Leaving Silence: Queer Asian and Pacific Islander Oral History Exhibit (October 1996) is both a community project and an educational campaign, that was conceived and executed in Seattle, Washington. The 12-panel exhibit is composed of 13 narratives and 34 black-and-white photographs, and its theme is "coming out." The narrators and those who appear in the photographs identify as queer and as Asian and Pacific Islander. The project involved the collaboration of four community-based organizations: the Asian Lesbian and Bisexual Alliance, the Asian Pacific AIDS Council, the Asian Pacific Islander Homosexuality/Homophobia Education Project, and Queer & Asian. In this thesis I analyze this exhibit and demonstrate its relevance to critical pedagogy and to all those movements interested in the establishment of social justice.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [108]-120).

Thesis (M.S.)--School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, 2008. / "June 2008." Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-88). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-155).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Political Science December 2000. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-155).

Thesis (MA)--University of Montana, 2009. / Title from author supplied metadata. Contents viewed on May 16, 2010. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-155).

M.Ed. / As an Educational Psychologist, one is frequently touched by people struggling to come to terms with life’s complexities, which may in some instances be termed a life in crisis. This crisis may often involve change, which may cause the person to embark on a journey of discovery where the destination may not be what he/she had planned. A mother may embark on just such a journey when she is confronted by the loss brought about by her child’s “coming out” as either gay or lesbian. A mother approached the Institute for Child and Adult Guidance in need of guidance where the acceptance of her son’s alternative lifestyle was concerned. Her story piqued my interest as I am a mother and because I have recently experienced “coming out” with many of my friends. I immediately recognized that this was a mother on the threshold of a journey of discovery that may well enable me to assist and support others in similar situations. I wondered what I, as an Educational Psychologist, might learn from a mother’s journey towards acceptance of her son’s alternative lifestyle. In addition to this question, I realized that I would need to explore her dominant discourses, which may have influenced her view of the alternative lifestyle and that I, as her therapist, would have a role to play in deconstructing them. I would also have to deconstruct the traditional power relationship that exists between a client and a therapist and in this case between a participant and a researcher. The research was conducted within a qualitative research paradigm. In order to answer the research question and to specify the aims of the research, in terms of the Narrative Therapy paradigm, a Participatory Action Research strategy was followed. This manner of conducting research aims at constructing knowledge and meaning together with the participants of the study, thus creating a collaborative process. In this study, multiple methods of data collection were employed in order to construct and co-create rich data with the participant. This data included recordings of therapeutic conversations, as well as journal texts and letters written by my client and me. The experiences of the mother were recorded by way of thick descriptions and reflections. These thick descriptions reflected her journey towards, and our understanding of, acceptance. From the results research, it became evident that acceptance is an ongoing process. It also became apparent that my client had the ability to deal with her problems and to move towards a place where acceptance appeared to be possible. The collaborative process made it possible for a mother’s voice to be heard regarding her knowledges and skills where her own journey towards acceptance was concerned. It also broadened a community of care within her family and circle of friends and even nationally, after we were interviewed by a national magazine, the purpose of which was to offer advice to other parents in a similar situation.

M.Litt. et Phil. / The primary aim of this study is to describe a language form used by homosexuals, specifically the homosexual language as spoken by Afrikaans homosexuals. Secondarily the aim is to compile a gay lexicon with words derived from this research. A further underlying aim of this study is to establish the lexical item gay as an Afrikaans lemma. Gay as such has up to now only appeared in one Afrikaans dictionary (HAT 1994), although it appears frequently in colloquial Afrikaans language, Afrikaans printed media as well as the spoken media. Gay language is well established and recognised in countries such as America and the Netherlands. They have even compiled dictionaries for the use of gay language. In Afrikaans we have dictionaries for several forms of slang and jargon and even short lists of words compiled by researchers for gay words, but still no dictionary for Afrikaans gay language. This study aims at being a first step in creating a dictionary for gay terms. The effeminisation practised by homosexuals features strongly in their use of language and reflects in the frequent use of gender swopping. A further characteristic of gay language is the use of female names and pronouns. This study analyses the influence of the gay reality on their use of language. In order to describe the language spoken by Afrikaans gays, this study explains terms such as slang, jargon and register and then categorises Afrikaans gay language accordingly. Etymologically some gay words can be traced, but not many. The practice of gay language is an ever-changing one, which is characteristic of any spoken form of language. Therefore, the list of gay terms with which the study concludes, will have to be updated frequently. The field of gay language leaves itself wide open for further research, especially with regards to the quantitative measurement of voice pitches and voice patterns. A study done in the Cape region would also assist in giving a broader perspective into the existence of gay language as influenced by dialect.