AUTHOR=Zhange Mthandeki , Mohangi Kamleshie 

TITLE=Toward promoting resilience of gender and sexually diverse youth in South African rural school ecologies

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Education

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1495521

DOI=10.3389/feduc.2024.1495521

ISSN=2504-284X

ABSTRACT=Gender and sexually diverse youth in schools experience exclusion, which detrimentally affects their ability to cope with the consequences of minority stress and may lead to absenteeism and drop-out. This paper presents findings from a qualitative interpretive phenomenological study with twelve purposively selected self-identifying LGBTQ+ youth residing in a rural South African community. The purpose of the study is to highlight a pressing need for inclusive policies and practices to aid in enabling LGBTQ+ learners in schools. This paper explores how multiple systems intersect to promote a sense of inclusion and engagement within the school environment and impacts the resilience of LGBTQ+ youth in a rural school setting. Data was gathered through participant interviews. The findings of this study demonstrate how certain schools in rural settings employ innovative methods to support LGBTQ+ learners despite limited resources and the absence of comprehensive, inclusive policies on gender and sexually diverse learners. This study's findings indicate a pressing need to confront and address hetero-and cisnormativity within the education macro system. The findings have implications for LGBTQ+ learners in rural community schools worldwide. This study shows the significance of teacher emotional support, addressing homophobic bullying, moving away from gender-based uniform prescriptions and designating some school bathrooms as gender-neutral to LGBTQ+ learners' resilience. Future longitudinal studies could focus on how school ecologies inclusive of teachers, parents and the wider community can foster the resilience of LGBTQ+ learners, particularly in rural community contexts Keywords: Gender and Sexual Diversity 1, Hetero-and Cisnormativity 2, LGBTQ+ youth 3, Multisystemic Resilience 4, Rural school settings 5.