Straighten Up, Girls and Boys: How Schools Have Shaped Sexuality and Gender

This illuminating read bridges education history with contemporary efforts to create inclusive, equitable schools In Straighten Up, Girls and Boys, acclaimed historian and educator Jackie M.Blount exposes the hidden history of how American schools have carefully shaped and policed gender and sexuality-affecting every student and educator, past and present.With clarity and compassion, she invites readers not only to understand these forces, but to take action for positive change in their own school communities. Drawing on centuries of school design, hiring practices, and classroom curriculum, Blount uncovers how seemingly neutral decisions-from the layout of restrooms to textbooks and teacher roles-have been used to enforce binary gender norms and rigid expectations around sexuality.She explores the implications for both students and educators, highlighting moments of resistance and progress, but also the persistence of exclusion and harm.Through vivid historical storytelling and fresh