The Impact of Sexual of Orientation and Gender Expression Bias on African American Students.

This article discusses sexual orientation and gender expression bias as they impact the educational experience of African American students. Sexual orientation and gender expression bias have a unique presentation in Black educational settings. The climate in such settings can be metagrobolized by the combination of distorted notions of Black sexuality and of homosexuality. The legacy of internalized racism as it impacts sexuality is examined in this article. Homophobia, heterosexism, and the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (LGBTQ) students are also discussed. Implications for school safety, academic achievement, and student mental health are elucidated along with recommendations for policy, practice and advocacy-based interventions. Keywords: gender expression bias, heterosexism, homophobia, sexual orientation OVERVIEW This article discusses sexual orientation and gender expression bias as they impact African American students. Although there is ample literature on anti-gay prejudice and gender bias as they impact educational settings in general (Espelage et al., 2008; O'Conor, 1993; Russell et al., 2009; Walter & Hayes, 1998), less attention has been given to these matters as they affect Black students. For that reason this article focuses on the experiences of African American students with regard to homophobia, heterosexism, and gender expression bias. Issues related to sexuality have an impact on the educational experience of Black students regardless of sexual orientation. Adolescence is a burgeoning period of libidinal development; therefore, the educational milieu cannot help but be impacted. According to the Centers for Disease Control Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS, Mohsen & West, 2006), 46.7% of high school students have sexual intercourse during their high school years and Black and Latino students engage in sexual activity at significantly higher rates than their white counterparts (Mohsen & West, 2006). Analyzing longitudinal data from the YRBSS, CavazosRehg and colleagues (2009) found that African American males experienced their sexual debut earlier than all other groups. In fact, 74% of African American females and 82% of African American males experienced their sexual commencement by age 17. Concomitantly, Black people accounted for 49% of the new HTV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States in 2005. The data show that of the 18,849 people under the age of 25 who were diagnosed between 2001 and 2004, 61% are Black (CDC, 2006). These data articulate that unprotected sex (heterosexual and non-heterosexual) is the principal means of transmission of the virus and thereby is a prominent cause for the disproportionate representation of Black youth among those infected. African Americans also have the highest teen pregnancy rates in the United States which significantly increases the likelihood that they will not complete high school (Mohsen & West, 2006). The neoteric uproar over sexting (Manzo, 2009; Teen 'sexting' attracts attention, 2009), whereby students send each other sexually explicit texts or photographs using mobile telephone devices and over the Internet during school, is yet another tocsin indicating students' heightened sexuality in their learning environment. While students' preoccupation with sexuality and engagement in sexually risky behavior may create a distraction from the learning process, these also portend serious legal, psychosocial, and health consequences for Black youth. Distorted gender norms and gender bias also have influence on the education of Black students with varied manifestations. The emasculation of academic achievement among some Black males, especially in disciplines such as art, literature, and the social sciences, is one indicator (Bailey, 2002). Black female students' preoccupation with their appearance and sexual attractiveness more than their academic achievement also highlights the agency of sexism in perceived gender appropriate roles and behavior. …