Students, professors and sexual diversity: acknowledging LGBT+ students and their school experience in university

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the interactions between university professors and higher education students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, intersex, queer and other non-heterosexual identities or orientations (LGBT+). Three theoretical-methodological dimensions are used to explore: a) the academic experiences of LGBT+ university students and the interactions with their university professors; b) the institutional and academic approaches towards sexual diversity in the student population; and c) aspects of their sexual identity. A descriptive case study was designed and the empirical information that supported it came from 31 interviews conducted with LGBT+ university students, enrolled in 11 higher education institutions in Sonora, Mexico. The findings indicate professors abuse their power as teachers: they impose heteronormative interactions in the classroom, discriminating against and acting hostile towards LGBT+ students, negatively affecting them in academic and emotional ways. Only in a few cases, professors displayed inclusive pedagogical practices in front of sexual diversity. This study shows that being an LGBT+ student negatively affects their learning, because respect for their diversity, a fundamental human right, is compromised by their sexual orientation, resulting in an unequal treatment in higher education institutions. Governments and institutions must promote actions for the full integration of these students into academic spaces, where their rights are recognized and respected. In these possible actions, the role of the professor is especially important, because it's a key actor for the successful inclusion of LGBT+ students in higher education institutions.