Learning lessons from school: Homophobia, heterosexism, and the construction of failure

Gay and lesbian youth drop out of school in disproportionate numbers. In tracing the school experiences of a young lesbian, this manuscript explores how heterosexism and homophobia contribute to the construction of a school “failure.” It makes the point that what is construed as a “private problem,” i.e., one young lesbian dropping out of school, is in reality a socially constructed issue that needs to be addressed on a level beyond that of the individual.