ABSTRACT
The gay and lesbian liberation and civil rights movements have produced a level of national discussion that reaches adults and children. From contentious religious, artistic, and political discourse to frivolous pop cultural representations, homosexuality has gone public. And America’s schools are not exempt from the din, even if many are officially gagged on the subject. Mandated silence may prevent rational adult-led conversation, but it does not stop all utterance at the schoolhouse door. 1 Unfortunately, the most common forms for such expression are name-calling, harassment, and the denigration of homosexuals generally. Indeed, some authorities would have the official silence broken only for antigay lessons.
