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Article
Same-sex Sexuality and Postsecondary Outcomes: The Role of High School Locale
Sociological perspectives (2015)
  • Lindsey Wilkinson, Portland State University
  • Jennifer Pearson, Wichita State University
Abstract
This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to examine how high school locale moderates the association between same-sex sexuality (SSS) and postsecondary outcomes, including four-year college enrollment and four-year degree completion. Our results suggest that the link between same-sex sexuality and college completion is complex, varying by gender, high school locale, and the timing of same-sex sexuality. We find that sexual minority men who attended a rural high school enroll in and complete college at higher rates than their heterosexual peers, although this varies by the timing of same-sex sexuality. Sexual minority women are less likely than heterosexual women to enroll in and complete college, and high school locale does not moderate this association. We discuss these gender differences and the role of high school locale in shaping both high school and college outcomes. 
Keywords
  • Sexuality,
  • Education,
  • School context
Publication Date
March, 2015
DOI
10.1177/0731121415569283
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2015 SAGE Publications
Citation Information
Wilkinson, Lindsey and Jennifer Pearson. 2015. “Same-Sex Sexuality and Post-Secondary Outcomes: The Role of High School Locale.” Sociological Perspectives, 58(3): 380-401