User:A.B.highland/A’s Queer Theory and Queer Methods in Communication Studies and LGBTQ+ Organizational Communication and Policies

Lead: Queer Theory
Queer theory is the study of LGBQT+ people and how it challenges normative ideas.

Article body:
Discussions of the LGBTQ+ community is changing around the world. Transnational queer studies can help grow and change the communication discipline for a more inclusive future. The idea of sexuality in the communication field is a newer area of focus compared to other fields, and looking at this from a global perspective can help change the white normative center of communication.

Heteronormativity is deeply rooted in the American culture and depicts anything outside of that as weird or wrong. Heteronormativity is laced into all aspects of our culture from schools and jobs to what bathrooms are available. This idea of normal is very harmful to LGBQT+ people and can make them feel even more excluded.

Queer theory is changing research within the communication discipline. Queer theory is rooted in ideas of feminism and gay and lesbian studies and breaking down the ideas of normative ideals. There are discussions of how queer theory should be practiced. Should it be only about queer people and their lives or should it focused on breaking all ideals of the normative.

Lead: Queer Theory
Queer theory aims to destigmatize LGBTQ+ people and create a new way to examine social interactions.

Article Body:
Queer theory is a newer idea that seeks to break down heteronormative ideals and reconstruct ideas of difference. It offers a new way to view and evaluate sexualities and social interactions. This theory also seeks to change strict identity categories which can lead to oppression of certain individuals. Queer theory is rooted in ideas of feminism and gay and lesbian studies and breaking down the ideas of the normative. That is how people are assumed to be heterosexual unless they say otherwise and that people fit into only 2 genders when there are a spectrum of genders. Queer Theory as an idea seeks to admire queerness and not look for acceptance. There are discussions between queer theorists of how queer theory should be practiced: should it be only about queer people and their lives or should it focused on breaking all ideals of the normative. There are some challenges that queer theory faces like race, gender, and class. Race poses a problem as much of the research being conducted on the LGBTQ+ community revolves around white gays and lesbians. Gender is problematic for queer theory as transgender identities and lesbian identities are overlooked and seen as performative. Middle class ideals are present in queer theory while working-class ideals are overlooked and covered up. Transnational queer studies is the study of queer theory around the world and how the discussions of queer theory differs between countries. Looking at queer theory from a globalized view can help change the research on predominantly white heterosexual populations in the communication field by including different cultures especially non-westernized cultures. Transnational queer theory attempts to look at non-westernized cultures ideas of sexuality to change the white normative center of research in the communication field.

Lead: Queer Methods
Queer Methods refers to mixing aspects of queer theory with research methods.

Article Body:
There are a few key ideas that are present in queer methods like deviating from traditional research methods to explore data by applying queer theory to research methods and findings. Queer methods consists of finding new types of data, using queer theory to adapt research methods, and pushing back against the normal methods assumptions of generalizations and data being reliable. To examine data differently there needs to be a look into people's interconnecting identities, belonging, and differences. Big Data adds to the discussion of queer methods as it is comprised of much larger datasets than most journals deal with. These large datasets allow for the data to be analyzed in a new way to find other commonalities connecting groups of people. Queer methods is also about reviewing existing research to see the way that gender identities and sexual identities are not accounted for in research. Queering research methods is not about creating a new standard of research, but about challenging the traditional approaches to research and creating new methods that do not include any strict categories to label participants. These methods use queer theory to critique traditional research and find different ways to conduct, categorize, and evaluate research. One way that queer methods works in quantitative research to by finding new ways to count people and include a wider variety of genders.

Lead: LGBTQ+ Policies
LGBTQ+ policies are policies that in many setting discriminate against members of the community however there are some that aim to help and protect people in the LGBTQ+ community.

Article Body:
There are many policies that prevent people within the LGBTQ+ community from expressing their sexuality or gender. In the United States there are several states that have policies that do not protect LGBTQ+ people from workplace discrimination. This impacts their wages, the way they are treated in the workplace, their potential for promotion and hiring, as well as decreases their job satisfaction. The United States military had a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy until 2010 that kept people enlisted in the military from being open about their sexuality. In academic settings disclosure of sexuality becomes difficult for many teachers. There are 29 states that have policies that do not protect LGBTQ+ people from workplace discrimination this makes disclosure a sensitive topic as being open about one's sexuality may lead to less productive work by students, discrimination by colleagues or parents, and can lead to teachers and professors losing their jobs. Many factors such as race, age, and gender can impact how disclosure is received and helps teachers determine if it is safe to be out in their classrooms. The United States does have some policies in place that protect LGBTQ+ people. The United States refugee laws say that LGBTQ+ people are recognized as a social group and can become refugees in the United States. The refugee laws in the United States has allowed for thousands of LGBTQ+ people from Latin America to flee from the persecution in their countries since 1994.

New Sources
For my new source on LGBTQ+ Policies I will use Rich's "Don't Drop the Soap": Organizing Sexualities in the Repeal of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" Policy. I will use the source to describe some of the policies in place about being out in the military as well as other workplace policies against disclosure.

The other new source I have for Queer Methods is McDonald's Queering Methodologies and Organizational Research: Disrupting, Critiquing, and Exploring. This source will help me in the Queer Methods section by explaining different aspects of Queer Methods and how it fits with queer theory.