English Language Arts and Language Learning

• Inclusion and critical reading. It means including 2SLGBTQ+ content in Language Arts, Literacy, and EAL courses, and also teaching students to read texts critically through a 2SLGBTQ+ lens.
• These practices may involve identifying and critiquing heterosexist and cisgenderist power structures embodied in texts. For example, asking questions that provoke thinking about how 2SLGBTQ+ characters are represented and how their stories are told can help to develop critical literacies: How are 2SLGBTQ+ people represented and what are the real-world impacts of those representations?  What is treated as the root cause of 2SLGBTQ+ characters’ troubles? Whose interests are served by the way stories are told? How could the story be told differently/anti-oppressively, to open up more space for 2SLGBTQ+ lives?
• Who gets represented? Thinking about literature in terms of representation and the stereotypes and/or dramatic devices that are used to advance plots. For example, how often is a white boy the protagonist in young adult literature? How are 2SLGBTQ+ characters represented in stories? What might be the effects of representing them this way? 
• Queering language arts subject matter means instilling in pre-service teachers that the books on their reading lists and in school libraries almost certainly exclude some people in the classroom and in the broader community. Challenge and develop more inclusive alternatives to the traditional cisgender, heterosexual, white male canon that has often been privileged when teaching literature. Pre-service teachers who are taught to develop a critical awareness of these shortcomings and a commitment to understanding and meeting the needs of every student will be better equipped to teach Language Arts, Literacy, and EAL.
• How are stories told? If there are 2SLGBTQ+ characters in a text, does the heterosexual, cisgender protagonist act as savior? Is the story about the protagonist learning to treat a 2SLGBTQ+ character with respect? Is the moral of the story that not all 2SLGBTQ+ people fit stereotypes? Is 2SLGBTQ+ identity addressed beyond naming it as a difference (reinforcing heterosexuality as the norm)? Are 2SLGBTQ+ characters one-dimensional and concerned only about their sexual orientation/gender and discrimination, or do they have the same depth as other characters?
• In the context of Language Arts, Literacy, and EAL, examples of an Indigiqueer approach would mean expanding curriculum to include Indigenous languages and storytelling approaches and expanding literacy beyond stories about white, heterosexual, cisgender characters to include stories by and about Two-spirit and Indigiqueer people. It also means identifying the colonial worldviews behind depictions of sex, gender, and sexuality in texts, and imagining how the story (characters, relationships) might be told differently and play out differently from Indigenous perspectives.

• Teaching 2SLGBTQ+ content can counter injustices experienced by students, disrupt homo/bi/transphobia, and help create safer, more equitable spaces. Language Arts, Literacy, and EAL classes offer a prime opportunity to reflect diverse experiences that already exist in the classroom, but are often silenced or erased. Teaching 2SLGBTQ+ narratives helps students to develop empathy and deeper understanding because they make the subject matter real (Dodge & Crutcher, 2015, p. 95). Students can imagine that not everyone is heterosexual and cisgender when they read 2SLGBTQ+ peoples’ stories. Inclusive literature can be a lifeline for 2SLGBTQ+ children and youth. 
• The common assumption that students are white, heterosexual, and cisgender, and that theirs are the only experiences that matter, is perpetuated by literature that is populated only by white, cisgender, and heterosexual characters.  Representation matters—and exposure to 2SLBGTQ+ content can provide useful opportunities to talk about individual/lived experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ people. Such representation in children’s texts is rare, but it exists.
• Both 2SLGBTQ+ and non-2SLGBTQ+ students need to see reflections of themselves and possibilities beyond their own experiences in literature in order to understand and accept themselves and each other. It has often been said that curriculum is a mirror and a window. A mirror in which students should be able to see themselves, their families, and communities reflected back to them, and a window which opens to the diversity of the world around them. 
• While there is now some representation of racial and religious minorities in children’s and YA literature, there is almost no representation of Two-Spirit people, so students identifying as Two-Spirit or Indigiqueer are unlikely to see themselves reflected in stories they read for school (Bittner, 2014, p. 14).
• Language structures reality, and exposure to 2SLGBTQ+ positive, non-heteronormative language helps us perceive the world in 2SLGBTQ+ positive, non-heteronormative ways, particularly thinking about Indigenous languages and English/French.
• Teachers may be reluctant to teach 2SLGBTQ+ themed books because they worry that questions about sexuality may arise and that they will not know how to answer them.  The challenge in B.Ed. classes is to have discussions that address these concerns and the unconscious biases about gender and sexual orientation that may inform them (Schieble, 2012, p. 14). This is also an opportunity to discuss school district policies for challenges to learning materials, and to examine the current provincial/territorial curriculum to examine how 2SLGBTQ+ identities are represented in learning resources and outcomes, if at all.  

• Naming and accountability. In a B.Ed. course teaching pre-service teachers how to teach Language and Literacy courses, having a unit about the power of language and representation. Words are not just words—they carry tremendous meaning and shape / reinforce students’ understanding.
• Challenging resistance. Teacher candidates may be reluctant to teach 2SLGBTQ+ content, and the B.Ed. classroom is a great place to work through their concerns (Thein, 2013, p. 177). 
• Inclusive language. Use of they as a singular pronoun and as a gender-neutral pronoun, which is recommended by APA and is included in the Oxford dictionary (see also the OED's "A brief history of the singular 'they'") and Merriam-Webster dictionary (see also "A note on the non binary 'they'"). 
• Gender pronouns: Introduce your own gender pronouns to students (e.g., “My name is Dr. Anna Cho and my pronouns are she/her”) to introduce the concept of pronoun diversity, but beware of putting students on the spot by requiring them to publicly share their pronouns. This can have the unintended consequence of forcing students to reveal information they are not prepared to share or, alternately, to hide who they are for fear of negative consequences. Teachers can make it clear to students that they want to use the students’ affirmed pronouns by explaining it at the beginning of the term as needed after that. 
• One way to learn students’ gender pronouns without putting them on the spot publicly is to distribute confidential questionnaires at the beginning of term asking if students use a pronoun or a name different from the one on the class list, and if it is ok for the teacher to use their pronoun/name in front of others. In the spirit of expansive education and accessibility, this is also a good opportunity to ask students if there is anything else they would like the teacher to know about them. Teachers can let students know that they are aware that a student’s name or pronoun may change over the course of the term, and that it is ok to discuss this with the teacher at any time.
• Assignments. Composition assignments can include content that addresses 2SLGBTQ+ topics. Often, however, we fall into the trap of creating apologist-style assignments that seek to put forward arguments about why being 2SLGBTQ+ is okay, which can reinforce the social narrative that it is not okay and that 2SLGBTQ+ identities are in need of defending. Rather, developing assignments that highlight the rich and diverse histories/contributions of 2SLGBTQ+ people can be very effective.
• Other simple ways to create inclusive assignments are to include 2SLGBTQ+ language on spelling tests and using readings that focus on 2SLGBTQ+ content in reading comprehension assignments. Writing assignments and examples can also use non-gendered names and gender-neutral pronouns, such as they and them, as inclusive models. 
• Representation. Inclusion of stories/readings that feature 2SLGBTQ+ perspectives and are written by 2SLGBTQ+ authors. Providing an opportunity for students to read texts by 2SLGBTQ+ authors supports principles of inclusive education and teaching for social justice through representation (see reading list below for some specific titles). Beyond books, 2SLGBTQ+ content can include examples from popular culture, including television, film, theatre, online content, and spoken word poetry, that helps to provide accurate information and greater understandings of 2SLGBTQ+ people.
• Critical reading practices. Practice critical reading of texts, identifying and challenging the use of stereotypes and negative representations of 2SLGBTQ+ characters (if there are any). Consider what inclusive texts would look like at the junior (K–4), middle (gr. 5–8) and senior (gr. 9–12) levels (Hermann-Wilmarth & Ryan, 2015, p. 438). Discuss the concept of “age-appropriateness” and how this is often used as a tactic to exclude 2SLGBTQ+ content based on stereotypes, myths, and misinformation, such as the myth that exposure to queer content is exposure to sex, that students are too young, school is not an appropriate place for such discussions, etc.
• Self-reflection. Discuss ways that teachers can help students to imagine themselves reflected in narratives and classroom activities and conversations. For example, Sumara et al., 2006, discuss how readings of a young adult novel in a teacher education class prompted consciousness raising among preservice teachers and might be more expansively developed.
• Practice activities. Show examples of inclusive and non-inclusive texts and encourage students to critically analyze them; ask them to consider which ones they would teach and why. Ask how will they deal with student and/or parental resistance to 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion, and discuss strategies for doing so.

• Include 2SLGBTQ+ texts in courses for teacher candidates about Language Arts, Literacy, and EAL subject instruction:

• • Lead a discussion about 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion in classroom activities, using the example of 2SLGBTQ+ focused texts (books, poems, blogs) in a language-focused class. 
  • In pairs or small groups, have students read books designed for children at various reading levels. For example, Gonzalez’s (2005) Antonio’s Card, which is about a child who makes a Mother’s Day card for his two mothers. 
  • Prompt them to consider how they would incorporate these books, consider what class discussions they could have about them, and anticipate responding to student questions.
  • Have a larger group discussion about representation in the book, asking students to think about the 2SLGBTQ+ representation, whether it reinforces or challenges stereotypes, why it would be a good teaching tool, what it can offer classrooms that may not otherwise be included, etc.
  • Ask students to develop a lesson plan for the book, considering how they would lead a class discussion and manage challenging questions or comments that may arise. 

Note: For Antonio’s Card, this would be a K–4 lesson plan. This exercise is adaptable for B.Ed. students who will work with Grades 5–8 and 9–12 students using different books and more advanced discussion schemes. 

• Have critical conversations with teacher candidates about including 2SLGBTQ+ for all age levels. While there are many approaches to leading discussions with B.Ed. students about including 2SLGBTQ+ content in Language Arts, Literacy, and EAL classes, here are some suggestions to approach the topic:

• • When comparing stories for consideration for students in K–4, 5–8, and 9–12 classrooms, think about who is and isn't represented, and the message(s) behind the representation. Does the text challenge or reinforce stereotypes? Who benefits, and who is harmed, from the way the characters are represented?
  • Have students practice leading discussions about 2SLGBTQ+ focused texts, and to reflect on any discomfort they might experience.
  • Discuss possible objections by school and/or parents, guardians, or community members to including 2SLGBTQ+ texts and content, and strategize responses (e.g., 2SLGBTQ+ and questioning students are already in the classroom and deserve to have their experiences represented; increasing empathy and understanding may help reduce bullying).