Can gay and lesbian educators form authentic relationships in their school communities?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine how gay and lesbian teachers who are out or closeted form and maintain relationships with members of their school community. A total of 11 gay and lesbian public and Catholic school educators from rural, suburban, and urban schools were interviewed. Each of these educators negotiated their sexual identities differently within their school communities, allowing them to form or not form relationships with colleagues, students, and parents. Descriptors such as age, experience level, and school setting, however, did not affect how open they were to establish authentic relationships with others in their schools. Most of these educators were unable to negotiate their sexual identity with their teacher identity due to fear of being authentic due to possible harassment and even being fired, keeping them from forming any meaningful relationships in their workplace settings. This study does, however, have strong implications toward developing policies that are inclusive for all lesbian and gay members of the school community.