Knowledge and silences: students’ perceptions of sexual diversity and LGBTphobia in school

Abstract

This article examines high school students’ perceptions of sexual diversity and LGBTphobia within the school environment. Grounded in Foucauldian discourse analysis, the research was conducted in 2020 with 15 students from two full-time public schools in Jataí, Goiás. Online questionnaires were used to collect data. The study was developed at a time when Brazilian educational policies were experiencing significant setbacks, primarily the removal of the terms “gender” and “sexual orientation” from the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) in 2018. The study addresses a context in which homophobia violence in schools remains structural and persistent. The results, organized into four thematic categories, revealed the following: Topics related to sexual diversity are primarily addressed in biology classes with a biologistic focus. There is a gap in the formal curriculum regarding sex education and gender identity. This leads students to seek information through alternative means.

The accounts present diverse perceptions about the acceptance of sexual diversity in schools. There are differences in how homophobia is recognized and addressed. All participants acknowledged the existence of homophobia in the school environment. They suggested possible strategies to confront it. These findings underscore the urgent necessity of educational policies that comprehensively and contextually address sexual and gender diversity issues, committed to overcoming institutionalized silencing and fostering a genuinely inclusive school environment.