Looking through Kaleidoscope: Prisms of Self and LGBTQ Youth Identity

Abstract

This reflective essay details aspects of a participatory action research study in which I observed and examined the activities of students working in an after-school LGBTQ facility. The study was designed to teach art for social justice and explore the ways artmaking can be a transformative tool in a social environment. However, the activities in which the participants engaged not only increased their knowledge about social justice, but also ignited critical self-reflection and analysis of their world. Furthermore, I describe how my experience as an ally in this LGBTQ space resulted in my own person and professional transformation.