To the Editor of Time Magazine,  

 
According to an article on heteronormativity in schools, the broader heteronormative 
pressures that dictate what is “normal” and expected of gender and sexuality are reflected 
in school climates, meaning these pressures are especially important during adolescence 
(Toomey). Today’s youth, particularly LGBTQ+ youth who face these pressures head-on, 
are affected by the heteronormative systems in place whether they are aware of its impact 
or not.  
 
The existing education and curriculum do not help matters. In fact, one could argue it only 
perpetuates the confusion and challenges faced by the youth who do not conform to 
society’s “normal” expectations. Limits are placed on these students by an education that 
attempts to control their sexuality through peer pressure, through the absence of diverse 
educational materials, and through a bubble of ignorance that the youth may not be 
conscious of (Gilbert). Issues concerning the LGBTQ+ community repeatedly are brought 
up by school boards, by the media, by the general public, and typically result in more 
confusion, regulation, and controversy that arguably does more harm than good for the 
LGBTQ+ youth of our society.  
 
The concept of heteronormativity has been a key part of gender and queer studies since 
the early 1990s, and yet, nearly three decades later, not much has been done to reconstruct 
the system, let alone many efforts to bring the concept of heteronormativity up in the first 
place (Herz and Johansson). Our society needs to be educated on the matter in order for 
change to come about; in fact, not only do people need to be educated, but they need to 
acknowledge the very real impact heteronormative roles, standards, and expectations have 
on everyone, not just those in the LGBTQ+ community.  
 
Keep this in mind also: not everyone shares the same experiences or is raised in a similar 
environment. If we are to address this issue, it must be done so through an intersectional 
perspective. Some people — whether they are the students or the educators — may not 
have access to information due to poor financial status, or already feel “othered” due to the 
color of their skin and may not know how or want to deal with questioning their identity. 
When determining how this heteronormative order affects people in general, we must also 
take into account these affects through a cultural, regional, or even economical lens (Herz 
and Johansson). To no do so would be detrimental to our efforts to counter these affects in 
a way that encompasses every individual.  
 
Schools should be inclusive to all of the students it caters to, which means an education 
that is inclusive of all of its students as well as its educators, non-conforming or otherwise, 
needs to not only exist but function properly.  
 
Sincerely,  
 
Sierra Duckett 
Works Cited

GILBERT, JEN. “INTRODUCTION: Queer Provocations.” ​Sexuality in School: The Limits of

Education​, University of Minnesota Press, 2014, pp. ix-xxviii. ​JSTOR​,

www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctt7zw6j4.3​.

Herz, Marcus, and Johansson, Thomas. “The Normativity of the Concept of Heteronormativity.”

Journal of Homosexuality, vol. 62, no. 8, Routledge, Apr. 2015, pp. 1–12,

doi:10.1080/00918369.2015.1021631.

Toomey, Russell B., et al. “Heteronormativity, School Climates, and Perceived Safety for

Gender Nonconforming Peers.” ​Journal of Adolescence,​ vol. 35, no. 1, Elsevier. 6277

Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887-4800. Tel: 877-839-7126; Tel: 407-345-4020; Fax:

407-363-1354; e-mail: usjcs@elsevier.com; Web site: http://www.elsevier.com, Feb.

2012, pp. 187–96, doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2011.03.001.