One of the biggest problems for gay people today is the question of whether or not gay adults “expose” children to that which they do not understand and whether expressing their status as LGBTQ to young people is appropriate. Nowhere in society is this issue more prevalent than in the education system. Teachers must ask themselves, “Is it safe and appropriate to come out to my students?” With many people in America believing that LGBTQ people are “pushing the gay agenda,” gay teachers often face problems with expressing who they truly are to their students. The biggest question for many gay teachers is, “Should I come out?” After all, how can gay teachers help provide a safe environment for their LGBTQ students without being seen as “recruiters”
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After discussing the consequence of blurring the “intellectual/personal line, Brueggemann and Modelmog examine another consequence of gay discourse and queer theory in the classroom: “It has…given the teacher a body…that functions (or does not function) in physical, erotic, passionate, and sensual ways.” (Brueggemann and Modelmog 2002). Gay and lesbian teachers must learn to successfully navigate the line between appropriate and inappropriate when discussing queer issues or helping queer students with personal problems. Often LGBTQ students are confused about their sexuality and have questions about sex and sexual issues. The teacher, as they would with a straight student asking questions about sex, would need to respect the boundaries of the student/teacher relationship, keeping the discussion professional and appropriate for an adult-student interaction. Though conservatives may see gay teachers as “recruiters” or “sex-obsessed,” they are no more so than straight teachers. Due to this attitude, however, openly gay teachers would more than likely have to adhere to a stricter set of guidelines to avoid being labeled as “encouraging homosexual behavior,” or worse, being labeled a “pedophile” by conservative and religious co-workers and parents of
After discussing the consequence of blurring the “intellectual/personal line, Brueggemann and Modelmog examine another consequence of gay discourse and queer theory in the classroom: “It has…given the teacher a body…that functions (or does not function) in physical, erotic, passionate, and sensual ways.” (Brueggemann and Modelmog 2002). Gay and lesbian teachers must learn to successfully navigate the line between appropriate and inappropriate when discussing queer issues or helping queer students with personal problems. Often LGBTQ students are confused about their sexuality and have questions about sex and sexual issues. The teacher, as they would with a straight student asking questions about sex, would need to respect the boundaries of the student/teacher relationship, keeping the discussion professional and appropriate for an adult-student interaction. Though conservatives may see gay teachers as “recruiters” or “sex-obsessed,” they are no more so than straight teachers. Due to this attitude, however, openly gay teachers would more than likely have to adhere to a stricter set of guidelines to avoid being labeled as “encouraging homosexual behavior,” or worse, being labeled a “pedophile” by conservative and religious co-workers and parents of