Border Sexualities, Border Families in Schools

"This is an important and provocative book that challenges conventional notions of family, sexuality, and identity. It takes the reader beyond the heteronormative and binary limits for imagining a politics of difference to a place that exposes the erasure of the silenced voices of bisexual and multisexual subjects from the field of equity and social justice education."---Wayne Martino, University of Western Ontario

"Border Sexualities is a groundbreaking work that gives an in-depth glimpse of the issues that face sexual minority students, families, and teachers within the school system. Furthermore, Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli offers realistic ideas about how to address these issues. This book is a must-read for educators who wish to make their schools safer for all, and for bi, poly, and gender-queer folks who are looking for ways to survive and thrive at school."---Geri Weitzman, psychologist, San Francisco

"All educators, all families need this book. It asks questions that must be asked, yet have not been asked, and shares thoughtful perceptions and suggestions in ways that may help humanity grow more whole."---Loraine Hutchins, coeditor, BiAny Other Name: cofounder, BiNet USA; instructor, LGBT studies at Towson University

The first book of its kind internationally, Border Sexualities. Border Families in Schools explores the experiences of bisexual students, mixed sexual orientation families, and polyamorous families in schools. For the first time, a book foregrounds the voices and experiences of students and families who are "falling into the gaps" or are on the borders of the gay/straight divide in schools' antihomophobia policies and programs, which recognize families as meaning either heterosexual couples, or, increasingly, homosexual couples.

Within a social deconstructionist, multicultural, postcolonial, feminist, queer theoretical framework, this book spans health, education, sociology, psychology, gender, family, sexuality, and cultural studies.

Maria Pallotta Chiarolli is senior lecturer in social diversity in health and education in the School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. This is her ninth book exploring the interweavings of genders, cultures, sexualities, and families.