Surviving in the trenches: A narrative inquiry into queer teachers’ experiences and identity This study follows the lives of six gay and lesbian elementary and high school teachers and discusses with them the difficulties of being queer and being a teacher. It states that having both identities coincide is difficult if not impossible and that many teachers choose to hide their sexual identity. This only encourages heteronormativity and denies the school system’s ingrained idea that heterosexuality is the norm or a default. The teachers were found to not be officially and completely out to their school communities. Two of the teachers described that they were not explicit, but instead implicitly “out” and all of the other teachers said
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There is a significant amount of gravity in that decision and it is not something that one can take back. This article was important for me to read as a member of the queer community and as a member of the teaching community. One can quickly learn that queer future teachers have a big decision on their shoulders and weighing the pros and cons of each option is critical. On one hand homophobia is still a huge problem in today’s school system and heteronormativity is a virus that will only keep growing until a stop is put to it. On the other hand if teachers don’t present themselves as proud members of the LGBT community who will students have to look up to? By not being out teachers can involuntarily perpetuate heteronormativity and gender stereotypes. I was fortunate enough to have a teacher in high school who was openly lesbian and gender fluid and I’ve often noted that if it wasn’t for her I most likely wouldn’t have been able to come to terms with my own sexuality. She presented a safe space for all students and made me feel comfortable enough that I came out to her before I came out to my own parents. Before reading this article I had not considered the issues that she had experienced and continued to experience as an openly lesbian teacher. She had some issues with students and I
There is a significant amount of gravity in that decision and it is not something that one can take back. This article was important for me to read as a member of the queer community and as a member of the teaching community. One can quickly learn that queer future teachers have a big decision on their shoulders and weighing the pros and cons of each option is critical. On one hand homophobia is still a huge problem in today’s school system and heteronormativity is a virus that will only keep growing until a stop is put to it. On the other hand if teachers don’t present themselves as proud members of the LGBT community who will students have to look up to? By not being out teachers can involuntarily perpetuate heteronormativity and gender stereotypes. I was fortunate enough to have a teacher in high school who was openly lesbian and gender fluid and I’ve often noted that if it wasn’t for her I most likely wouldn’t have been able to come to terms with my own sexuality. She presented a safe space for all students and made me feel comfortable enough that I came out to her before I came out to my own parents. Before reading this article I had not considered the issues that she had experienced and continued to experience as an openly lesbian teacher. She had some issues with students and I