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Sexual Identities in ESL: Queer Theory and Classroom Inquiry

Within ESL, interest has been growing in the pedagogical implications of poststructuralist theories of identity and in the need for gay-friendly teaching practices. However, research on identity has largely neglected the domain of sexual identity, and efforts to develop gay-friendly pedagogies have not yet engaged with poststructuralism. This article introduces some of the key concepts of queer theory, which draws on poststructuralism, and suggests implications for teaching. The central argument is that a queer theoretical framework may be more useful pedagogically than a lesbian and gay one because it shifts the focus from inclusion to inquiry, that is, from including minority sexual identities to examining how language and culture work with regard to all sexual identities. This article then comments on an ESL class discussion in the United States that focused on lesbian and gay identities.