Queer Theory as Pedagogy in Counselor Education: A Framework for Diversity Training

There is an ongoing and pernicious debate within the field of counselor education surrounding the question of whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues should be included under the umbrella of multiculturalism. Some argue that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender concerns do not fit within the traditional framework of multicultural counseling, while others assert that they do. A consequence of this debate is that many graduate-level counselors are earning degrees without having sufficient levels of self-awareness and knowledge regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. The authors propose queer theory as a unifying framework for diversity training within counselor education programs.