Gay teachers

Some LGBTQ teachers have fought efforts to silence them through visibility, turning to TikTok and other social media to reach an audience beyond their classroom. Willie Carver, Jr., the Kentucky Teacher of the Year, is questioning his future as a teacher given recent anti-LGBTQ legislative efforts. As teachers across the country begin the school year, they face over number of anti-LGBTQ+ education laws and ramped-up attacks by conservatives.

In 28 states there is no comprehensive protection for LGBTQ educators against employment discrimination. This glaring lack of legal support for LGBTQ teachers who face hostility creates a school environment that may be unsafe for teachers and students alike. In the current divisive and challenging climate in the United States, many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) people struggle to find their safe spaces, especially in schools.

Historically and presently, LGBTQ educators specifically have faced challenges being their authentic selves. Being a teacher who identifies as LGBT lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender has presented its challenges. I believe a fundamental link between identifying as LGBT and wellbeing is safety. At a basic, psychological level, safety plays an integral part in our wellbeing and ability to function as a human.

To feel unsafe, means that feelings of uncertainty, anxiety and fear are on loop in our everyday lives. If we do not feel safe in our environment, then our wellbeing will suffer. When we have good mental health and wellbeing, we can work productively and creatively, feel a sense of purpose and achievement, build strong relationships with friends and colleagues, and thrive personally and professionally. As a gay man, I am not part of the majority.

I am marginalised. By looking at our recent history, society has not been kind to us queer folk. LGBT people have been spat at, demonised by the press and public, punished and incarcerated by law makers, chemically castrated and driven to suicide Jones, Across the planet, seventy-three jurisdictions still criminalise private, consensual sexual activity between adults of the same sex.

Roughly half of these are Commonwealth countries. Terrifyingly, there are twelve countries which impose the death penalty for being gay Human Dignity Trust. In a huge number of countries, LGBT victims of sexual or gender-based violence cannot access justice mechanisms or get proper support. I may have painted a bleak and depressing portrait of the world, but this is the reality for many LGBT people.

Being a teacher, it is paramount to work in an environment that is supportive, inclusive and takes your mental health and wellbeing seriously and makes you feel safe being the person you are. It is a form of rebellion against the heteronormative agenda. This can be exhausting and risky. Making the decision to share your sexuality can be liberating, but we just do not know how that person is going to react. Luckily, I work in a school where I feel accepted, safe, and privileged to share my identity as a gay man.

Over the years, I have had to navigate the difficulties of working in a heteronormative environment and tread carefully about how open I am about my sexuality. I work in an international school where difference, otherness and diversity are celebrated and encouraged. In my school, families and students come from all corners of the world, dozens of nationalities and languages are seen and heard in our corridors and playground.

There is a real richness of diversity and cultures.

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Yet, there are still moments where I question my personal feeling of safety and fear whether I will be accepted or not when meeting new families, students, and colleagues. Being open about your sexuality in the workplace is a personal choice.

I know some LGBT teachers are comfortable to share their sexuality with everyone. On the other hand, I also know teachers who choose to not disclose their sexuality for many reasons. When meeting parents and families, or even colleagues, we do not know their opinions or beliefs about the LGBT community, or how they will react knowing we identify as LGBT.

This feeling of uncertainty perpetuates a feeling of unsafety, having consequences for our wellbeing and mental health. This level of uncertainty may prevent LGBT teachers from applying for promotions or moving on to a different school Lee, To question whether you will be accepted due to your sexuality, is something heterosexual people do not experience. Although the UK has made strong advancements in legislation for the protection of LGBT teachers, some teachers still feel fear in their schools today.