[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-598704-105":59,"doc-detail-598704-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","building-lgbtq-awareness-and-allies-in-teacher-education","Building LGBTQ Awareness and Allies in Teacher Education","","A training program (Positive Space I and Positive Space II) is presented as a model for strengthening pre-service teachers’ understanding and capacity to create safe spaces for LGBTQ youth and allies in teacher education and schools. The article addresses research showing LGBTQ students face higher levels of unsafe, alienating experiences than heterosexual peers. It outlines key challenges and best practices within higher education and argues for an anti-oppressive pedagogy that honors all learners.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/building-lgbtq-awareness-and-allies-in-teacher-education/598704/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/building-lgbtq-awareness-and-allies-in-teacher-education/598704.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"awa","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-16","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":8},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What training program is discussed, and what is its purpose?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The article describes Positive Space I and Positive Space II as two three-hour workshops integrated into education classes. Their purpose is to build pre-service teachers’ understanding and ability to create safe spaces for LGBTQ youth.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Why does the article emphasize LGBTQ safety in schools?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"It cites research indicating that LGBTQ youth are more likely to feel unsafe and vulnerable in school than heterosexual students. It also notes that bullying discourse often fails to highlight sexual minority vulnerability.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What broader approach does the paper propose for teacher education?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The paper promotes anti-oppressive pedagogy and highlights strategies for building awareness and allies. It frames the workshops as supporting educators to interrupt heteronormativity and contribute to inclusive learning communities.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},598704,1792112736,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":8,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":29,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},3985747858093,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2","Building LGBTQ awareness and allies in our teacher education community and beyond  \nDr. Laura-Lee Kearns, Saint Francis Xavier University Dr. Jennifer Mitton Kukner, Saint Francis Xavier University Dr. Joanne Tompkins, Saint Francis Xavier University  \nAbstract  \nIn this article we share the impact of a training program (Positive Space I and Positive Space II) on pre-service teachers’understandings of and abilities to create safe spaces for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgendered and Queering/Questioning (LGBTQ) youth and allies in our teacher-education program and in schools. Research has demonstrated LGBTQ youth are more likely to feel unsafe, alienated and more vulnerable than their heterosexual counterparts in schools and society. Our discussion focuses upon the impact of this training program, and considers challenges and best practices to build awareness and allies in our own highereducation context, as well as to help create better learning communities for LGBTQ youth and allies in schools. We suggest this particular program is an example of how to work towards the development of a pedagogy that does not oppress; one that truly embraces, celebrates, and honours all learners.  \nIntroduction  \nResearch has demonstrated that over 75% of Lesbian, Gay and Bi-sexual youth and 95% of Transgendered students do not feel safe at school compared to 20% of heterosexual students (Taylor et al, 2011, 47) . The current bullying discourse does not often highlight the vulnerability of sexual minority youth. According to the First National Climate Survey on Homophobia in Canadian Schools (Taylor et al, 2009)“homophobic and transphobic bullying are neither rare nor harmless but major problems that schools need to address”(p. 2) . The Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, provincial equity policies, school and school board policies and curricula emphasize “human rights and diversity” however,“LGBTQ students feel unsafe, insulted or harassed,” on a daily basis (Taylor as cited in Petz 2011) . Compounding this issue is the reality that LGBTQ youth hear and see a lot of homophobia and transphobia in schools, and they don’t see adults in leadership positions interrupting this type of discrimination (Goldstein et al, 2007; Kumashiro 2002 ; Taylor et al, 2011) . This is particularly regrettable as research also shows that“the climate is significantly better in the schools that have taken even modest steps to combat homophobia”(Taylor, 2011, para 4). To that end, we are trying to promote anti-oppressive pedagogy as part of our approach to teaching and learning in our faculty of education.  \nHere we share the impact of a training program, Positive Space I (PSI) and Positive Space II (PSII), two three-hour workshops, that have been integrated into  \nmandatory education classes, Sociology of Education and Inclusion I, which and help to promote pre-service teachers’understandings of and abilities to create safe spaces for LGBTQ youth. The purpose of our study is to explore the impact of this training program, and to consider challenges and best practices to build awareness and allies in our own higher-education context, as well as to help create better learning communities for LGBTQ youth and allies in schools. Our Positive Space Training program is also critical as many future teachers are not prepared to address“issues of homophobia and heterosexism in the classroom”(Stiegler, 2008, p. 117) . By honouring our students and helping them become “activists”who may help advance “academics and social justice”(Kumashiro, 2002, p. 13), we hope to better inform not only our own practice but also that of the field of higher education.  \nOur teacher education faculty is situated within St. Francis Xavier University in rural Atlantic Canada. Our Bachelor of Education is a two-year program, with approximately 240 students. Prior to 2009, PS I & PS II were voluntary. Since 2009 it has been institutionalized as part of our B.Ed program in courses that dis","cbCaiobPJYGwmSxV","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiobPJYGwmSxV","pdf",156712,"English","# Introduction\n# Data collection\n# Themes Arising From the Data\n## On the need to create LGBTQ awareness","[{\"question\":\"What training program is discussed, and what is its purpose?\",\"answer\":\"The article describes Positive Space I and Positive Space II as two three-hour workshops integrated into education classes. Their purpose is to build pre-service teachers’ understanding and ability to create safe spaces for LGBTQ youth.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the article emphasize LGBTQ safety in schools?\",\"answer\":\"It cites research indicating that LGBTQ youth are more likely to feel unsafe and vulnerable in school than heterosexual students. It also notes that bullying discourse often fails to highlight sexual minority vulnerability.\"},{\"question\":\"What broader approach does the paper propose for teacher education?\",\"answer\":\"The paper promotes anti-oppressive pedagogy and highlights strategies for building awareness and allies. It frames the workshops as supporting educators to interrupt heteronormativity and contribute to inclusive learning communities.\"}]","Building LGBTQ Awareness and Allies in Teacher Education | PDF",1792087421,15]