Educating Normal Sexuality: a discourse analysis of high school sexuality education in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is known as an international forerunner when it comes to sexuality education. This fits perfectly in the Dutch self-image as open, progressive and gay-friendly. This image is constructed through a process of othering those who are perceived not to fit in this framework. I have performed a critical discourse analysis to research how in and exclusionary practices are embedded in the discourse of high school books of sexuality education and how this is related to Dutch cultural citizenship. “Normal sexuality” is communicated via white, heterosexual bodies. It is encouraged to be accepting of homosexuality, yet not included as normal sexuality. Disapproving homosexuality, however, is negotiated through religion as deviant, reifying the secular identity of the Netherlands. After concluding how a homonationalist discourse is present throughout educational literature, I finish with some recommendations for improvement and further research.