Uncovering Heteronormativity in Dutch School Culture Through LGBTQ+ Secondary Students’ School Climate Experiences

Abstract

This study aims to give insights into the experiences of LGBTQ+ students regarding school climate of secondary education in the Netherlands and describe what this can teach us about school culture. Despite the focus of previous research on bullying on an individual level, reports on bullying have remained stable or even increased over time. Therefore, more research has started looking at the underlying school culture through researching school climate using a lens of heteronormativity. To collect data, semi-structured interviews with 15 participants were conducted. Deductive coding and a lens of heteronormativity are used for analysis. The findings uncovered four notions of heteronormativity in school culture through experiences of school climate: ‘gender policing’, ‘sexuality policing’, ‘tokenism’ and ‘ignorance’. The findings call for practical implications such as providing multiple gender- neutral accommodations as well as implications for future research. In order to create a safer and more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ students, schools need to stop taking a passive approach and start actively looking for heteronormativity in their own school culture and start resisting against it.