Arts and Humanities

Homophobic discourse

Project Title: Homophobic Discourse

A. Investigating the Nature of Homophobic Discourse
Output: Journal article
Author: Morrish, Liz

Date of publication: Overdue 2010
Title: Situating and Resisting Homophobic Discourse: Response to Leap, Junge, Peterson and Provencher. Accepted by Gender and Language. Special Issue on Homophobic Discourse (Leap, W. and Provencher, D. eds.)

Description: This paper is a considered response to a panel of papers on homophobia at LL 14 in 2007 which addressed Leap's notion of a homophobic formation. This response paper asks who might be interpellated (Althusser 1971) by homophobic formations, and what kind of homosexual identity might be produced as a result. The paper finds that although there are no formal properties which identify a homophobic text, there are several key properties which they share. Such texts conform to many of the characteristics of hate speech in their appropriation of the naming process and imputation of metaphors of deviancy, there is an intention to defame and shame, and there is a clear tension with the discourse of civil rights. Some ways forward in combating homophobia are suggested. Leap has argued that resistance to positioning of the gay subject as shamed or victimized may be most successful when the speech act is untethered from its sovereign originator. The subject literally repositions him or herself from another speakable viewpoint – that of the agentive and legitimate (but wronged) gay citizen. Within this rhetorical repositioning, there is an opportunity for a new naturalization of homosexuality, and, in conjunction, a new markedness attaching to heterosexuality. The paper also argues that the purpose of the homophobic speech act can be derailed by discursive intervention, and (following Habermas), exposure of the non-validity of its claims.

B. Work in progress: Investigating sexuality discourses in the secondary curriculum.

Description: This research project aims to investigate the ways in which particular sexuality discourses are embodied and enacted in specific areas (English, Citizenship and PSHE) of the Key Stage Three and Four curriculum in a sample of UK secondary schools. We propose to examine the perceived effects of this on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) identified young people in schools, and teachers in those subject areas. The government has stated their aim to help schools tackle bullying in schools, especially homophobic bullying. Our research engages with this as well as with reports produced by the gay campaigning group Stonewall. These reports (The School Report [2007] and The Teachers' Report [2009]) demonstrate that homophobia is pervasive in UK schools which results in a myriad of problems for both students and teachers which urgently need to be addressed.

The proposed research will take the form of a qualitative study which sets out to investigate sexuality discourses in secondary schools in three urban areas in the UK (Birmingham, Nottingham and Liverpool). These are the cities in which the project investigators are based.

The research questions to be addressed in the study are:

1. What kinds of sexuality discourses exist in UK Key Stage Three and Four school curriculum?
2. How are sexuality discourses addressed and circulated in the UK Key Stage Three and Four curriculum?
3. How are the effects of the sexuality discourses identified in the curriculum perceived as having an impact on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) identified young people?
4. If homophobic discourses are identified, what (if anything) is being done to challenge them through curriculum content and delivery? How might this be improved upon according to teachers and LGBT young people?
5. What types of research methods can be used in order to prioritise the voices and opinions of those trying to engage positively with sexuality issues in schools?
6. How can the research methodology facilitate dialogue between participants, researchers and policy-makers?