Telling tales in school: a queer response to the heterosexist narrative structure of higher education

If we look at general education programs, we find that implicit in them is a narrative structure. Drawing on the work of Judith Roof, I argue that this structure can promote a heterosexist logic which has among its implications the marginalization of gay and lesbian studies. I further argue, however, that this need not be the case. By appealing to Paul Ricoeur's account of narrative and to Immanuel Levinas's description of one's obligation to respond to the face of the Other, I articulate a mode of engaging the narratives at play in general education programs that mitigates their potential for marginalization. More pointedly, I argue that truly vital and ethically sound programs must work against marginalization, which means, among other things, that they must promote the cultivation of gay and lesbian and queer studies.