Mahoney, Reva Friedman-Nimz, Richard E. Lange, and Richard Olenchak. Among our tasks given to us by Richard Olenchak at our GLBT Task Force Business Meeting on November 6, 2004, was the "development of a comprehensive, annotated reading list for adults for work with [gifted] GLBT students" (GLBT Task Force). Peter Rosenstein, former NAGC Executive Director, has also been an advocate and source of support since the establishment of the task force and suggested this project, an annotated bibliography of resources that will hopefully help those who wish to transform gifted programs into an open, accepting, affirming place for gifted gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students. Please note that the listings within this document are not to be interpreted as an endorsement by this work group or by the National Association for Gifted Children.

Articles and Special Publications

Parents and teachers want to help their gifted children, but often do not have the necessary resources, especially if their children are also gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (GLBT). Some of the resources listed below address concomitant topics such as creating nondiscriminatory climates in educational institutions, curricular visibility of GLBT people, and the concerns of children from GLBT families.

Ablard, K. (1997). Self-perceptions and needs as a function of type of academic ability and gender. Roeper Review, 20, 110-115.

Highly verbal students had less interest in relationships with opposite-gender persons and may be at greater risk for social adjustment problems. Reports moderate SAT verbal students score higher on a "heterosexuality scale" than did high-scoring students.

Anderson, J. (1994). Including gay/lesbian students and staff. The Education Digest, 60(4), 35-39.

Shows how to create a supportive environment through professional development, support staff, and services, including sexuality in the health care curriculum, the general curriculum, and the library.

Armenta, C. (1999). A shift in identity: A journey to integrity in gifted education. Journal for the Gifted, 22, 384-401.

Proposes approaching giftedness as an identity issue and draws examples from the field of lesbian and gay studies. Giftedness, academic intelligence, and intellect would no longer be protagonists in school settings.

Bowman, D. H. (2001). Report says schools often ignore harassment of gay students. Education Week, 20(39), 5. GLBT issues in schools and education.

Bryant, A. L. (1993). Hostile hallways: The AAUW surveys on sexual harassment in America's schools. Journal of School Health, 63, 355-357.

First national scientific study of sexual harassment in public schools. Eighty-five percent of the girls and 76% of the boys surveyed had experienced sexual harassment. Although both genders experienced sexual harassment at alarming rates, sexual harassment in school begins early and takes a greater toll on girls, students are harassed by boys and girls, girls of all races experience more sexual harassment than boys, and African American boys are more likely to be harassed.

Clayton, G. (2000). Dead at seventeen. Advocating for Gifted Gay & Lesbian Youth, 3(1). Retrieved July 29, 2006, from http://content.bvsd.org/tag/AGGLYvol31 .html

Written by a mother whose gifted gay son committed suicide, it offers suggestions for support for students like him.

Cross, T., Gust-Brey, K., & Ball, P. B. (2002). A psychological autopsy of the suicide of an academically gifted student: Researchers' and parents' perspectives. Gifted Child Quarterly, 46, 247-264.

Mentions homosexuality and sexual identity issues as risk factors for adolescent suicide.

Edward, S. G., & McMullin, D. R. (1982). Tolerance of sexual nonconformity. American Sociological Review, 47, 411-415.

Found that the size of the city/town determined level of tolerance towards homosexuality.

Edwards, A. T. (1997). Let's stop ignoring our gay and lesbian youth. Educational Leadership, 54(7), 68-70.

The author discusses her decision to accept her son's gayness, help other parents, and advise educators on creating a welcoming school environment.

Eisen, V., & Hall, L. (Eds.). (1996). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and education [Special issue]. Harvard Educational Review, 66(2).

Explores lives and experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students and educators, including honest, thought-provoking essays by and about gay and lesbian youth, how an openly lesbian teacher made a difference in her classroom, and students' responses to class lessons focusing on prejudices gay and lesbian people suffer.

Friedrichs, T. (1997). Understanding the educational needs of gifted gay and bisexual males. Counseling and Guidance, 6(3), 3, 8.

Listed as a possible reading in the Task Force on Social-Emotional Issues for Gifted Students: Draft Education Summary. Gifted gay students have been identified as potentially presenting with unique psychosocial concerns related to the interaction of their giftedness and other aspects of their physical and psychological makeup.

Friedman-Nimz, R. (2001). Creating a context: Education against oppression. Advocating for Gifted Gay &Lesbian Youth, 3(2). Retrieved July 29, 2006, from http://content.bvsd.org/tag/AGGLYvol3-2.html

Describes Kumashiro's four perspectives to conceptualize oppression. The author advocates combining elements of all four approaches in order to change opinions about the purposes of education for G/T GLBT students, and of teachers' roles and responsibilities to accomplish those purposes in order to help our G/T GLBT students and their allies create an education that is authentic and meaningful.

Gevelinger, M. E., Sr., & Zimmerman, L. (1997). How Catholic schools are creating a safe climate for gay and lesbian students. Educational Leadership, 55(2), 66-68.

Writings by American bishops placed a greater emphasis on the call of Catholics to demonstrate justice and respect for all people. If one person is not safe, then no person is safe.

Greene, M. J. (2002, Spring) Recurring themes in career counseling of gifted and talented students. National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented Newsletter, 34, 7-10.

Gifted girls tend to have more dominant career orientation, less traditional sex-role orientation, and a greater need to achieve in academic and occupational arenas than other females.

Hamilton, L. (1999, November). Coming out in dance: Paths to understanding. Dance Magazine, 73(2), 72-75.

Quotes from some GLB dancers, section …