Denton, Mary Jean2009-07-082009-07-082009-05https://hdl.handle.net/11299/51938University of Minnesota Ed.D. dissertation. May 2009. Major: Educational Policy and Administration. Advisor: C. Cryss Brunner, Ph.D. 1 computer file (PDF); viii, 263 pages.The Lived Experience of Lesbian/Gay/[Bisexual/Transgender] Educational Leaders Homophobia has created barriers to the safety and security of LGBT educational leaders. Legalized discrimination, found in the history and current practice of informal actions/attitudes of society, and the formal policies/laws create a context for the lived experiences of LGBT educational leaders. Within the context of formal policies/laws and informal actions/attitudes of society, the purpose of this study is to come to understand the commonalities of the personal and professional lived experiences of LG[BT] educational leaders. The analysis of data gathered from high- and low-structure designs revealed fear as the overarching theme interwoven throughout the experiences. From the overarching theme of fear, two major themes, five minor themes, and twenty-one supporting cluster themes were identified. Further analysis of the major, minor, and supporting cluster themes resulted in the Cycles of Fear Model: Losses and Gains.en-USEducation LeadershipIdentity NegotiationLGBT StudiesQueer LeadershipEducational Policy and AdministrationThesis or Dissertation