Coming Out in Class: Challenges and Benefits of Active Learning in a Biology

Classroom for LGTQIA Students

Unique Social Identity:

1. LGBTQIA is considered an “invisible” identity meaning people need to “come out”
and express that they identify as such or else they are generally assumed to be
straight/cis-gender.
2. People own view of their identity can change through time. Everyone has a unique
timeline for their own awareness of themselves.
3. LGBTQIA is not widely accepted by everyone so some LGBTQIA may feel
concealment necessary in certain situations.


With more active learning, classrooms become more social and so the issues
surrounding LGBTQIA acceptance is more apparent. As engagement is required in
social learning, social inclusion is the goal but there is also a greater chance for
encountering hostility due to personal differences. If people are ostracized within the
classroom, then the group learning activities will have the opposite effect than intended
and possibly lead to isolation. This paper explores how social integration may be
accomplished by feeling accepted in active learning.
In a studied classroom of 181 students, 7 (3.6%) of them identified as LGBTQIA.
These students participated in interviews on their active learning classroom experience
as LGBTQIA students. Though transgender students will have very different
experiences than those of homo/bisexual students in general, both groups of students
were trying to adapt to an environment that is generally heteronormative and gender
normative. It was found that transgender individuals in the study were more concerned
about discrimination in the classroom than homo/bisexual students potentially due to a
appearing more physically non-gender normative, or possibly for a lower tolerance of
non-gender normative individuals.
In the discussion, the paper made a point about how homosexuality is based on
much more than sexual attraction; it’s based on ideology, relationships, values, social
acceptance, family, etc. Seeing the trait as firmly sexual attraction is what makes this
identity too personal and potentially uncomfortable for some people. Seeing
homosexuality as much more than attraction may change people’s outlook and
comfortability.
Worrying about how one is perceived in a classroom is brainspace that is not
being used for learning. Having more conversations and being open with people is likely
the best strategy in moving forward to a more accepting environment. The more people
are around the idea of LGBTQIA and the more information that is available for people,
the more everyone can learn and hopefully step forward as accepting humans in an
inclusive culture. In regards to the experiment, Tinto’s theory was shown in that a more
active based learning can lead to social integration and therefor academic integration.
Comfortability in a group setting is essential for this integration to take place, so learning
how to make a learning environment feel safe for all people is important in success. I
don’t think there is much I can do at this point in regards to my peer mentor fungi class,
but I will continue to be away of pronouns and be accepting of people who want to open
up or come out. One activity that we did in the fungi class at the start of the semester is
have name cards with preferred pronouns in each group. I really like this activity as it
allows students to feel more accepted by the facilitator, as well as gives people the
chance to let people know who they identify as without having to awkwardly bring it up. I
think this is a practice I will bring into any future group working environments.