Examining the Impact of School Climate on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Teachers in K-12 Public Schools in the State of New Jersey

Lori B. Burns

Dissertation Committee Robert Andrews, Ed.D, Mentor Sally Millaway, Ed.D. Andrew Orefice, Ed.D.

A Dissertation Proposal Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education

Saint Peter’s University 2017

ABSTRACT

According to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 1.6% of Americans identify as gay or lesbian and 0.7% identify as bisexual (Somashekhar, 2014). Applying these statistics to the number of public school teachers in New Jersey indicates that of the more than 114,000 teachers, over 1,800 teachers would identify as gay or lesbian and almost 800 teachers would identify as bisexual (New Jersey Department of Education [NJDOE], 2016). The findings of this study provide insight to the school climate of LGB teachers and offer guidance to boards of education, administration, and pre-service teacher training programs.

This study used qualitative research methods and was divided into two phases. The first phase of the study consisted of participants completing an online survey. Potential participants were notified of the survey through emails, social media, advertisements, flyers/posters, letters, and in-person requests. The survey was accessible to all current public school teachers in New

Jersey. Participants were asked to answer questions pertaining to their school environment based on homophobic remarks, harassment, school characteristics, and personal characteristics. The results of this survey were used to create a cohort faction of four teachers. Of the four teachers chosen to continue with the study, two scored the lowest on the survey, indicating a high prevalence of homophobic issues in their schools, and two scored the highest on the survey, indicating a low prevalence of homophobic issues in their schools. The second phase of the study included face-to-face interviews in a semi-structured format. Participants answered open- ended questions. The purpose of the face-to-face interviews was to examine the indicators of school climate as well as the overall school climate for LGB teachers.

This study represents an important contribution to the lack of relevant literature regarding the impact of school climate as it pertains to LGB teachers. The results of this study provide a framework for pre-service teacher training programs, boards of education, and administrations.

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Acknowledgments

I am indebted to my family and friends for their support in this process. Your words of encouragement pushed me to finish this project, especially when it was most difficult. Mom, thank you building my confidence, it has helped me to have a strong sense of ambition.

Erica, you are my best friend, wife, and biggest cheerleader. You supported me on this mission from the very beginning and stood by my side the entire time. Thank you for enabling me to realize my dreams and encouraging me to persevere when things were difficult.

I would like to thank my current and past colleagues, especially Mr. David Mooij and Dr.

Sally Millaway. Mr. Mooij, you truly embody the characteristics of servant leadership and I am an example of your legacy of pushing others to better themselves. Sally, you supported me as a new principal, as a committee member, and as a friend. You are the best “bucket filler” that I know.

I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my mentor, Dr. Robert Andrews.

When I approached you with the idea of changing my dissertation topic, I was more than halfway done with my coursework. Regardless of the poor timing, you were on board with my new topic because you are as passionate about social justice as I am. Thank you for knowing when to push me and when to support me. I am fortunate to call you my mentor and my friend.

A very special thank you to my fellow cohort members. We watched each other’s lives change throughout this program. You pulled me out of my shell and encouraged me to “lean in.”

I am truly grateful for the fun that we had and the bonds that we formed.

I thank God for the blessings that He has bestowed upon me. All things are possible with

Him by my side. “But the lord is with me like a mighty warrior” (Jeremiah 20:11).

Dedication

To my daughters, Lyla Jean and Eden Marie, you already possess everything you need to accomplish anything you set out to do in life. Be courageous, be adventurous, be bold, and most importantly, be the best versions of yourselves.

Table of Contents

ABSTRACT ...... ii

Acknowledgments ...... iv

Dedication ...... v

Table of Contents ...... vi

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Introduction ...... 1 Background ...... 2 Purpose Statement and Research Questions ...... 5 Significance of the Study ...... 5 Limitations ...... 6 Delimitations ...... 7 Definition of Terms ...... 7 Organization of the Study ...... 9

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Overview ...... 11 Climate of Successful Organizations ...... 11 Ten Characteristics of Servant Leadership ...... 12 The Educational Leader’s Role ...... 15 LGB History and Public Education ...... 17 1850s to the Turn of the Century...... 18 Early 20th Century Through World War II ...... 19 Post-World War II to the Mid-1970s ...... 20 1980s Through the Millennium...... 25 Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Teachers in the United States ...... 26 Fears of LGB Teachers-Professional Relationships ...... 26 Fears of LGB Teachers-Perceptions of LGB Teachers as Child Predators ...... 27 Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Legislation in the United States ...... 27 Policy and Law: Colonial Law Through the 1930s ...... 28 Policy and Law: Post-World War II to the Mid-1970s ...... 28 The Gay Rights Movement ...... 30 Policy and Law: the 1980s Through the End of the 20th Century ...... 32 Anti-Discrimination Legislation and the LGB Community: Federal Law ...... 34 Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Legislation in New Jersey ...... 34 Conclusion ...... 39

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY

Overview ...... 41 Research Design ...... 41 Sampling ...... 42 Instrumentation...... 43 Data Analysis ...... 43

CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

Introduction ...... 45 Study Participants ...... 46 Data Analysis ...... 48

CHAPTER V: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

Summary of Study ...... 113 Conclusions and Implications ...... 113 Implications for Practice ...... 120 Recommendations for Future Research ...... 121

REFERENCES ...... 124

APPENDICES

Appendix A ...... 132 Appendix B ...... 133 Appendix C ...... 135 Appendix D ...... 137 Appendix E ...... 139 Appendix F ...... 141 Appendix G ...... 143 Appendix H ...... 149 Appendix I ...... 153 Appendix J ...... 173 Appendix K ...... 189 Appendix L ...... 220 Appendix M ...... 245 Appendix N ...... 247 Appendix O ...... 251 Appendix P ...... 255 Appendix Q ...... 260 Appendix R ...... 265

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

“Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood.... I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people.” -Coretta Scott Kin g

Introduction

Public school teachers in New Jersey face a wide range of challenges. In addition to ensuring that all students succeed, they are responsible for managing student behaviors, meeting deadlines, communicating with stakeholders, and handling the demands of legislation pertaining to standardized testing and evaluation criteria. These demands coupled with overwhelming situations regarding social justice issues impact teachers. Teachers who identify as LGB contend with the additional burden of stereotypes and misconceptions in a field that has historically shunned the LGB community. These hardships may alter the teaching styles of LGB public school teachers, impact the effectiveness of their instruction, and have negative repercussions on their professional and personal lives.

The historical belief that LGB teachers seek to recruit students in order to further the gay agenda can be detrimental to LGB teachers as some might avoid teaching content on gay themes even when the content is relevant (Lugg, 1997). The evasion of such topics can result in an incomplete education for students. In addition, some people still hold onto the notion that LGB individuals, especially men, are child molesters (Kissen, 1996). In modern society, most teachers understand that it is inappropriate to be alone with a student for any reason, but the added stress of being an LGB teacher can strain interpersonal relationships between LGB teachers and students. Consequently, LGB teachers report superficial or strained relationships with their students due to the fear of being perceived as attracted to their students (Sanlo, 1999).

LGB teachers must also decide whether or not to be open about their sexual orientation to students and colleagues (Khayatt, 1997) and must determine the degree of openness that is appropriate for each group. The revealing of one’s sexual orientation to one or more individuals is known as being “out.” The degree of “outness” varies with each individual, some preferring to be out to colleagues but not to students and their parents. Other individuals prefer to be out to everyone in their personal and professional lives.

LGB teachers who desire to be perceived as heterosexual at work may expend a significant amount of energy portraying themselves in a false manner. Such pursuits can have serious psychological consequences; however, the ramifications of being an out LGB teacher can be perceived as even more threatening and severe (Griffin, 1992). These fears are warranted as many states within the United States operate with discriminatory policies regarding employment.

New Jersey slowly adopted anti-discrimination laws pertaining to employment and public education, but it was not until recently that those policies required school districts to have policies on sexual orientation. More so, the policies are directed toward students, not employees.

Background

The twenty-first century has proven to be progressive for the LGB community. The 2003

Supreme Court ruling of Lawrence v. Texas stated that consensual sexual activity between adults was protected under the 14 th Amendment, and therefore anti-sodomy laws in the United States were unconstitutional. Prior to this ruling, the selective enforcement of sodomy laws plagued

LGB teachers in states with sodomy laws as many of these states barred and revoked teaching licenses from homosexuals. These individuals were deemed unfit for the teaching profession because they were technically criminals due to their sexual behavior (Lugg, 2006). Lawrence v.

Texas opened the door for Massachusetts, in 2004, to become the first state to legalize and issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples.

In 2010, President Barack Obama successfully advocated for the repeal of Don’t Ask,

Don’t Tell (DADT). The policy had been instituted by the Clinton Administration in 1994 to ban LGB individuals from military service by forcing LGB military personnel to remain closeted and refrain from speaking about homosexual topics such as relationships and marriage while serving in the armed forces. DADT had resulted in over 13,000 troops being discharged between

1994 and 2009 (Shane, 2009). The repeal stemmed the practice.

The landmark decision of Obergefell v. Hodges enabled marriage equality to become the law of the land on June 26, 2015. Its arrival created a backlash in which some states passed legislation creating laws and local ordinances which allowed discrimination of LGB individuals.

Also in 2015, politicians proposed more than 100 anti-LGB bills across 29 states (Warbelow &

Persad, 2016). Georgia, Texas, and Indiana were some of the first states to rally against a wave of supportive LGB legislation. Georgia’s Free Exercise Protection Act allowed religious institutions to discriminate against LGB individuals as it stated that no one can be forced to attend same-sex marriage ceremonies, a ruling that was likely intended for vendors and religious personnel. Most importantly, the Free Exercise Protection Act allowed faith-based organizations that received federal funds to refuse services or employment of LGB individuals (Holbrook,

2016).

North Carolina’s Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act (2016) exposed LGB individuals to possible discrimination in the workplace and in public accommodations since sexual orientation was not listed as a protected group under the law. Even Pope Francis, while initially viewed as a more progressive leader by his statement, “If someone is gay...who am I to

judge?” (Donadio, 2013), reverted back to a more conservative perspective with the release of

The Joy of Love. It was within this document that Pope Francis, as leader of the Roman Catholic

Church, declared, “There is a failure to recognize that only the exclusive and indissoluble union between a man and a woman has a plenary role in society as a stable commitment that bears fruit in new life” (Ring, 2016). The document addressed the “need to acknowledge the great variety of family situations that can offer a certain stability, but de facto or same-sex unions, for example, may not simply be equated with marriage” (Ring, 2016). Such proclamations can lead individuals to wonder if adequate progress has been universally made regarding LGB issues.

A common venue for LGB discrimination and heterosexism is the U.S. public school.

According to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network's (GLSEN’s) 2015 National

School Climate Survey (NSCS), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students continue to be severely underrepresented and unsupported. Homophobic language and harassment of LGBTQ students continue to pervasive issues despite the laws regarding the proper handling of harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) claims of students. The researcher believed that data regarding the negative climate in schools for LGBTQ students might indicate a negative climate for LGB teachers.

Homophobia continues to exist in the United States. One of the most recent examples is the killing of 49 LGB individuals at a gay nightclub in Orlando on June 12, 2016. The massacre was, at that time, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Research may provide insights toward remedying a significant societal malady.

Purpose Statement and Research Questions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the school climate for LGB teachers in New

Jersey, grades K-12. To date, there was little research that illustrated the lived experiences of

LGB teachers. A few studies were conducted (Denton, 2009; Griffin, 1992; Khayatt, 1997;

Kissen, 1996; Mayo, 2005; Denton, 2009); however, none of them pertained to school climate for LGB teachers in New Jersey. The research questions guiding this study were:

1. What is the school climate for LGB teachers in K-12 public schools in New Jersey?

a. Definition of school climate

b. What are the characteristics of a positive school climate?

c. What are the characteristics of a negative school climate?

2. What perceptions/experiences do LGB teachers report regarding the contextual formal

policies/laws and contextual informal actions/attitudes that may or may not have shaped

their professional lives?

3. Does socioeconomic status, geographical location, or grade level of instruction impact

the climate for LGB teachers in K-12 public schools?

4. How do non-LGB teachers perceive the school climate compared to LGB teachers in the

same building/school district?

Significance of the Study

The U.S. education system has historically maintained a homophobic and heterosexism approach toward LGB individuals (Blount, 1996, 2003; Harbeck, 1992; Lugg, 2003a, 2003b).

Despite this insight, little remains known about the experiences of LGB public school teachers.

The exploration of school climate as it pertains to LGB teachers has most likely been avoided due to possible negative consequences, such as harassment and negative career impact, for those who disclose their sexual orientation. The lack of contemporary scholarly research indicated an invisible minority within the field of education.

The current study sought to build upon the inadequate body of literature on school climate related to LGB public school teachers in New Jersey by exploring the characteristics of negative and positive school climates. Second, the study explored the impact of LGB legislation and policies on LGB teachers’ professional lives. Third, the study sought to determine whether socioeconomic status, geographical location, or grade level of instruction influences school climate for LGB public school teachers. Lastly, the perceptions of the school climate perceptions of non-LGB teachers compared to LGB teachers were examined.

Limitations

The study was limited to public school teachers in New Jersey who served a range of students from grades Kindergarten-12. The study contained schools from all regions of the state and students whose families represented a variety of socioeconomic statuses. Online surveys were available for all public school teachers in New Jersey. Select questions on the survey were coded with a score of 1, 2, or 3. A score of 1 indicated minimal support for LGB teachers. A score of 3 indicated maximum support for LGB teachers. The two teachers who scored the highest and the two teachers who scored the lowest on the survey were asked to continue with the study. Data were gathered from the interviews of these individuals. The study relied on the return rate of the surveys and the trustworthiness of the teachers who were chosen to participate in the face-to-face interviews. Overall, the study depended on the courage of the teachers to participate in research pertaining to sexual orientation.

Delimitations

Open-ended questions were used to gather data from teachers. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in order to increase the credibility and reliability of the data. Interviews were recorded and transcribed; afterward, the teachers were given the material to review and revise.

Definition of Terms

ALJ. An acronym referring to Administrative Law Judge.

LGB. An acronym referring to Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual individuals (Grisham, 2016).

LGBT. An acronym commonly used for Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender. The acronym

often refers to the gay community and also includes transvestite and transexual

individuals (Auciello, 2016).

DADT. An Acronym for Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. The 1994 Act that prohibited LGB military

personnel from disclosing their sexual orientation or speaking about homosexual topics

such as relationships and marriage while serving in the armed forces.

GLSEN. Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network.

HIB. Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying. New Jersey has a statutory, regulatory

policy framework regarding the support, prevention, and remediation of HIB in public

schools.

Ally. A person who identifies and is perceived to be heterosexual but is a friend to the LGB

community (Mayo, 2005).

Assigned Gender. A determination of an individual’s biological sex at birth.

Assimilation or Covering. Refers to an LGBT person concealing his or her true sexual identity

while adopting the outward characteristics of a heterosexual person of the same gender

(Auciello, 2016).

Bisexual. Sexual attraction to both male and female genders (Denton, 2009).

Coming Out. Revealing one’s sexual orientation to one or more individuals. Coming out is

typically ongoing since society assumes that most individuals are heterosexual (Mayo,

2005).

Gay. Preferred term for homosexual. Same-gender male sexual attraction (Denton, 2009).

Gender. Roles and behaviors expected of individuals as appropriately male or female as set forth

by society (Auciello, 2016).

Heteronormativity. The assumption that everyone is heterosexual and that heterosexuality is

normal within society (Mayo, 2005).

Heterosexism. Bias and discrimination regarding sexual orientation. Prejudicial behavior

toward individuals who are gay, lesbian, and bisexual in a manner that is similar to

prejudicial behavior toward people of color (Mayo, 2005).

Heterosexual. An individual whose primary sexual attraction is toward members of the opposite

gender (Denton, 2009).

Homosexual. An individual whose primary sexual attraction is toward members of the same

gender (Denton, 2009).

Homophobia. Prejudice, discrimination, harassment, or acts of violence against sexual

minorities including gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals, rooted in a deep-seated fear or

hatred of those who are attracted to the same sex (Sears & Williams, 1997).

In the Closet or Closeted. A term referring to LGB individuals who project themselves as

heterosexual. Many individuals in this study may be “in the closet” for fear of

repercussions (Mayo, 2005).

Lavender Ceiling. Unofficially acknowledged barrier for LGB individuals for advancement in

the workforce. Similar to the “glass ceiling” of the women’s and minorities’ rights

movements (Denton, 2009).

Lesbian. Same-gender female sexual attraction (Denton, 2009).

Out. A person who is open regarding his or her sexual orientation (Mayo, 2005).

Safe Zone. An area, usually a classroom or school building, where an individual feels physically

and emotionally secure and free from any oppression/harm on the basis of his or her

sexual orientation (Auciello, 2016).

Sexual Orientation. The way in which an individual identifies him-/herself sexually, most

commonly, but not limited to, categories of homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual

(Denton, 2009).

Straight. Individuals who are heterosexual (Denton, 2009).

Transgender. Sexual identification with the opposite of one’s assigned gender (e.g., a biological

female identifies with the male gender) (Denton, 2009).

Queer. Typically used in a derogatory manner, the term refers to individuals who are not

heterosexual (Grisham, 2016).

Questioning. Individuals who are unsure of their sexual orientation (Mayo, 2005).

Organization of the Study

The organization of Chapter 1 provides an introduction to historical struggles and recent political strides made by and for the LGB community in the United States. Unfortunately, our nation’s public schools have struggled to find the path toward inclusive school environments, particularly with regard to LGB teachers (Blount, 1998, 2003; Harbeck, 1992, 1997). Chapter 1 includes a brief background of LGB legislation, this study’s research methodology, the significance of the study, a definition of terms, the study’s limitations, the study’s delimitations,

and research questions. Chapter 2 includes a review of the history of homosexuality, public school teachers, and LGB legislation from the 1850s to modern day. Chapter 3 illustrates a detailed account of the research design and methods, while Chapter 4 offers retrospective data on school climate as it pertains to LGB teachers. Chapter 5 delivers a summary of findings and conclusions, and offers recommendations for policy, practice, programs, and further research.

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” -Elie Wiesel

The review of the literature is set up in five sections: 1. Climate in Successful

Organizations, 2. LGB History and Public Education, 3. Experiences of LGB Teachers, 4. LGB

Legislation in the United States, and 5. LGB Legislation in New Jersey. The literature review on

LGB History and Public Education is divided into four subsections: 1. 1850s Through the Turn of the Century, 2. Early 20th Century through World War II, 3. Post-World War II to the Mid

1970s, and 4. 1980s through the Millennium.

Climate of Successful Organizations

There was a plethora of research and information regarding leadership in educational institutions; however, there was minimal information detailing the impact of various leadership styles on marginalized groups, such as LGB teachers, within educational institutions.

In reviewing successful organizations, the same traits rose to the top. They were qualities that evoke feelings of trust, support, and community for their employees. Successful organizations such as Google focused on providing an environment which supported six components of health: physical, social, mental, emotional, spiritual, and environmental.

Employees enjoyed a flexible work schedule, free gourmet food, massage credits, free fitness classes and gyms, and free on-site daycare. “Googlers” were encouraged to interact with one another as much as possible; in fact, the structure of their buildings were situated in a manner that allowed for as much interaction as possible (D’Onfro, 2015).

Google saw value in workplace diversity and even published the organization’s demographics on gender and race; furthermore, Google encouraged other major technology companies to do the same. In 2015, Google vowed to spend $150 million to promote workplace

diversity (Eadicicco, 2016). The leadership team at Google paved the road for other technology corporations to attempt to address their diversity issues. Thirty-two companies including Airbnb,

Intel, and Pinterest signed a pledge to make their workplaces more representative and diverse

(Eadicicco, 2016).

The benefits of a positive work climate are not grounded in new theories but are based on an age-old practice of supporting the individuals who are the face and voice of the business.

Southwest Airlines, a corporation that was consistently cited by Forbes magazine as an exemplary company, used the word love in its leadership practices for over 45 years. The employee newsletter was called Luv Lines , their anniversary slogan was Twenty Years of Loving

You, and their symbol on the New York Stock Exchange was LUV. Employees were recognized at the annual Heroes of the Heart ceremony where employees who went above and beyond their job expectations were recognized (Bolman & Deal, 2013). The emphasis on the cultivation of a positive work climate led Southwest Airlines to become the nation’s largest carrier of domestic passengers (Southwest Airlines Newsroom). The company has been successfully managed by leaders who subscribe to the notion of servant leadership.

Ten Characteristics of Servant Leadership

Robert Greenleaf and Larry Spears identified 10 characteristics which encompass the ideals of servant leadership. The characteristics are listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of others, and building community.

Listening. Leaders are sometimes seen as the vocal individuals in a group; however, servant leaders place an emphasis on listening. The intentional focus on listening to individuals allows for stronger insight of the situation (Greenleaf, 1970).

Empathy. Empathy enables the servant leader to look at a situation from the viewpoint of another individual. Cultivating a climate in which individuals can understand a situation from the viewpoint of another individual builds the foundation for trust (Greenleaf, 1970).

Healing. The servant leader focuses on the development and maintenance of the health and spirit of the organization. Servant leaders are motivated to make life better for others by creating tailored and personal relationships with one another (Katzenbach & Khan, 2010).

Awareness. A servant leader uses awareness to understand the challenges that an organization faces, and awareness also leads to discovering the tools that enable the servant leader to find solutions (Kasun, 2009). Servant leaders are aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They work to build upon their strengths and weaknesses in order to help others do the same. Servant leaders are aware of others’ perceptions of them, and therefore these leaders are conscious of the way in which their behavior affects others. Servant leaders welcome input regarding their disposition.

Persuasion. The servant leader seeks to convince others rather than force individuals to comply

(Kasun, 2009). Servant leaders value the input of individuals and are comfortable with healthy discussions regarding policies and procedures.

Conceptualization. The servant leader is able to engage individuals in building a vision and in forming a commitment to a common purpose.

Foresight. A servant leader is able to forecast things which those who they are leading do not know or see clearly. These leaders have a sense of the unknowable and an ability to foresee the unforeseeable (Greenleaf, 1970).

Stewardship. Servant leaders encourage a sense of moral obligation toward colleagues, community, and the world at large. Stewardship challenges individuals to enlarge their vision of

the world and to take responsibility for making the world a better place for everyone. Thomas

Jefferson contributed to the development of the United States in many ways. He wrote the

Declaration of Independence, advocated for the separation between church and state, and emphasized the importance of education. When the Constitution was drafted, he was in France as the ambassador for the United States. These are the ways in which servant leaders operate.

They serve, then they move on to the next issue that needs to be addressed to ensure progress.

Commitment to growth of others. Servant leaders provide the necessary tools for individuals to be productive. Additionally, servant leaders assist in minimizing and removing obstacles which may impede success. The servant leader accepts responsibility to do everything possible to nurture the personal, professional, and spiritual growth of employees (Spears, 2004).

Building community. Servant leaders know that the mission of the organization is bigger than any one person. Servant leaders create other servant leaders, who then work together to build community (Kasun, 2009). Jesus Christ exemplified the characteristics of servant leadership by casting aside strength and power, and demonstrating care and modesty. He personified the most important aspect of servant leadership as He placed the needs of others before His own needs

(Kasun, 2009).

In some instances, LGB teachers have experienced extreme harassment, intimidation, and assault. This was particularly true of LGB individuals who lived in municipalities where anti- gay bigotry and aggression were expressed openly. For instance, Mississippi was listed as the worst state for LGB individuals to live in due to discriminatory employment practices, exclusive health benefits, and weak anti-bullying policies (Lang, 2014). In fact, Southaven, Mississippi was one of the few cities in the United States to have received a score of 0 out of a possible 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s State Equality Index (SEI).

The SEI was a comprehensive state-by-state review of laws and policies that impact

LGBT individuals. It rated all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the areas of nondiscrimination laws, parenting laws, hate crime laws, youth laws, health, and safety. The SEI evaluated laws and policies that affect LGB individuals and their families (Warbelow & Persad,

2016).

The Educational Leader’s Role

It is the responsibility of the educational leader to ensure a positive and productive environment for teachers. Positive well-being at work can translate to academic and social success. Educational leaders should provide a diverse community of staff members so that students and families can see themselves reflected in the school administrative population.

Employees should be encouraged to strive for physical, emotional, mental, social, environmental, and spiritual health.

The educational leader should encourage a healthy work environment by displaying the characteristics of servant leadership. More importantly, the educational leader should exemplify these characteristics every day in every interaction and decision. Friendly and respectful work environments lend to a healthy environment which can assist in providing a productive learning environment. Social responsibility is the obligation of the educational leader. Providing a healthy work environment can lend to more productive lessons and ultimately students who are better prepared to become global citizens of the 21st century.

Principals are leaders in the school who play a key role in initiating, implementing, and sustaining outstanding schools (Kasun, 2009). Principals are responsible for ensuring that academically rigorous curricula are applied in the best instructional manner. Likewise, principals are responsible for leading planning efforts that develop a clear mission statement and

action plan. These responsibilities are layered on top of the need to ensure a safe environment and maintain a positive climate. All leaders face challenges; however, principals face a unique set of challenges. As the role of the principal has become more difficult, efforts have been made to outline the characteristics necessary to ensure success. In 2015, the Interstate School Leaders

Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) drafted a new set of standards. The standards are listed in Table

Table 1

ISLLC Standards for School Leaders ______Standard 1: Vision and Mission An educational leader promotes the success and well-being of every student by ensuring the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a child-centered vision of quality schooling that is shared by all members of the school community.

Standard 2: Instructional Capacity An educational leader promotes the success and well-being of every student by enhancing instructional capacity.

Standard 3: Instruction An educational leader promotes the success and well-being of every student by promoting instruction that maximizes student learning.

Standard 4: Curriculum and Assessment An educational leader promotes the success and well-being of every student by promoting robust and meaningful curricula and assessment programs.

Standard 5: Community of Care for Students An educational leader promotes the success and well-being of every student by promoting the development of an inclusive school climate characterized by supportive relationships and a personalized culture of care.

Standard 6: Professional Culture for Teachers and Staff An educational leader promotes the success and well-being of every student by promoting professionally normed communities for teachers and other staff.

Standard 7: Communities of Engagement for Families An educational leader promotes the success and well-being of every student by promoting communities of engagement for families and other stakeholders.

Standard 8: Operations and Management An educational leader promotes the success and well-being of every student by ensuring effective and efficient management of the school or district to promote student social and academic learning.

Standard 9: Ethical Principles and Professional Norms An educational leader promotes the success and well-being of every student by adhering to ethical principles and professional norms.

Standard 10: Equity and Cultural Responsiveness An educational leader promotes the success and well-being of every student by ensuring the development of an equitable and culturally responsive school.

Standard 11: Continuous School Improvement An educational leader promotes the success and well-being of every student by ensuring the development of a culture of continuous school improvement.

LGB History and Public Education

For the purpose of understanding the review of literature, it is necessary to characterize the terms heterosexism and heteronormativity. Khayatt (1992) illustrates heterosexism and heteronormativity by stating: “Heterosexuality is normative. It is hegemonic. It is also institutionally sanctioned, ideologically affirmed, and socially encouraged and expected.

It is not surprising that the majority of heterosexual people presume that theirs is a ‘natural conception of the world.’ Conversely, homosexuals in general realize that their sexuality or lives or politics do not conform with the norm” (Khayatt, 1992).

Heteronormativity is the initial assumption that all people are heterosexual unless proven otherwise. Therefore, heteronormativity constructs a heterosexist climate in which any deviation from heterosexuality is deemed abnormal (Auciello, 2016).

1850s to the Turn of the Century

Prior to the beginning of the 20 th century, U.S. teachers were primarily men, women were viewed as inferior, and most women were not provided a formal education (Blount, 2003).

However intolerant school climates were, LGB teachers may have been more commonplace

during the turn of the century than society would have liked to believe. In fact, literary scholars such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and Margaret Fuller were educators who were known to participate in homosexual acts (Harbeck, 1997).

The post-Civil War era prompted a rapid growth in public education, but men were less willing to teach due to the low wages. School districts began hiring single women to fill the need for teachers. The women were hired under the agreement that they would remain single and resigned or were fired if they married, which created a somewhat desirable situation for lesbian teachers (Blount, 2003). Teachers were closely monitored since they were expected to maintain a high moral code, and all regulations were strictly enforced (Lugg, 2002).

Historians have traced the beginnings of the worldwide gay rights movement to 1897 in

Germany when a group called the Scientific Humanitarian Committee (SHC) became the first formal gay rights organization (Auciello, 2016). Members of the SHC aimed to educate the public about the homosexual lifestyle, labeling the lifestyle as the “third sex” rather than a whimsical choice. German sexologists endorsed the theories of the SHC and continued to research the homosexual lifestyle (Auciello, 2016).

The German sexologists eventually brought their research overseas to discuss the topic with U.S. physicians, but the findings were not as well-received as they were in Europe. The

U.S. physicians subscribed to the philosophy of the homosexual lifestyle as indicative of degeneracy or disease (Auciello, 2016). The U.S. physicians opted to explore homosexuality through barbaric experiments aimed at eliminating homosexual impulses by castration, electrical aversion therapy, lobotomies, testicular implants, and other “remedies” rather than explore the possibility of innate and productive alternative lifestyles (Lugg, 2003a).

Early 20th Century Through World War II

The 1920s were an era of strict gender norms and expectations, particularly in the teaching profession. Teachers were predominantly female and the few men who remained in the profession were viewed with suspicion (Lugg, 2003a). The preferred role for a male in education was that of an administrator. As Lugg (2003a) stated, “educational administration became by definition masculinist, a career for married males with academic credentials” (p. 106).

The 1920s culture supported stringent gender norms and societal expectations pertaining to sexuality. Emerging research in human sexuality identified heterosexuality and homosexuality as the two primary expressions of human sexuality (Blount, 2004).

Homosexuality was generally considered the devil’s possession, a sin, a crime, a mental disorder, and a learning disorder (Harbeck, 1997). According to Lugg (2003a), researchers in the 1920s characterized homosexuality as an “unhealthy and poor developmental outcome because such behavior violated supposedly natural gender norms and accepted notions of procreative sexual behavior” (p. 106). This prompted officials to strengthen sodomy laws, which in turn intensified the hysteria surrounding homosexuality. A critical eye was turned toward schools, particularly teachers.

The onset of World War II provided an environment where many young military men found themselves living in close quarters with one another for long periods of time. At the same time, many U.S. women sought to fulfill helpful roles of service during the war. Countless young women lived with one another in women’s barracks or apartment houses. The stress of life during World War II provided an environment of abundant close friendships and companions

(Blount, 2003). The U.S. military was cognizant of the potential for same-sex intimacy, so they

screened prospective recruits in order to minimize the prevalence of homosexuality (Blount,

2003; Kinsey, Pomeroy, & Martin, 1948).

In response to the anti-gay rhetoric of the military, bars, cafes, and other social establishments began to pop up in urban areas such as San Francisco, New York, and San Diego.

These areas provided safe environments where public figures like teachers and military personnel who were homosexual could socialize and explore their sexual orientation (Auciello,

2016; Blount, 2003; D’Emilio, 1983).

Post-World War II to the Mid-1970s

At the end of World War II, gender norms in education were restructured. Economic difficulties left most communities incapable of offering respectable compensation for teachers.

Women became the perfect candidates for teaching positions because they were willing to earn lower wages (Blount, 1998, 2003). The desirable roles in education for men were administrative positions. Many veterans pursued degrees in school administration for the leadership positions with respectable compensation (Blount, 2003). School boards typically refrained from hiring men for teaching positions because the work was perceived to be “women’s work.”

The common thought was that homosexual men and women were drawn to teaching, so applicants were screened for homosexuality (Blount, 1999). Male teachers were viewed as effeminate and were regarded as poor role models for young males (Blount, 1999).

Administrative candidates were closely scrutinized as well. In 1946, a writer for the American

School Board Journal outlined the characteristics of a superintendent candidate that was deemed as desirable by stating, “The man selected could not be labeled as an effeminate being. He was a former collegiate athletic hero. His physique was comparable to any of the mythical Greek gods.

He was truly the ultimate in manliness” (Blount, 1999).

Marriage was the final requirement for successful administrative candidates since married men were perceived as more masculine than bachelors. In fact, a 1947 American School Board journal characterized unmarried men as odd, peculiar, vain, selfish, and delinquents of society

(Zeliff, 1947). The terms odd and peculiar were common terms indicating homosexuality at the time (Blount, 1999). The ban on married women in the teaching profession became an issue for female teachers as they were required to remain single in order to focus on their jobs; however, female teachers were then subject to ridicule and suspicion of lesbianism (Blount, 2003).

The 1948 publication of Alfred Kinsey’s Sexual Behavior in the Human Male created a panic in U.S. society as the findings of the study indicated a much higher rate of homosexuality among men than previously assumed (Auciello, 2016). Kinsey and his research team spent a decade studying the sexual behaviors and experiences of men. The findings of their study reported that approximately half of all men surveyed admitted some degree of erotic attraction toward other men. One-third of the men surveyed reported engaging in sexual activity with other men, and the majority of these men were not homosexuals. The study went on to report that 4% of the male population who identified themselves as homosexual were spread throughout every region of the United States and across every work sector, including education (Kinsey, Pomeroy,

& Martin, 1948).

Influential U.S. leaders such as Senator McCarthy responded to the report by launching a congressional investigation to identify and remove perceived homosexuals from employment.

LGB individuals were compared to communists, as outlined by historian John D’Emilio:

According to the extreme anti-communist ideologues, left-wing teachers poisoned the minds of their students; lesbians and homosexuals corrupted their bodies. Communists bore no identifying physical characteristics. Able to disguise their true selves, they infiltrated the government whereas the Hiss and Rosenberg cases demonstrate, they committed treason against their country. They exhibited loyalty to a political ideology and

a power that inspired fanatical, unreasoning passion. Homosexuals too could escape detection. (D’Emilio, 1983)

It was widely believed that homosexuals were more likely to be communists or associate with communists because, it was thought, they were morally inept and their compromised legal status made them vulnerable to communists who could expose their sexual orientation

(D’Emilio, 1983; Lugg, 2003).

State governments began to purge their offices of those who were perceived to be homosexuals (Blount, 1999). The field of education became a focal point in this witch hunt as

Florida legislators known as the John’s Committee dismissed over 100 teachers who were perceived to be homosexual between 1957 and 1963. Suspected LGB teachers endured a litany of fierce interview sessions pertaining to their perceived sexual orientation. Although the committee dissolved after 1965, the Florida Department of Education continued the initiative to remove LGB teachers from public schools throughout the 1970s (Machado, 2014).

Teachers who shared their sexual orientation with colleagues risked being fired.

According to historian Lillian Faderman, the following scenario was common:

Wilma, who was a high school physical education teacher in Downey, a Los Angeles suburb, in the early 1970s, says that after a couple of years at the school she decided she would tell her best friend on the faculty that she as a lesbian because ‘I thought we were really close. She was always telling me about her problems with her children, and I was tired of living a lie with her.’ The other woman went to the principal the next day, saying in light of what she had learned she could no longer work with Wilma. He immediately called Wilma into his office and demanded that she write out a resignation on the spot. In return for her resignation he promised he would not get her credentials revoked: But he said he just wanted me out of the school. We had been good friends. He was priming me for a job as an administration. (Faderman, 1991)

This individual secured another position in public education; however, she married a gay man and insisted that everyone refer to her as “Mrs.” (Faderman, 1991).

Homosexuals were no longer simply thought of as moral outcasts, they were criminalized and considered a risk to national security. In response to this mindset, homosexuals were subject to frequent harassment and violence from police officers and authority figures (Auciello, 2016).

Some states filed lawsuits against gay establishments by attempting to revoke their liquor licenses

(Lugg, 2003a). The plaintiffs in these cases stated that the homosexual conduct that occurred in these establishments was offensive. The conduct listed as offensive included acts of kissing, dancing, and holding hands with someone of the same gender (Auciello, 2016).

In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10450. Its purpose was to investigate federal employees to determine if they were a security risk. It was introduced as a loyalty test but it was perceived as a suitability test. Individuals who were to be excluded from federal employment were those who were neurotic, drank too much, gossiped excessively, and were homosexuals (Johnson, 2004). Along with the continuous purge of homosexuals from the federal government and military, the notion that homosexuals were drawn to careers in which they worked with children continued to grow (Auciello, 2016: Gross, 1962).

A column in the New York Daily Mirror theorized that lesbians were organizing cells in high schools to victimize young students (D’Emilio, 1983). It was believed that the homosexual lifestyle could be perceived as desirable by young individuals and therefore strong disciplinary actions should be in place to protect the young (Auciello, 2016). Fears continued to escalate as did the requests for penalties for those who engaged in same-sex activities. The panic was so widespread that even individuals who were perceived to be homosexual were victimized (Blount,

2003).

The 1970s was a time of nationwide change for LGB individuals. LGB teachers received support from the National Education Association (NEA) as they began advocating for gay rights

and personal freedoms for teachers (Auciello, 2016). Throughout the early 1970s, several states removed statutes regarding sexual activity between consenting adults, thus making it more difficult to dismiss LGB teachers based on criminal activity (Harbeck, 1992, 1997; Auciello, 2016). The slow removal of statutes regarding sexual behavior resulted in a backlash from the Religious Right, the most famous of which was the Save Our Children campaign.

The Save Our Children campaign was spearheaded by former Miss Oklahoma and Miss

America Finalist Anita Bryant. Bryant had publicly endorsed her friend Ruth Shack when Shack for public office in Dade County, Florida. Unbeknownst to Bryant, Shack had promised to support

LGBT rights in return for the LGBT community’s vote (Denton, 2009). Shack championed an anti-discrimination ordinance supporting LGBT rights and it passed with a 5-to-3 vote. Bryant was outraged by the ordinance and immediately began the Save Our Children campaign as a way to reverse the ordinance (Denton, 2009). Americans followed the news closely as they listened to

Bryant, a prominent spokesperson who admittedly had little knowledge of the homosexual lifestyle and had barely even encountered a homosexual person, align homosexuals with various forms of degeneracy such as child pornography (Denton, 2009).

Bryant’s aggression was aimed at “the stereotypical, limp-wristed, seductive, crossdressing, male homosexual who was sexually interested in young boys” (Harbeck, 1997).

Bryant focused on LGB teachers as a people group. As a result of her very public attacks, LGB teachers were viewed as individuals who aim to molest, recruit, and assault young children

(Denton, 2009). The Save Our Children campaign ended on June 7, 1977 when the voters in Dade

County repealed the ordinance which supported equal opportunities for housing and employment for LGBT individuals (Denton, 2009). Bryant’s crusade against the LGBT community was successful in legislation as well as in public opinion as teachers perceived to be LGB lost their

jobs. Minnesota, Kansas, and Oregon followed Florida’s example by developing anti-LGBT legislation.

1980s Through the Millennium

Throughout the 1980s, the gay male community was decimated by the Acquired Immune

Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. Once thought to be a “gay plague,” AIDS began to surface in heterosexuals of various backgrounds. Celebrities such as Arthur Ashe and Magic

Johnson shared their HIV/AIDS status publicly. Consequently, many Americans began to organize and mobilize to demand appropriate medical funding and compassion for those stricken with the disease.

The Gay Men’s Health Crisis was the first community-based AIDS service provider in the

United States. Other organizations such as the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) were born from this harrowing time. Like many difficult times in U.S. history, citizens were either terrified or motivated. While the LGB community experienced extreme discrimination during the

AIDS crisis, it also gained compassion from non-LGB individuals. One well-known illustration of this compassion was the publicized photograph of Princess Diana shaking the hand of an HIV- positive patient in a London hospital. LGB-based organizations began working closely with federal and worldwide organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

EXPERIENCES OF LESBIAN, GAY, AND BISEXUAL TEACHERS IN THE UNITED STATES

Fears of LGB Teachers-Professional Relationships

The support of administration, trust of parents, and respect of students are essential for teachers to deliver lessons in a manner that fosters academic, social, and emotional achievement

for students. Many LGB teachers fear that being open about their sexuality will compromise one or more of the relationships with these stakeholders.

Lesbian and gay teachers often lead secretive lives in school because they believe that identifying themselves to colleagues, students, and their parents would result in one of two unacceptable situations: They would either lose their jobs or their credibility in the school community. (Griffin, 1992)

Teachers are public figures, therefore the support of colleagues is incredibly valuable to them. The reaction of colleagues is of specific concern to LGB teachers, especially when fears of school administration and the community are legitimate. LGB teachers fear the obvious and covert negative repercussions of coming out to colleagues. Elementary school teacher Gretchen

Coburn stated,

I stopped going into the teachers’ room for about two years. Why did I decide to do this? Anytime I walked into the room the conversation ceased. My allies let me know that I was the brunt of disdainful remarks. Most of the staff chose to be cool and distant when I passed them in the halls... there is nothing like being stared at in silence. (Jennings, 1994)

Harassment of LGB teachers by colleagues can be more direct. Elementary school teacher Gary Campbell outlined such an incident:

I was talking to another teacher when I overheard her say, ‘Did you hear about the miracle of AIDS? It turns fruits into vegetables.’ I was stunned, but before I could even think how to react, the bell rang and everyone left for their class... I resolved that I would talk to her after school...As I signed out, I told her that I was shocked at the joke... and that I didn’t understand how she could joke about people dying of such a horrible death. She smirked an, ‘I told you he was’ look at another colleague and proceeded to defend herself by saying she was just repeating a joke her husband had heard at work. (Jennings, 1994) Gary Campbell’s experience mirrored the concerns of many LGB teachers that their relationships with colleagues would be damaged by their coming out or that few colleagues would speak up on their behalf when harassment occurred.

Fears of LGB Teachers-Perceptions of LGB Teachers as Child Predators

LGB teachers have reason to be concerned about being perceived as pedophiles since, historically, stakeholders have grappled with the appropriateness of LGB teachers in public education. The concerns have typically been of LGB adults potentially recruiting children to become members of the LGB community and LGB adults potentially sexually preying on children (Jennings 1994). Both concerns are erroneous as scientific research continues to disprove a person's ability to direct another’s sexual orientation (Burr, 1993) and research indicates that heterosexual males may be responsible for 97% of all cases of child molestation.

In fact, “a child is one hundred times more likely to be molested by the heterosexual partner of a relative than a gay adult” (Elias, 1994).

A male teacher detailed his concerns of public perception in stating,

Since childhood I have longed to teach, but every message I received reinforced the notion that respectable men did not become teachers. If men taught at all, men became professors, and only as a second career. If they taught high school, they became principals. So my real desire to teach grades four, five, and six was dwarfed by these capricious standards and my fear of parents accusing me of sexual abuse or statutory rape because I hugged some young boy. (Jennings, 1994).

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Legislation in the United States

The treatment of LGB individuals has been a common theme in U.S. policy and law since the first British settlers came to the land through the close of the inaugural years of the 21st century. This section discusses the evolution of U.S. policy and law with regard to LGB individuals and is presented as: 1. Colonial Law through the 1930s, 2. Post-World War II to the

Mid-1970s, 3. Late 1970s, and 4. 1980s Through the End of the 20th Century.

Policy and Law: Colonial Law Through the 1930s

The injustice of LGB individuals was promoted during the arrival of the first settlers in

New England as the English sodomy law was enforced in all 13 original colonies (Harbeck,

1992; Lugg, 2003b). The sodomy laws remained in place until 1873. Capital punishment for breaking the sodomy law was in effect for over two centuries.

Although no longer punishable by death at a certain point, sodomy remained a crime until the end of World War II. All homosexual activity was recognized as sodomy; therefore, homosexual acts were commonly known as “crimes against nature.” In many states, educators who were convicted of a related crime would lose their jobs as well as their teaching licenses

(Lipkin, 1999). School boards had autonomous power, and school administrators were strongly encouraged by them to uphold gender norms and regulate sexual behavior by ensuring that LGB individuals did not teach in their schools. The onset of human sexuality research in the 1920s resulted in the expansion of crimes against nature laws, making it illegal to be homosexual

(Denton, 2009).

Policy and Law: Post-World War II to the Mid-1970s

The medical model classified homosexuality as a disease during the post-World War II era. This classification remained until the early 1960s (D’Emilio, 1983; Harbeck, 1992). Many states passed psychopath laws that recognized homosexuality as a serious social disease (Denton,

2009). It was during this time that homosexuals were regularly mistreated by police officers and charged with offenses such as disorderly conduct, vagrancy, solicitation, and public lewdness

(D’Emilio, 1983; Harbeck, 1992).

In 1955, a recommendation to legalize all forms of sexual activity between two consenting adults was made by the American Law Institute. The judicial system slowly started to express leniency in cases without victims. The growing tolerance that was exhibited in the courts trickled down to the public school systems since they could no longer depend on the court

system to support their discrimination of teachers based on their perceived sexuality (Denton,

2009).

The 1969 landmark decision of Morrison v. State Board of Education was a major advancement for LGB teachers. The Supreme Court ruled that a teacher could not be removed from a teaching position without the consideration of the individual's job performance (Harbeck,

1992). The court found “the status of being a homosexual was insufficient grounds for dismissal unless coupled with some related misbehavior” (Harbeck, 1992, p. 126). As a result of the changing legal environment pertaining to LGB teachers, the NEA included sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policy and put forth domestic partner language as a negotiable contract issue for teachers’ unions (Denton, 2009; Rossman, 1997).

In 1978, California senator John Briggs sponsored a ballot known as Proposition 6 which prohibited openly LGB individuals from teaching in public schools (Lugg, 1997; Machado,

2014). Supporters of the referendum shared the belief that LGB teachers were child molesters.

According to activist and former teacher Phyllis Burke:

Briggs attacked the gay community with amazing viciousness, declaring, ‘This is not a civil rights issues’ and warning his audience that only Proposition 6 could prevent homosexuals having access to your children. That’s the issue: Do you or do you not want to give homosexuals access to your children? (Burke, 1993)

It was thought that the Briggs amendment would pass. However, the proposal suffered a significant blow when conservative politician and probable presidential candidate Ronald

Reagan declared that innocent lives would be ruined and homosexuality is not contagious.

Reagan cited research which indicated that homosexuality was determined at an early age and that LGB teachers do not influence children’s sexual orientation (Lugg, 1997). Proposition 6 was defeated by a 59%-to-41% percent vote, but the hostile environment for LGB teachers remained.

Although the American Psychiatric Association (APA) withdrew homosexuality from the

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973, many educators and educational leaders still viewed homosexuality as a mental illness (Jennings, 1994). This perception might be one of the factors regarding the apathetic response to the harassment of individuals who were perceived to be homosexual.

The Gay Rights Movement

Many believe that the Stonewall riots in 1969 were the beginning of the gay rights movement, but the catalyst for the movement began in Chicago in 1924. Henry Gerber founded the Society for Human Rights (SHR) as a means to defend the rights of all individuals as per the

Declaration of Independence (Auciello, 2016). The inception of the SHR was a sheer act of bravery on Gerber’s part as homosexuality was linked to sexual deviance, mental illness, and criminal behavior at the time. The SHR was short-lived due to the lack of participation.

Scholars believe the reluctance to support the SHR was due to the fear of associating with those deemed unfit for society (Auciello, 2016).

The Stonewall Riots were not the impetus of the gay rights movement, in fact they were more like the illustration of the movement. The riots marked the beginning of nationwide gay pride marches. The riots occurred in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, located on Christopher Street in

Greenwich Village, New York City. It was the only bar for gay men in New York City where dancing was allowed. Visitors to the Stonewall Inn in 1969 were inspected by a bouncer through a peephole in order to ensure that undercover police officers did not enter the establishment

(Duberman, 1994). The customers were mostly male but a few lesbians frequented the bar. The age of the clientele ranged from 18 to early 30s. The racial mix was evenly dispersed between

White, Black, and Hispanic individuals (Duberman, 1994).

In 1969, police raids on gay bars were frequent. Bar management usually knew about the raid beforehand due to informants. Most raids occurred early in the evening so that business could commence afterward. At the Stonewall Inn, police officers would collect an envelope of cash as a payoff once a month to ensure a minimally invasive raid (Duberman, 1994). At 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, 1969, four undercover police officers, two uniformed officers, and their two supervisors raided the Stonewall Inn.

The standard procedure for a raid was for the patrons to line up and police officers would then check their identification. Female police officers would escort patrons who were dressed as women to the bathroom to verify their sex. On the evening of June 28, 1969, patrons refused to present the police officers with identification or have their gender checked. A communication issue resulted in stalled backup police wagons. Patrons who were not arrested were released but they did not leave as they had in the past. Instead, they gathered outside the establishment.

Within minutes, the crowd outside of the Stonewall Inn grew to about 150 people (Duberman,

1994).

Upon the arrival of additional patrol cars, handcuffed individuals were paraded in front of the crowd then placed in the patrol cars. The crowd responded with shouts of “gay power!” and began singing, “We shall overcome” (Duberman, 1994). A scuffle broke out when a woman in handcuffs fought the police officers who were trying to place her in the patrol car. During the commotion it was reported that she had been hit on the head by a baton after she yelled that the handcuffs were too tight (Duberman, 1994). The riots continued until 4 a.m.; news of the riot spread quickly and was outlined in the top three newspapers. The following evening, thousands of people organized in front of the Stonewall Inn to protest the marginalization of the gay

community (Duberman, 1994). The openly gay beat poet Allen Ginsberg joined the protesters.

The riot continued until the early morning hours again.

Influential gay rights organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and Gay

Activists Alliance (GAA) were born from the Stonewall Inn incidents. On June 29, 1970, the

Christopher Street Liberation Day took place on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

Individuals marched in solidarity down Christopher Street, creating the first gay pride march in

U.S. history. Similar marches were held in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. The next year, gay pride marches were held Boston, Dallas, Milwaukee, London, Paris, West Berlin, and

Stockholm (Duberman, 1994). Today, gay pride events are held annually through the world toward the end of June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots.

Policy and Law: The 1980s Through the End of the 20th Century

The emerging Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) pandemic heightened the public awareness of gay men and prompted stakeholders to question whether sexual education should be increased in school curricula in order to protect students. Two events transformed the way in which policy makers handled sexual education, the first of which was the death of actor

Rock Hudson on October 2, 1985. The second was the report issued by the U.S. Surgeon

General C. Everett Koop.

Hudson was known for his romantic roles in movies and television shows and close friendship with President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan. He was viewed as the all-

American man and was largely perceived to be heterosexual (Lugg, 1997). The death of Hudson gave a face to the AIDS epidemic. From July to December of 1985, NBC broadcasted over 200 stories on AIDS, three times more than the time period of 1980 through 1984 (Gross, 1993).

Koop was known to be a conservative evangelical Christian. Consequently, it came as a shock when he published a report on October 22, 1986 addressing the AIDS epidemic in a direct and unapologetic manner (Lugg, 1997). He offered three public health responses to combating the epidemic: “one, abstinence; two, monogamy; three, condoms.” Next, he advised school districts to address the AIDS epidemic and preventative measures “at the lowest grade possible”

(Cannon, 1991). Historically, sex education tended to be a topic that was barely discussed and the mention of gay and lesbian issues was rare (Gibson, 1994).

The emergence of the story of Ryan White painted another type of picture of individuals infected with HIV/AIDS as White was neither a homosexual nor sexually active. White was a teenager from Indiana who, due to hemophilia, required blood transfusions. He acquired AIDS through a tainted blood transfusion. White inadvertently became an advocate for the HIV/AIDS epidemic when his doctor cleared him to return to school, but his school district would not permit him into the school. The White family filed a lawsuit against the school district and eventually won. White’s exclusion from public school illustrated the prejudicial nature of marginalized groups within the public school system. This discrimination was seen on television and in newspaper and magazine articles.

Anti-Discrimination Legislation and the LGB Community: Federal Law

LGBTQ rights in the United States vary by jurisdiction; however, some rights are governed by federal law. In 2003, the landmark case of Lawrence v. Hodges legalized same-sex activity between two consenting adults. Prior to 2003, sodomy laws were still in place that allowed for LGBTQ individuals to be discriminated against and punished. In 2015, same-sex marriage became the law of the land in the United States. In the same year, the Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission concluded that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 should include sexual orientation as a protected group because discrimination based on sexual orientation would be a form of sex discrimination (Tate, 2015). While great strides have been made for LGBTQ individuals, the United States still lacks overall federal protections for LGBTQ individuals.

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Legislation in New Jersey

Prior to the Revision of New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act in 2011, L. W., a fourth grade student in the Toms River Regional School District, endured verbal and physical assaults. Students would frequently say, “You’re so gay,” “You’re a homo,” and “You’re a fag”

(L. W. v. Toms River Regional Schools Board of Education, 2005). Upon entering fifth grade,

L. W. was subject to daily verbal assaults which resulted in his refusal to attend school. In seventh grade, a note was left in L. W.’s locker that read, “You’re gay, you’re a faggot, you don’t belong in our school, get out” (L. W. v. Toms River Regional Schools Board of Education,

2005).

On January 21, 1999 while in the school cafeteria, L. W. was physically assaulted by 15 to 20 students who proceeded to hit him on the head while calling him a “faggot” and “homo.”

The teacher who witnessed the incident did not intervene (L. W. v. Toms River Regional Schools

Board of Education, 2005). Soon after, while waiting on line in the cafeteria L. W.’s genitals were grabbed and he was “humped” by another student multiple times as the assailant yelled,

“Do you like it, do you like it like this?” (L. W. v. Toms River Regional Schools Board of

Education, 2005). None of the students that witnessed this incident intervened. The assaults continued throughout L. W.’s high school career to the point where L. W. was physically attacked on the way to school. The assailant stated, “We don’t like faggots, our family doesn’t

like faggots” (L. W. v. Toms River Regional Schools Board of Education, 2005). L. W. was left with injuries which made it difficult for him to chew. As a result, he missed more days of school.

L. W. transferred to a neighboring school district for the remainder of his high school career. The Superior Court of New Jersey decided that the Toms River Regional School District failed to take reasonable action to stop the bullying of L. W. based on his perceived sexual orientation. The school district was ordered to pay L. W. over $65,000 for pain and humiliation along with over $30,000 toward the state’s counsel fees (L. W. v. Toms River Regional Schools

Board of Education, 2013).

Statistics reveal a high prevalence of HIB directed toward LGB students in U.S. middle schools and secondary schools compared to the general population (L. W. v. Toms River

Regional Schools Board of Education, 2005). For example, in a neighboring school district to L.

W., Daniel Jacobson grappled with harassment and bullying issues based upon his perceived sexual orientation that also included assault. Jacobson outlined verbal and physical assaults which allegedly took place between September, 2002 and June, 2006. He discussed being physically assaulted by another student, receiving harassing phone calls, and having his chest grabbed in the cafeteria by another student who proceeded to yell, “second base!” (Daniel

Jacobson and the Director of New Jersey Division of Civil Rights v. Jackson School District,

2013). Jacobson reported that he heard unfavorable comments about gays “pretty much on a daily basis.” He reported being called “fucking faggot” and that female students in his health and physical education course made derogatory remarks toward him based on his perceived sexual orientation (Daniel Jacobson and the Director of the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights v. Jackson School District, 2013).

Jacobson’s complaint was eventually dismissed by an ALJ citing that all reported incidents were handled in an appropriate manner. The student who had assaulted Jacobson was immediately reported to the police and charged with assault. The student also received a 10 day suspension. Administrative staff members supervised the hallways where the verbal attacks had allegedly occurred, Jacobson’s teachers were notified, administrative staff members conducted multiple meetings with his parents, district policies and procedures were updated, and professional development opportunities were offered to staff members pertaining to HIB.

Unfortunately, Jacobson did not report every incident as he “suspected that such complaints would not be adequately addressed and he felt it ‘best...to stay under the radar’” (Daniel

Jacobson and the Director of the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights v. Jackson School District,

2013). He may not have won the court case, but he did bring to light the HIB issue regarding

LGB individuals within the Jackson Township School District.

While Jacobson brought the reality of ongoing HIB issues to light through the courts,

New Jersey was actually one of the first states, in 2002, to pass legislation which addressed HIB within public schools and higher education institutions. The New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill of

Rights Act was created in response to school shootings, specifically the massacre of 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in 1999. Much of the data collected after these tragedies referenced a commonality of HIB suffered by the assailants (Pies, 2007). The New

Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights defined bullying and outlined procedures which were required to address the issue. The law placed accountability requirements on teachers, school leaders, and superintendents by requiring communication and action regarding HIB incidents.

Thus, the law addressed the need for a positive and safe climate for students to learn. Although

the law was thorough, a string of subsequent student suicides proved that the legislation needed to be strengthened. One such case was that of Tyler Clementi.

Clementi was a freshman at Rutgers University in the fall of September 2010. Having recently come out to his family as a homosexual, he began dating a man who had visited his dormitory on a few occasions. It was during those sessions that Clementi and his partner unknowingly had their sexual encounters broadcast from a webcam owned by his roommate,

Dharun Ravi, who had secretly directed the camera toward Clementi’s bed. Clementi learned of the intrusion when Ravi posted encounters on Twitter. Upon attempting to livestream

Clementi’s next romantic encounter, Ravi also sent text messages saying that there would be a viewing party to watch Clementi and his guest along with directions on how to view it remotely

(Schweber, 2012).

Tyler’s mother, Jane Clementi, was a guest speaker at the Human Rights Campaign’s

Time to Thrive conference in February, 2016. The researcher was fortunate to secure a seat in her training session. She stated that court records indicated that prior to his fatal jump off of the

George Washington Bridge, her son viewed Ravi’s social media postings, as well as others’ hateful responses, 38 times. Ravi was convicted on 15 counts of invasion of privacy, tampering with evidence, witness tampering, and hindering the apprehension of prosecution (Parker, 2012).

He served less than 30 days in jail, was on probation for 3 years, and was ordered to complete

300 hours of community service. He paid a fine of $10,000 and had to complete counseling on cyberbullying and alternative lifestyles (Parker, 2012). Ravi’s Twitter feed is still active and currently displays entries from supporters who believe in his innocence.

GLSEN is the leading national educational organization to focus on ensuring safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ students (GLSEN, 2015). In 1999, GLSEN recognized the

lack of data regarding the experiences of LGBTQ students in school environments, so the NSCS was developed to investigate the lived experiences of LGBTQ students in the United States.

Over the ensuing years (every other year) to present day, the NSCS has documented the unique challenges that LGBTQ students encounter as well as interventions that assist in creating safe and supportive environments for LGB students. The NSCS remains one of the few instruments used to examine the school experiences of LGB students (GLSEN, 2015).

GLSEN unveiled the findings of their 2015 NSCS in which 10,528 LGBTQ students between the ages of 13 and 21 were asked to answer questions of their experiences with the occurrence of homophobic remarks, their feelings of personal safety, their attendance, and harassment/assault within their schools (GLSEN, 2015). Students of various sexual orientations and gender identities from 50 states and the District of Columbia took part in the survey. The findings illustrated a hostile school climate for LGB youth as 57.6% of LGBTQ students reported that they felt unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation. The majority of LGBTQ students, 85.2%, were called derogatory names and threatened at school due to their sexual orientation. In addition to the verbal harassment, 27% of LGBTQ students reported being physically harassed at school as a result of their sexual orientation (GLSEN, 2015).

GLSEN revealed that almost all of the LGBTQ students who participated in the NSCS heard the term gay used in a negative way. The homophobic language was used by their peers as well as teachers and other school staff members. In fact, 56.2% of students reported hearing homophobic remarks from teachers or other school staff members. The obvious result of negative school environments was that LGBTQ students felt unsafe in school, had attendance issues, and suffered poor academic performance. The NSCS revealed that, overall, students in

public schools experienced a higher rate of anti-LGBT victimization compared to students in nonpublic school settings (GLSEN, 2015).

While the existence of harassment and bullying continues to be a pervasive issue in the

United States, the targeting of students who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual as well as those who are perceived to be gay, lesbian, or bisexual is particularly severe in New Jersey. This has been proven through multiple court cases and the NSCS reinforced this judgment. Findings from the

2015 NSCS indicated that New Jersey was not safe for most lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) secondary school students. In addition, the survey revealed that many

LGBTQ students in New Jersey did not have access to LGBTQ resources such as inclusive curricula. Lastly, the NSCS indicated that many LGBTQ students were not protected by comprehensive anti-bullying/harassment school policies (GLSEN, 2015).

Conclusion

The prevalence of heterosexism has allowed the mindset of heterosexual superiority to continue in American culture. The cloud of heterosexism and the persecution of those who do not adhere to the norm has hovered over public schools since before the late 19 th century. Mass conservatism during the post-World War II era increased U.S. citizens’ fear of homosexuality, especially in regard to LGB teachers who were in constant contact with children (D’Emilio,

1983). Influential individuals such as President Eisenhower, Bryant, Senator McCarthy, and

Senator Briggs furthered the notion that LGB individuals were immoral persons who aimed to recruit young children and were prone to pedophilia (Denton, 2009).

Legislation such as sodomy laws, Executive Order 10450, and Proposition 6 directly and indirectly informed LGB individuals they were not wanted in the education field and if they already were teachers, they should remain closeted (Harbeck, 1992). The LGBTQ community

enjoyed many successes in the last decade such as marriage equality, legislation against hate crime, and the repeal of DADT. However, the LGBTQ advancements created a backlash in the form of the Free Exercise Protection Act, the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, and the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in 2016.

Education has often been described as the most homophobic profession (Blount, 2003;

Lugg, 2003b). LGB teachers have been referred to as the invisible minority due to the lack of research pertaining to LGB teachers and the pervasive notion that LGB teachers do not exist

(Lugg, 2003b). The researcher aimed to improve the information regarding LGB teachers in the

United States with empirical data through this study.

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY

Overview

The review of the relevant literature pertaining to LGB teachers illustrated the lack of scholarly literature in regard to LGB teachers and school climate. Likewise, most of the research was conducted more than 5 years ago. In fact, about half of the relevant literature was conducted more than 15 years ago. It was clear that updated information was needed regarding the experiences of LGB teachers. More specifically, the impact of school climate on LGB teachers should be researched in order to construct the foundation for further studies. The following research questions guided the study:

1. What is the school climate for LGB teachers in K-12 public schools in New Jersey?

a. What is school climate?

b. What are the characteristics of a positive school climate?

c. What are the characteristics of a negative school climate?

2. What perceptions/experiences do LGB teachers report regarding contextual formal

policies/laws and contextual informal actions/attitudes that may or may not have shaped

their professional lives?

3. Does socioeconomic status, geographical location, or grade level impact the climate for

LGB teachers in K-12 public schools?

4. How do non-LGB teachers perceive the school climate compared to LGB teachers in the

same building/school district?

Research Design

This study used a qualitative research method and was divided into two phases. The first phase of the study consisted of participants’ completion of an online survey. Potential

participants were notified of the survey through emails, social media, advertisements, flyers/posters, letters, and in-person requests. The survey was accessible to all current public school teachers in New Jersey. Participants were asked to answer questions pertaining to their school environment regarding homophobic remarks, harassment, school characteristics, and personal characteristics. The results of this survey were used to create a faction of teachers to be interviewed by the researcher. Two of the teachers who were selected to participate in the second phase of the study scored the lowest on the survey, indicating a negative environment for

LGB teachers. Two of the teachers who were selected to participate in the second phase of the study scored the highest on the survey, indicating a positive environment for LGB teachers.

The second phase of the study included face-to-face interviews in a semi-structured, open-ended question format with each teacher. The researcher arranged a mutually agreed upon time, date, and location for the interview. The researcher asked all participants the same questions. Marshall and Rossman (1989) recognized qualitative researchers as those who inquire about a topic to the furthest degree, then collect data and examine the evidence in various ways to construct a whole picture. The face-to-face interviews assisted the researcher in understanding the teachers’ perceptions of school climate as it pertained to LGB teachers.

Sampling

The NJDOE listed 11,584 individuals as full-time teachers during the 2015-2016 school year (NJDOE, 2013). This study allowed all current public school teachers in New Jersey to have access to the online survey. The schools spanned all socioeconomic categories as well as varied in size, geographic location, and grade level of instruction. The researcher allowed all public school teachers in New Jersey to participate in the first phase of the study in order to ensure an adequate sample size. The sampling of these teachers provided a range of viewpoints

on the impact of school climate on LGB teachers in New Jersey. Additionally, by offering the survey to all current teachers, there was diversity in gender, ethnicity, race, age, and years of instruction.

Instrumentation

GLSEN, the leading national educational organization to focus on ensuring safe and supportive environments for LGBT students (GLSEN, 2015) conducted research on the lived experiences of LGBT students in schools in the United States in 2015. GLSEN recognized the lack of data regarding the experiences of LGB students in school environments. The NSCS was developed to investigate the lived experiences of LGBT students in the United States. The

NSCS documented the unique challenges that LGBT students encounter as well as interventions that assist in creating safe and supportive environments for LGB students. The researcher thus used the NSCS as a framework for the development of the online survey in this study.

The survey instrument was created in light of an extensive study of the relevant literature regarding LGB teachers and school climate. Research led to the establishment of the indicators of school climate pertaining to LGB teachers. Potential participants were notified of the survey through emails, social media, advertisements, flyers/posters, letters, and in-person requests. The survey was accessible for all current public school teachers in New Jersey. Participants were asked to answer questions pertaining to their school environment regarding homophobic remarks, harassment, school characteristics, and personal characteristics.

Data Analysis

The data obtained from the online survey were used in a composite format with the total scores then placed on a continuum for all of the subjects. The data obtained from the survey were analyzed using a comparison of the total survey scores as well as the average survey scores.

Ranking each score on a continuum from the lowest to highest allowed the researcher to choose a cohort of four teachers: two teachers who scored the lowest in LGB supportive environment and two teachers who scored the highest in LGB supportive environment.

The researcher collected the qualitative interview data, then an analysis of the interviews was examined against: the questions and statements which were coded as negative indicators; and the questions and statements which were coded as positive indicators. The researcher used the data to assess and further analyze patterns and themes regarding school climate for LGB teachers. During the data analysis phase, trends of the indicators pertaining to school climate were identified.

The process of identifying themes included, first, a rereading of all data several times to get a sense of what the data represented in totality. Then, the researcher organized the data by breaking down each interview and sorting the data by question. Next, the responses were reviewed by question several times to get a sense of what the responses contained as a whole.

General categories, themes, and subcategories were identified. When applicable, the researcher tabulated the frequency of similar responses for each indicator found in the data under analysis.

The final step in the process was to utilize the data to select the participants for the face-to-face interviews.

CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

Introduction

The online survey generated survey results from 319 participants throughout 18 counties in New Jersey. Figure 1 is a graphic illustration of the distribution of the counties and the average score per county.

Figure 1

Initially, 27 of the survey questions were coded as indicators of climate. The coded questions were scored, which resulted in a total score for each participant. The participants for the interview phase of the research were selected based on the total score of their surveys. A low score indicated a high frequency of homophobic issues within the participant’s school (as perceived by the participant). Conversely, a high score indicated a low frequency of homophobic issues within the participant’s school (as perceived by the participant). The four highest scores were 106, 106, 104, and 104. Upon further inspection, the researcher discovered

that the participants with high scores were a vice principal, a social worker, a speech therapist, and a superintendent, respectively. These individuals were not interviewed since the study was specifically for public school teachers. The next highest scores were 104 and 104; both participants were heterosexual women. The participants completed the interview phase. The two lowest scores were 59 and 70; both individuals were gay males. One of the individuals did not respond to multiple attempts to set up an interview. The other individual became a participant in the interview phase of the research. The next lowest score was 71; the individual identified as a lesbian. This individual participated in the interview phase of the research.

Study Participants

Face-to-face interviews with the 4 participants took place in which the participants were asked the same 20 questions. Four public school teachers participated in the interview phase of the research: one gay male, one lesbian female, and two heterosexual females. The participants represented a broad range of ages, years of instruction, and levels of instruction. Two of the participants were between the ages of 31-40, and the other 2 participants were between the ages of 41-50. One participant had been a certified teacher in New Jersey for 6-10 years, two for 11-

20 years, and one for 21-30 years. Two participants taught at the high school level and 2 participants taught at middle school level.

The demographics in which the 4 participants taught were diverse regarding socioeconomic status, setting, and county. Three of the participants taught in schools for which they considered the majority of students to be of a low socioeconomic status. One participant taught in a school for which she considered the majority of students to be of a middle socioeconomic status. The setting of 2 participants’ schools was suburban, 1 participant’s school was rural, and one participant's school was urban. Two of the participants taught in Ocean

county, one participant taught in Burlington county, and one participant taught in Monmouth county. Figure 2 represents the demographic information of each participant's school on the basis of size of school/number of staff members, setting, socioeconomic status, county, and level of instruction.

Figure 2

Partici- Size of School/ Setting Socioeconomic County Level of pant Number of Staff Status Instruct- Members ion

JG 51-200 Suburban Low Ocean High School

MM 51-200 Rural Low Burlington Middle School

MO 51-200 Suburban Middle Ocean High School

MB 1-50 Urban Low Monmouth High School

Figure 3 represents the personal indicators for each participant on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and number of years certified as a public school teacher in

New Jersey.

Figure 3

Participant Age Sex Sexual Race/ Number of Years Orientation Ethnicity Certified as a Public School Teacher in New Jersey

JG 31-40 Female Heterosexual Multiracial 6-10 (Two or More Races)

MM 41-50 Male Gay White or 11-20 European American

MO 31-40 Female Heterosexual White or 11-20 European American

MB 41-50 Female Lesbian White or 21-30 European American

For confidentiality purposes, the participants agreed to be identified by the initials JG,

MM, MO, and MB. During this study, the participants were all full-time public school teachers in New Jersey. JG and MO reported they had never been harassed in any manner due to their sexual orientation; however, MM and MB each had resigned from at least one teaching position due to multiple forms of harassment regarding their sexual orientation. The experiences of MM and MB illustrated the negative climate for LGB teachers in their schools. Twentieth-century notions pertaining to LGB teachers continue to taint the minds of U.S. citizens in the ways both

MM and MB shared a fear of losing their job, being accused of pedophilia, and being under suspicion of recruiting young children to the LGB lifestyle due to their sexual orientation.

Data Analysis

The following interview questions were discussed with each participant. The interview questions aligned with the research questions which framed the study:

Question 1. The National Education Association defines school climate as “norms, values, and expectations that support people feeling socially, emotionally and physically safe.”

a. Describe examples of positive school climate indicators for teachers in your school. b. Describe examples of negative school climate indicators for teachers in your school.

c. Describe examples of positive school climate indicators specific to LGB teachers in your school. d. Describe examples of negative school climate indicators specific to LGB teachers in your school.

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM described a security force in his school which could be called upon when a person felt unsafe. Likewise, MM stated that teachers were encouraged to stand at their doors in between class periods to monitor the hallways. When asked about positive school climate indicators for his school regarding the social and emotional well-being of teachers, MM stated that Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) usually created a social time for which teachers would bring food, share personal stories, and “let their hair down, unwind.” In 2013, the NJDOE enacted new standards regarding professional learning. Standard 6A:9-15.3 outlined the need for a group of teachers to form “learning communities committed to continuous improvement, collective responsibility, and goal alignment” (NJDOE, 2013). Public school teachers meet with their PLC group on a daily or weekly schedule based on the school schedule.

When asked to describe negative climate indicators within his school, MM stated, “Any attempts to make climate comfortable for LGBT teachers are pretty nonexistent. Completely nonexistent.” The examples that were given to the researcher highlighted that when concerns regarding the negative climate for LGB teachers were brought to the attention of administrators, the concerns were ignored. MM said that administrators and teachers whom he knew to be lesbian, gay, or bisexual were not open about their sexuality. MM clarified that he was the only out teacher in his school of 100-150 teachers.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB’s previous school district, SHS, was not accepting of her sexuality and staff members made that very clear to her. The students within MB’s class came from affluent families. MB shared a personal story that occurred in 1998 when she and her partner were going through the adoption process and planned on her taking a short maternity leave. MB’s principal made it clear that she was to write a letter to parents of her students, clarifying the she alone was adopting a child and would be taking maternity leave. MB stated, “I had to write a letter to the parents stating that I’m unmarried, but that my child was through adoption, because the principal didn’t want people to think that I was an unwed mother giving birth to a child.” MB explained that, as per the principal, the letter was to state that she “wasn’t married. I wasn’t allowed to say that my partner and I were adopting. I had to say that I was adopting a baby.”

The survey data from this study aligned with MB’s experience in that schools with a high socioeconomic status scored an average 93.8, which was below the overall average score of 94.2, thus indicating a high prevalence of homophobic issues in MB’s affluent school. The highest average score (95.9) indicating a low occurrence of homophobic issues belonged to schools with a middle socioeconomic status. The lowest average score (92.5) belonged to schools with a low socioeconomic status. Figure 4 illustrates the survey data.

Figure 4

The researcher asked MB how this experience made her feel. MB declared that the entire school system made it very uncomfortable for her as a lesbian teacher. When asked to elaborate,

MB shared a story that occurred with the Human Resources (HR) Director. According to MB, the HR Director told to her to stop talking about her social interactions with “friends.” It was clear to MB that the superior meant her girlfriend at the time. MB had recently referenced camping with friends while describing how to calculate the slope to her class. She compared the slope in the lesson to a mountain that she saw while camping. The HR Director warned MB that the story was taken “the wrong way by a student.” MB resigned from her teaching position at

SHS immediately following this situation. According to the survey data, MB’s experience with school administration members was not typical; however, 3.8% of participants reported hearing

homophobic remarks from administration. Figure 5 illustrates the occurrences of homophobic remarks from school administration members.

Figure 5

When asked to discuss positive school climate indicators, MB talked about her second school district, CHS, and how she immediately noticed vehicles with LGBT stickers on them in the faculty parking lot. Her immediate thought was, “Are they crazy?” She was worried that the cars would be defaced due to the LGBT stickers. The year was 1999. CHS began to offer LGBT meetings for students and staff members. It was not a formal Gay Straight Alliances (GSAs) group, but a club that was geared toward LGBT students, staff members, and allies to allow conversations about LGBT topics. MB said that she was “mortified” when a student suggested that she join the group. At this point, MB would not even put a picture of her girlfriend on her

desk or talk to anyone at work about her personal life. MB described entering the room where the LGBT meeting was held as one of the scariest moments of her life.

Even though MB had positive experiences at CHS, she experienced negative experiences with central administration members regarding insurance coverage for her daughter. Her daughter was a biological child of her partner’s born prior to their relationship. The HR Director informed MB that the child could not be covered under MB’s health insurance. MB described the HR Director as a “holier than thou Catholic woman” who told her that when she had a

“significant life changing event,” she could put her daughter on her insurance. Soon after, New

Jersey passed legislation recognizing same-sex marriage. MB approached the HR Director to, once again, cover her daughter under her health insurance. According to MB, the HR Director said, “You getting married is not a life-changing event. If you were heterosexual it would be.”

This statement was made in front of MB’s colleagues. MB told the HR Director, “I’m telling you right now that you're hurting my feelings and it was a life changing event.” The HR

Director responded with, “No it wasn’t.” Upon speaking with the Superintendent of Schools,

MB was told that the HR Director was the expert of HR and that “whatever she says goes.”

MB sued the school district and won, receiving acknowledgment of her hardship and financial compensation for the years in which CHS did not cover her daughter under her health insurance. Yet the discrimination from this school’s administrators did not completely cease.

When MB relocated to another school, her current school district told her that they had yet to receive the documentation pertaining to her pension from her prior school district. MB believed that this was her previous HR Director’s way of continuing to discriminate against her. She stated, “I know damn well it’s because of that. She’s giving me a hard time because she doesn’t believe in our lifestyle. She made that clear that she doesn’t believe in our lifestyle.”

At the time of MB’s relocation, which was after 18 years at CHS, she was a few years shy of her retirement. MB detailed a very open discussion during her interview with a new school district in which she made it clear that she was a lesbian. The administrators stated that her sexuality was not an issue, and MB was hired. MB felt that this school district’s positive indicators of school climate were that they were open and accepting. However, she relayed that students used homophobic remarks toward her when they were displeased with her. An example of a student statement was, “Oh, this f-ing dyke.” MB explained the statements in a dismissive manner, stating that the disgruntled students acted this way because they were upset that she

“snitched” on them.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO used adjectives such as helpful, social, friendly, and happy to describe the individuals in her school. She said that colleagues compliment one another, cover for one another, and help whenever necessary. The negative indicators of school climate for MO’s school were the “complainers,” the teachers who left meetings exactly at three o’clock as per their contract, and the teachers who complained about losing their preparation period during standardized testing.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG described her school as “very friendly, cooperative, very accepting.” Examples of indicators that make the school inclusive were a variety of student clubs including a GSA, staff members who wore items that identified their affiliation with the LGBT community, social gatherings that were inclusive of all individuals, supportive administrators who worked with the guidance team to address HIB and support students, and consistent offerings of trainings for staff

members on LGBT topics. JG mentioned that her guidance department worked very closely with administration and parents/guardians. The guidance counselors regularly consulted with the students’ parents/guardians and mediated issues for students and their family members.

JG’s and MB’s positive accounts of school climate for LGB teachers in urban schools conflicted with the data from the survey; however, they aligned with the data from the 2015

NSCS pertaining to LGBT students. The data from the NSCS revealed that LGBTQ students in rural environments reported the highest prevalence of homophobic remarks, experienced the highest levels of victimization based on sexual orientation, and were more likely to experience discrimination based on their sexual orientation, than students in suburban and urban schools

(GLSEN, 2015).

The data from this study indicated that suburban schools had the highest average score

(94.7), indicating the lowest frequency of homophobic issues. Rural schools had the lowest average score (92.9), indicating the highest frequency of homophobic issues. The average score for urban schools was very close that of rural schools, with a score of 93.1. Figure 5 illustrates the data retrieved from the survey.

Figure 6

Question 2. If you described a difference in the school climate for non-LGB teachers in comparison to LGB teachers, please explain and provide examples.

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM stated that non-LGB teachers probably felt more comfortable in the school environment. He detailed the root of this opinion by sharing incidents during Intervention and

Referral Services (I&RS) meetings in his school building. As a member of the I&RS team, MM was tasked with the duty of identifying students who were struggling in various ways and was charged with developing an action plan with the other I&RS team members. This particular

I&RS team was made up of teachers, guidance counselors, child study team members, and the principal.

MM shared that when LGB students or those whom the I&RS suspected to be struggling with their sexual orientation were discussed, action plans were never devised to assist the student. Even the students who were being bullied and harassed due to their perceived sexual orientation were not offered assistance regarding LGB issues. MM mentioned that he suggested a mentoring program for LGB students. No such program was ever developed. The researcher asked if LGB resources such as websites and books were ever shared with students who were perceived to be struggling with their sexual identity. MM stated, “No. I would say that teachers generally agree with me that that [sexual orientation] is the source of child’s problem and that is completely ignored.”

The researcher asked MM why, in his opinion, did the I&RS team members refuse to assist students who might be struggling with their sexual orientation. MM stated, “That would be admitting that there are children that are genuinely struggling with their sexual identity.”

Statements such as this illustrate why MM, a gay teacher, felt a strong sense of rejection from the school community due to his sexual orientation. He did not see himself reflected in the other adults in the school and when the opportunity presented itself to assist LGB students, the other adults refused to lend a hand.

In contrast to the non-assistive attitude toward LGB students, MM’s school district did not ignore other unique personal needs of segments of the school population. MM’s school district was situated on the outskirts of a military base, therefore a large number of the students in the school had one or both parents serving in the military. MM described his school district as

a very Republican-based, family-centered, military environment. The school district recognized the unique issues that presented themselves to children with deployed parents and had a mentoring program in place to support the students whose parents were overseas. When asked what the program for these children in need entailed, MM stated, “They will bring in officers from the base to eat lunch with the kids, to mentor them, to talk to them about things.” MM’s school district recognized the different types of problems that a child of a deployed parent might face and supported that student with individuals and programs, even a mentorship program, which they refused to consider for LGB students.

The lack of support of students and teachers/staff members who identify as LGB was evident through the data in this study. While some schools reported accessibility to LGB topics through technology and publications in their school library, the majority of the participants were unsure of whether these materials were available for the students. This lack of knowledge indicated a lack of usage of these resources and a lack of professional conversation regarding resources for LGB individuals. The data indicated that at least 60.8% of schools do not offer

LGB supportive clubs such as GSAs. Figures 7, 8, and 9 illustrate the availability of LGB resources for students as per the survey.

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

Although MB’s current school district was inclusive of all different types of individuals, there was a clear distinction between the climate for heterosexual teachers compared to LGB teachers in her previous school districts. MB explained that LGB teachers were not invited to social gatherings like parties or baby/bridal showers. In fact, administrators in her previous school districts encouraged her to change the way that she spoke and dressed. MB said, “I have a city accent, and she [the principal] said ‘you’re not there anymore.’ That’s what she told me.

She told me that if I was ‘going somewhere’ to make sure that I end it with a strong G.”

Regarding attire, MB typically wore khakis to work. Although she was in compliance with the school district’s dress code, she was told by her principal to “clean up” and “shine up a

bit, polish up a bit.” MB felt that this was in response to the fact that she did not wear clothes that were typically considered as feminine.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO did not feel there was a difference in school climate for heterosexual teachers compared to LGB teachers. She characterized the school climate as “accepting and very loving.”

She believed that this was the case for LGB teachers as there were at least a handful of LGB teachers in the school who were out.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG stated that the school climate was the same for non-LGB teachers and LGB teachers in her school. She said that the school climate was very accepting of all differences.

Figure 10 represents a graphic illustration of the average survey scores of participants based on their sexual orientation. The overall average score of participants was 94.2%, while heterosexual and asexual participants’ scores were higher than this average. Bisexual, gay, and lesbian participants’ scores were lower than the overall average with scores of 92.8%, 90.7%, and 92%, respectively. Gay men reported the lowest average score of perceived school climate.

Figure 10

Question 3. Describe any experiences that occurred while you were a teacher regarding homophobic remarks. What was said and who was present? Did anyone intervene (e.g., immediately address the individual who made the remark and/or try to stop the remarks)?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM described an experience that occurred with a colleague during a PLC meeting. The colleague was describing incidents that occurred between two male students in which one of the students was harassing the other. The victim was perceived to be gay by the colleagues in the

PLC meeting. The other male student continuously caressed the victim’s neck and head even though he did not want to be touched. The teacher addressed the harassing behavior by asking,

“Why do you keep touching him? What are you gay?” The statement was made in front of other

students and was intended to end the harassing behavior; however, the side effect was most likely embarrassment and shame for both students. Teachers have enormous power in the classroom, power which can be dangerous when used to belittle students (Richardson & Shupe,

2003). This approach to HIB of LGB students is especially toxic because LGB students typically already harbor a sense of shame due to their sexual identity (Monroe, 2009).

MM described the environment of the PLC meeting following his colleague’s remark.

He indicated that all of his colleagues were silent and that he felt uncomfortable. When asked why no one addressed the colleague, he stated, “I work in a school where the culture is intensely homophobic and I decided in that moment to just let it go.” MM said that he brought up the issue at the next PLC meeting and that his colleagues recognized they should have said something and apologized for being silent. The colleague who made the comment to the two male students was not present at this meeting, however. MM expressed that he felt ashamed that he did not address the situation when it arose.

MM’s experience illustrates that while embarrassing students is never an appropriate way to address harassing behaviors in the classroom, ignoring negative behaviors can be just as harmful. In general, 14.4% of the participants in this study reported that they typically do not address homophobic remarks made toward a student or staff member who is perceived to be

LGB in order to minimize the attention on that individual. Figure 11 illustrates these findings.

Figure 11

Instead of belittling or ignoring students who are harassing others, teachers should address the situation in a manner that separates the behavior from the person and should avoid discipline styles related to ridicule. Students should be given privacy when discussing their poor behavior with teachers (Monroe, 2009).

Figure 12 illustrates the prevalence of homophobic remarks made by teachers and staff members as occurring occasionally, 16.9%, and frequently, 0.3%, per the survey results.

Figure 12

MM’s experience of homophobic remarks in the presence of teachers aligned with the survey data in that 37.3% of the participants reported that teachers or staff members occasionally or never addressed homophobic remarks when they were made in their presence. Figure 13 illustrates the amount of times teachers or staff members intervened when homophobic remarks were made as per the survey data.

Figure 13

MM shared that he constantly heard homophobic remarks in the hallways but did not address them due to the overwhelming number of remarks, not knowing the students, feeling uncomfortable about addressing the remarks, and the district’s emphasis on punctual arrival to class. While discussing the various reasons, he exclaimed, “I should! I should correct them and

I should find out where they are going, call that teacher, and tell them why that student is late. I should do that.” He explained that he was also reluctant to speak up because he was non- tenured.

Teachers’ reactions to instances when homophobic remarks are made are crucial.

Although students will make prejudiced remarks when authority figures such as teachers are not present, Figure 14 indicates that teacher respondents in this study were occasionally or frequently present 42.6% of the time when homophobic remarks were made.

Figure 14

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB referenced comments from students that were directed toward her like “f-ing dyke”.

She said that such comments occurred when certain students were really angry with her. MB stated that students regularly used the term gay but that she was not offended by its use because they were using it as a slang term and not a term to indicate same-sex individuals. When the researcher observed that the term carries a negative connotation, MB said she addressed students who used the term in a humorous manner. Comparing the slang term gay to the N-word, MB stated, “I always felt that if you were black, it was acceptable [to use the N-word], but I didn’t think it was ever acceptable for everybody to use it. Whereas, saying someone is gay, I think that is acceptable that everybody use it. I wouldn’t compare the two because it’s not only gay people who could say ‘that’s gay’ and get away with it. Everybody says it.”

Figures 15 and 16 illustrate the high prevalance of homophobic remarks made by students and the specificity of the remarks as per the survey.

Figure 15

Figure 16

MB detailed an issue that occurred at her previous school district in which she removed a female athlete from a team due to her negative behavior. The athlete was a student in MB’s class as well. In class the next day, the student demanded that MB give her all of her missed homework assignments. The student then yelled, “Dyke, you’re mad because you ate your mother out last night.” MB instructed the student to leave the classroom. When closing the door behind the student, the student “grabbed the door from my hand, and slammed it, and cracked my arm in half,” MB recounted. “It was right after she said because I ate my mother out last night. That was probably the worst remark and actions that I had to ever deal with.”

Figure 17 provides a graphic illustration of the occurrence of physical assault due to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. None of the participants reported being physically assaulted directly due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, but 2

participants reported that a colleague was physically assaulted due to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation.

Figure 17

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO stated that due to her strong classroom management skills, she rarely heard homophobic remarks or other forms of inappropriate language in her classroom. MO stated,

“There’s not a lot of down time. There’s not a lot of time for them to be saying things in front of me. They walk in and it’s like, ‘Okay, okay, stop talking, copy your homework. Let’s get to work’.” MO did reference an instance that occurred about 10 years prior regarding a rude comment that a heterosexual male teacher said to a lesbian teacher about her sexual orientation.

MO stated that the lesbian teacher was very upset. Beyond that one instance, MO could not recall any similar, current instances of homophobic remarks in her school.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG said that she heard students call each other “faggot” and “homo” but it was immediately addressed in her classroom and in her colleague’s classroom. JG stated, “It’s usually the boys calling the boys. I’ve never seen it happen or heard it happen from a straight or gay child to another gay child.” JG went on to detail how she addressed the situation, stating,

“In the same way that we don’t use the N-word or we wouldn’t use a lot of other things, that not used. That’s a derogatory word, it’s got a horrible connotation to it, there’s no need to call anybody or label anybody like that.”

Figure 18 illustrates the occurrence of terms such as faggot, dyke, and queer as per the results of the survey. Overall, 28.2% of the participants reported hearing these terms occasionally and/or frequently.

Figure 18

Question 4. Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding verbal harassment (e.g., threats, rumors) of LGB teachers. What was said and who was present? Did anyone intervene (e.g., immediately address the individual who made the remark and/or try to stop the remarks)?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM described incidents at his previous school district in which a female student he perceived to be struggling with her sexual orientation started to use gay slurs in class. The student used these terms in a direct manner when leaving the classroom as well. The other students joined her hate-filled behavior and, eventually, statements such as, “Mr. M is a gay faggot,” “He gay,” and “You’re such a homo” were used by the students in class on a consistent 73

basis. MM attempted to redirect the behavior, however, it was difficult to do so while protecting the fact that he was indeed a homosexual.

Figure 19 is a graphic illustration of the 2.5 % of participants who reported that they ignored homophobic remarks made toward a student or staff member for fear that they might be perceived to be lesbian, gay, or bisexual.

Figure 19

MM reported the verbal harassment to administration and submitted discipline referrals for the students who engaged in the harassing behavior. The discipline referrals were ignored by administration and conversations with his supervisor were fruitless. An administrator said, according to MM, “’The only way to handle this is if you go down and fill out a form and that’ll force their hand. I’m powerless. I can’t do anything about this.’” MM resigned from his

teaching position in this school district due to the incessant harassment along with administration’s unwillingness to address the situation.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB described an incident that occurred while teaching in which a male student threatened to shoot her “gay ass” in front of other students. The researcher asked MB how the other students handled the situation. MM reported that the other students laughed. The boy was suspended for the violent threat but not for the hate-based threat.

The data retrieved from the surveys in this study indicated that the scenario of students remaining as silent bystanders while their peers used homophobic language was typical in public schools in New Jersey. Figure 20 indicates that 44.8% of the participants stated that students never intervened when their classmates used homophobic remarks and 19.4% of the participants stated that students occasionally intervened when their peers used homophobic language.

Figure 20

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO stated that she was not aware of verbal harassment of LGB teachers in her school.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG stated that she was not aware of verbal harassment of LGB teachers in her school.

Figure 21 provides a graphic representation of the occurrence of verbal harassment due to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Two participants reported frequent verbal harassment, 15 participants reported occasional verbal harassment, and 302 participants reported that they were never verbally harassed due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. In addition, 4 participants reported that their colleagues were victims of frequent verbal harassment, 26 participants reported that their colleagues were victims of occasional

verbal harassment, and 289 participants reported that none of their colleagues were ever verbally harassed due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Overall, 47 of the 319 participants (14.7%) reported verbal harassment incidences that occurred occasionally or frequently to them or a colleague.

Figure 21

A threat can be made in the form of stolen or damaged property. Figure 22 reveals the occurrence of stolen or damaged property due to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Nine participants were the victims of stolen or damaged property due to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Seven participants reported that their colleagues had property stolen or damaged due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation.

Figure 22

Question 5. Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding physical harassment (punching, kicking, pushing) of LGB teachers.

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM reported that he was not aware of any such harassments.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB did not know of any incidents in which an LGB teacher experienced physical harassment.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO stated that she was not aware of physical harassment of LGB teachers in her school.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG stated that she was not aware of physical harassment of LGB teachers in her school.

Figure 23 illustrates a low occurrence of physical harassment of teachers due to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation; however, 2 participants reported frequent physical harassment and 4 participants suffered from occasional physical harassment. Four participants reported occasional physical harassment and 8 participants reported occasional physical harassment of their colleagues.

Figure 23

Question 6. Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding harassment of LGB teachers on social media.

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM reported that he was not aware of any such issues on social media.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB was unable to report incidents of harassment of LGB teachers on social media and offered a theory as to why this did not happen in her school. She explained a heightened diligence among LGB teachers regarding their pictures and statements on social media. MB stated she felt that if a picture was posted on social media of two women with their arms around each other or holding hands, or if there was one of her kissing her wife, parents might be upset, so she does not post anything like that. The researcher asked if MB felt that the same rules applied to heterosexual teachers regarding pictures of them with their arms around each other, holding hands, or kissing their spouses. MB stated, “No, I don’t think they would have a problem with that.”

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO stated that she was not aware of harassment of LGB teachers on social media. She said that most of the teachers in her school were friends with one another on social media and that the interactions were always positive and supportive.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG stated that she was not aware of any instances of harassment of LGB teachers on social media. She stated, “Even the teachers that I know to be either Christian or Muslim or religious affiliation that stereotypically doesn’t agree with it, I’ve never seen or heard anything negative.”

Although none of the individuals who participated in the interview phase of the study reported instances of harassment on social media, the data from the survey indicated this form of

harassment does occur. Figure 24 illustrates the occurrence of harassment on social media due to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Seven participants reported occasional harassment and 13 participants reported knowledge of their colleagues being harassed on social media due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation.

Figure 24

Question 7. Describe personal experiences in which your sexual identity conflicted with social norms as a teacher. How have these experiences (related to sexual identity) impacted your professional life as a teacher?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM stated that due to his sexual orientation and lifestyle, his life was not perceived as normal within the environment of his school, and therefore he did not share much about his personal life while at work. He expressed a disconnection with students due to the fact that he could not be authentic with them. MM observed, “If part of teaching is reaching out to your

students and sharing a small personal part of your life so that you can connect with your students, that is something that is missing.”

The avoidance of social situations due to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation is detailed in Figure 25. Two participants reported frequent avoidance of social situations, and 16 participants reported occasional avoidance of social situations, due to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Four participants reported that their colleagues avoided social situations frequently, and 25 participants reported that their colleagues avoided social situations occasionally, due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. In total, 47 participants (14.7%) reported avoidance of social situations, or their colleague’s avoidance of social situations, due to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation.

Figure 25

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB stated that being a lesbian teacher in her current school is not an issue because there are other out teachers in her school. However, she experienced social exclusion earlier in her career in other school districts due to her sexual orientation.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO seemed stunned by the question of whether her sexual orientation ever conflicted with social norms within her school. Her response was, “With me being heterosexual?” This was an indicator of the heteronormative thinking that even the most aware individuals can still possess where heterosexuality is normative and socially expected (Khayatt, 1992). MO never experienced conflicts with social norms due to her heterosexuality.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG’s heterosexuality never conflicted with social norms, but she was on the receiving end of prejudice from an LGB teacher based on political affiliation. The LGB individual accused JG of being against LGBT individuals due to her conservative political beliefs. JG identified as being on the “conservative end of the middle.” JG defended her political beliefs by explaining that her family members were Cuban refugees who suffered at the hands of a Socialist government. Her family’s history led her to be moderately conservative, yet she believed in equal rights for all U.S. citizens, including LGBT individuals.

JG expressed her discontent at automatically being labeled as an enemy of the LGBT community due to her political beliefs. She went on to detail her close relationships with LGBT

friends and mentioned that her family members had always been supportive of her LGBT friends. JG felt that it was unfortunate that she had to “validate” herself to an LGB individual.

Although none of the interview participants shared instances of rumors or lies about them due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, Figure 24 details the occurrences of these instances as they related to this study. One participant reported frequent rumors or lies shared, and 26 participants reported occasional rumors or lies spoken about them, due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Three participants reported frequent rumors or lies shared about their colleagues, and 74 participants reported occasional rumors or lies told of their colleagues, due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. In total, 98 participants (30.7%) reported rumors or lies said of themselves or their colleagues due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation.

Figure 26

Question 8. Have you ever been fearful of losing your job due to your sexual identity?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM expressed feeling concerned that he might lose his job due to his sexual orientation in both his previous school district and present school district.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MM was fearful of losing her job due to her sexual orientation for the first 10 years of her career. She stated that tenure was not a factor in her feeling secure in her teaching position, and in fact, when she arrived at CHS she felt more secure than she had after years at her other school because CHS was a much more inclusive school and very accepting of LGB individuals.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO never feared losing her job due to her heterosexuality, nor did she think that LGB teachers would be concerned about losing their teaching positions due to their sexual orientation.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG never feared losing her position as a teacher due to her heterosexuality.

Two of the reasons LGB teachers might be fearful of losing their jobs due to their sexual orientation could be the lack of LGB specific policies in school districts and lack of support for the protection of their rights through, for example, the presence of an affirmative action officer

(AAO). Figure 27 indicates that at least 60.8% of school districts did not have LGB specific policies as part of their board of education policies and regulations.

Figure 27

Question 9. What concerns (related to sexual identity) did you have prior to securing your current teaching position?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM stated that, as a gay male, he did not have concerns prior to entering the teaching profession. He had held various positions in other fields and never had a conflict due to his sexual orientation. Upon entering the teaching profession, he began to have concerns which stemmed from his identity as gay male about his inability to share his personal life with his

students, possible retribution from parents of students, potential complaints from administration as a result of parental concerns, and possible objections on religious beliefs from others.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB did not have concerns regarding her sexual orientation prior to securing a teaching position. She did not intend to become a teacher, and her first job as a teacher at a Catholic school was expected to be temporary.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO did not have concerns prior to securing a teaching position due to her heterosexuality.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

As a heterosexual woman, JG did not have concerns about her sexual orientation prior to becoming a teacher.

Question 10. Have you ever lied or avoided a topic in order to cover up your sexual identity while talking with a colleague, administrator, student, and/or parent/guardian of a student?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM stated that he had never directly lied to cover up his sexual orientation with a colleague; however, he had avoided topics or not engaged in specific conversations due to his sexual orientation. For example, when he resigned from his previous school district, he told the principal that he was leaving to pursue other opportunities in another school district when in fact

he was leaving as a result of the incessant verbal harassment from students regarding his sexual orientation and the administration’s refusal to address the situation.

The same theme of omission occurred in MM’s interactions with students. He shared a story of a student who had asked him a few personal questions. MM stated,

She asked me if I had children and I said no. Then she asked me if I had a wife and I said no I don’t. I could tell she was trying to elicit personal information. I really am married, I’m just not married to a woman so I sort of avoided. I could’ve said no I’m not married, I don’t have a wife, I have a partner. I could have been more explicit.

Once again, the researcher observed MM’s guilt for not being authentic regarding his sexual orientation. The expression of guilt was illustrated by MM’s response to whether or not he had ever pretended to be a heterosexual male in his teaching career. MM’s immediate response was no, but toward the end of the discussion he stated,

I’m sure it’s happened once or twice during my long teaching career, questions like, ‘do you have a wife?’ and I needed to just pass out papers and move on with my lesson. Sometimes I just say like, ‘yes I do’ and I will just move on, but it’s not meant to be detrimental to students. Just sometimes that question catches me off guard. It’s really not my chosen stock answer to that question. I’m sure I have done it. It’s really not what I would prefer to say to that question but sometimes kids just catch you off guard. Sometimes I will just look back in retrospect, I look back, and I just feel horrible that I said yes I have a wife.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

When asked if MB had ever lied about her sexual orientation to colleagues, administration, and students, her response was, “Thousands of times.” She shared a story about how she used to refer to her partner as her friend and would either leave out pronouns or change pronouns when speaking about her partner. MB did not disguise her sexual orientation in her current school, however when asked if she referenced personal stories as a part of lessons, she

said that she did so in a modified manner. For instance, the inclusion teacher in her classroom recently discussed her vacation in class. She shared with the students how she and her husband walked on the beach and he was stung by a stingray. MB felt that she would never reference a similar story for fear that the parents of her students might be offended by it.

The researcher asked MB why she felt that parents would be offended by her sharing a personal story in class that pertained to the lesson. MB referenced lesbian teachers in her previous school district who encountered parents of students who claimed that the lesbian teachers were trying to convince their children to be gay, thus proving that the 20 th century theory that LGB individuals sought to recruit young children still existed. When asked if she would counsel a student who was questioning his/her sexual orientation, MB stated, “I would be the first person to say, ‘Don’t ask me.’ Because I wouldn’t want the responsibility of talking to them.”

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO reported she never lied or avoided a topic with a colleague, administrator, student, or parent/guardian of a student in order to disguise her heterosexuality.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG reported she never lied or avoided a topic with a colleague, administrator, student, or parent/guardian of a student in order to hide her heterosexuality. JG referenced instead an instance in which she was the victim of “reverse” prejudice regarding her heterosexuality. LGB teachers in her previous school district were having a rally after school in support of the LGBT community and she was asked if she was going. JG said no but before she could offer the reason

why, the LGB teacher stated that it was because JG was heterosexual. Her LGB colleague was present as the time and defended JG by explaining how supportive JG had always been of her.

JG then explained that she could not attend the rally because she had a paper due for her graduate class.

Question 11. In what ways or to what degree are you open about your sexuality in your professional life (e.g., select colleagues, all colleagues, administration, students, parents)?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM stated that he was out to his colleagues with whom he has interactions and that they were accepting. MM felt that although he never had a specific conversation with his administrators, he believed that they knew he was gay. He was not out to students or their parents/guardians.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB was out to all colleagues, administration, and students. She was not out to all parents/guardians of her students. MB stated that when the issue came up in conversation, she was authentic regarding her sexual orientation.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO was open about her heterosexuality to students, colleagues, and administration. She regularly referred to her husband and children during lessons. In fact, she was a chaperone for the Ski Club at her school and her husband and children joined the Ski Club on outings. One vice principal in MO’s school played sports with her husband. She and her husband ran into the other vice principal at a concert and interacted at other events. MO stated that there was no

reason for her to hide her heterosexuality from students, colleagues, administration, or parents/guardians of students.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG was open with students, colleagues, administration, and parents/guardians of students regarding her heterosexuality. She referenced her husband and children in the classroom. When using the term girlfriends, she was asked by students if she was a lesbian. JG clarified with students that she meant her friends who were girls, not girls she was romantic with, and she was not offended. JG explained that the students did not ask this question in an accusatory manner, but rather out of interest. She stated, “It’s not only staff that is extremely accepting and just like

‘whatever,’ but it’s the kids. Also, as far as my groups go because they’re the ones I have, I’ve never seen them get nasty like that. It’s wonderful.”

Question 12. What experiences as a teacher have led you to be closeted or out regarding your sexuality?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM’s issues in his previous school district led him to remain mostly closeted as a teacher. He taught social studies including a social justice unit. The social justice curriculum covered historical and present day social justice issues such as the civil rights movement, women’s suffrage, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Mexican-American movement with Cesar Chavez. Missing from the formal curriculum were the LGBT movement and topics such as marriage equality, Harvey Milk, and the Stonewall Riots.

MM stated that students usually brought up the LGBT movement in which case he educated the students on the acronym of LGBT and informed students that although the groups were each a separate entity, they banded together as “one cohesive social justice movement.” In the interview, he was asked, if he were given the opportunity to rewrite the social justice curriculum to include the LGBT movement, would he do so? MM stated that he would do so if he was a tenured teacher.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB discussed the negative experiences that were previously referenced such as social exclusion, multiple forms of harassment by administration, and verbal harassment from students as reasons as to why she remained closeted for the first 10 years of her teaching career. MB reiterated that teaching at CHS, an inclusive and supportive environment for LGB individuals, gave her the confidence to be an out teacher for the remainder of her teaching career.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO never experienced negativity related to her heterosexuality. She never felt that she should disguise her heterosexuality.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG felt comfortable being out as a heterosexual teacher because she felt that her school climate was welcoming and safe for all individuals.

Figure 28 represents a graphic illustration of the data of perceived support from teachers, administrators, and staff members regarding LGB students and staff members in their schools.

Overall, 35.7% of participants reported that they believed that up to 75% of teachers,

administrators, and staff members might not be supportive of LGB students and staff members in their school.

Figure 28

Question 13. What professional risks could be associated with being an LGB teacher who is “out” to all colleagues, administration, students, and parents/guardians in your school?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM identified professional risks associated with his LGB status as the possibility of losing his job as well as harassment by colleagues, students, and/or parents/guardians.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

When asked about the professional risks of her identification as LGB at school, MB shared concerns of being sued by parents of students who believed that an LGB teacher tried to convince their children to be gay. MB referenced stories of colleagues from her previous school districts who were fired due to a parental complaint that was rooted in their sexual orientation.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO believed that the climate of the teaching profession was characterized by disrespect from parents and students. She stated that an out LGB teacher could suffer from ignorant parents’ use of the teacher's sexual orientation as another reason to allow their children to disrespect the teacher.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG did not feel that LGB teachers in her school had reason to be fearful of negative ramifications from colleagues, students, administration, or parents/guardians. She felt that as a heterosexual, conservative, Christian she had more to worry about than LGB teachers because she could be perceived as closed-minded. JG stated, “I’m heterosexual and conservative and I also happen to be Christian, that’s the trifecta of ‘you are awful.’”

Three of the 4 participants who were interviewed during the second phase of the research listed multiple professional risks that an out LGB teacher could encounter. Concerns of harassment, accusations of recruitment, and disrespect and loss of employment were cited.

Figure 29 represents a graphic illustration of the teachers’ impressions of safety related to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. One participant frequently felt unsafe at school, and 6 participants occasionally felt unsafe at school, due to their sexual orientation or

perceived sexual orientation. Five participants reported that their colleagues felt unsafe at school, and 16 participants reported that their colleagues felt unsafe at school, due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Twenty-eight participants (8.8%) reported that they felt unsafe, or that their colleague felt unsafe at school, due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation.

Figure 29

Question 14. Have you ever modified your interactions with students due to your sexual identity?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM informed the researcher that when students were in his classroom for detention or after-school instruction, he kept the door open and positioned his desk halfway out of the classroom. He went on to discuss that he remained in his desk in the doorway while working on his laptop because the hallway cameras could monitor his actions while students were in his

classroom. MM agreed with the concept that some educators might argue that keeping a door open while a student is in a teacher’s classroom after school is good practice for all educators while observing that his heterosexual colleagues regularly hold detention and after-school instruction with their doors closed.

The researcher asked MM if he felt comfortable in his classroom with at least two or more students. MM stated, “It depends. If the students have animus toward me based on my sexual orientation, I probably would not.” He explained, “I feel that as an LGBT teacher, I feel that I could be entrapped in some sort of like prejudicial view about gay people and their tendency to be sexual predators. I have this fear that if the wrong kid says the wrong thing about me that it will be more believed or that it will gain traction.” Comments such as this exhibited that the ideology of the “male homosexual who was sexually interested in boys” permeated the minds of LGB teachers as well as others (Harbeck, 1997). MM feared that he could be perceived as a sexual predator “from the perception amongst straight people that gay people are more predisposed to being sexual predators.”

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB stated that “everything is different” regarding interactions of LGB teachers with students. Once again, the issue of after-school instruction and detention was discussed. MB stated that she arranged after-school instruction and detention to occur near the end of the week because she knew that multiple students would be present. MB expressed concern that a student or parent might make an allegation against her regarding inappropriate contact and that, as an

LGB teacher, the allegation would be taken more seriously. She explained, “There’s a stereotype. Especially if I was a male it would be even worse. Male teachers that are gay, it just

seem like, ‘Oh, he’s a pedophile’. There’s a gay male teacher in our school right now and I hear kids saying that, ‘Oh, he’s probably a pedophile.’” The perceived connection between pedophilia and LGB individuals is thus a persistent concern.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Tacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO never modified her interactions with students due to her heterosexuality. While discussing whether or not there might be a difference in school climate for LGB teachers in elementary schools compared to middle schools or high schools, MO stated, “I think high schoolers would probably be the least to worry about. I feel like by then the students are kind of on their own. The parents aren’t as involved. I really just think it’s the parents that could possibly be jerks.” The data from this study indicated the opposite of MO’s opinion.

Figure 30 illustrates the average survey scores of all of the participants in relation to the level of instruction. Participants who taught in an elementary school setting scored above the overall average score of 94.2. In fact, participants who taught in middle school and high school settings scored below the overall average with 92.1 and 92.2, respectively.

Figure 30

MO if she thought that parents would have an issue with, hypothetically, an openly gay elementary school teacher for the reason that “they might be worried about their boys if they have a son. You hear the stories. Unfortunately, you only hear the bad stories. You hear about pedophiles. They might worry that their child is in that person’s care all day. Their child isn’t going to know whether an appropriate or an inappropriate touch is like. They might worry that the teacher, since the teacher is in a more powerful position, could take advantage of that.” The notion that LGB individuals are prone to pedophilia is thus a persistent concern.

Regarding after-school assistance and detention, MO stated that she kept her “door open just as a safe policy even if it’s a girl.” MO confirmed that she was comfortable in her classroom with one student as long as the door was open.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG never altered her interactions with students due to her heterosexuality. JG referenced a story of a student who came out to her. She said that she listened to the student and then referred the student to guidance. JG clarified that she referred the student to the guidance department because, while she had received training on LGBT topics, the guidance counselors had extensive training on how to handle LGBT situations. She stated, “I don’t give advice. If they are upset, I’ll try to give them a little positive story to boost them up a little bit but I typically refer them to another group just for my protection.” JG said that she was not concerned about potential negative backlash related to talking with the student about the student’s sexual orientation because she was very close with the student and the parents.

Question 15. What experiences related to LGB policies and laws have shaped your professional life as a teacher?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

Although MM perceived his current school district as unaccepting of LGB teachers, the district did offer insurance coverage to same-sex couples with a domestic partnership or civil union prior to marriage equality in 2013.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB referenced the passage of marriage equality in New Jersey which she believed to have strengthened the LGBT community in many ways.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO said she was not impacted by LGB policies and laws in her professional life as a teacher.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG referenced the difficulties that her best friend, C, had experienced when growing up a lesbian. As an adult, C still could not muster up the courage to come out to her father. In fact, her previous relationship suffered and eventually ended due to the stress of living in a closeted manner in a heteronormative culture. JG stated, “I feel like we’ve started to hit a point where it has become so normalized at this age level, at least where it’s not really as bad as it used to be.”

JG said that legislation on anti-discrimination and marriage equality have encouraged some societies to become more understanding and inclusive of the LGB lifestyle, but that the

United States was still a country divided on the topic. For instance, JG encountered issues pertaining to LGB topics in an online graduate course. While discussing a landmark case about

LGBT student rights, a classmate consistently responded in a negative undertone with comments such as, “Even though I’m Christian, I guess I can tolerate this.” This individual worked in the education field in the U.S. Midwest. The professor had to regain control of the online discussion by reminding the students that, as future administrators, they were to follow the law and always act in the best interest of students.

None of the participants who took part in the second phase of the research mentioned the impact of policies and laws such as affirmative action on their lives. Figure 31 details the data derived from the survey pertaining to affirmative action and AAOs. Overall, 168 participants

(52.6%) indicated they were unaware of who their school’s AAO was, 157 participants (49.2%) indicated they were unaware of how to contact their school’s AAO, and 141 participants (44.2%)

100

indicated they were uncertain of the roles or functions of the AAO. Furthermore, 95 participants

(29.7%) indicated that if they were harassed due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, they would not report it to the AAO.

Figure 31

Question 16. To what extent were LGB topics/issues discussed during your pre-service teacher training? If no discussions occurred, or if minimal discussions occurred, please discuss why.

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM could not recall LGB topics being discussed during his pre-service teacher training.

He said that he believed that if the topics were addressed, it would assist in ensuring inclusive school environments for LGB individuals.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB acquired her teaching certificate through an alternate route of teaching rather than a traditional teacher training program. She described the alternate route classes as more of a

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discussion between pre-service teachers of what they were encountering on the job. During these discussions, LGB topics were never mentioned. MB said that if she had taken the traditional route for her teaching, she did not think that she would have become a teacher because it would have been more apparent that being an LGB individual is not conducive to a productive teaching career.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

According to MO, LGB topics were not discussed during her pre-service teacher training.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG’s undergraduate and graduate coursework did not address LGB topics. She stated that any knowledge that she had of LGB topics was learned through personal experiences with friends who identified as LGB, or gained through information that she sought out herself.

Figure 32 illustrates the amount of personal time that the participants reported they had spent learning about LGB topics. The majority of the participants, 203, reported never having engaged in any form of professional development training regarding LGB topics. By reponses,

99 participants had used their personal time to learn about LGB topics at least once but not more than three times, while 15 participants had engaged in 4-10 professional learning opportunities regarding LGB topics. In sum, 35.7% had learned about LGB topics on their own time, while

63.6% of the participants had never used their personal time to learn about LGB topics.

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Figure 32

Question 17. To what extent have LGB topics/issues been discussed during your professional career as a teacher (e.g., workshops, PLC discussions, webinars).

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM reported he had not received any training as a teacher related to LGB topics.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB reported she had received a few trainings over her 30-year teaching career. The trainings, however, pertained to transgender individuals and pronoun usage.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO reported she had not received any trainings regarding LGB topics during her teaching career. She referenced a recent event with a high school athlete who she coached. The

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female athlete was dating another female student, and the athlete’s family was not accepting of her same-sex relationship. The athlete wanted to talk with MO about the resulting issues. MO stated that she felt comfortable having the conversation about sexuality and same-sex relationships with the athlete, but she did not believe all of her colleagues would feel as comfortable with this type of conversation. MO said that she was “a little nervous” about potential backlash from the athlete’s parents and believed that teachers could benefit from trainings on how to properly handle conversations such as these. MO said she also felt that sensitivity training would benefit teachers and students.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG received training on a consistent basis in the form of assemblies, workshops, and professional discussions. The topics covered were LGB awareness, bullying, and terminology.

JG said that the state-mandated trainings on topics such as suicide prevention and sexual harassment usually had an LGB component as well. JG mentioned that LGB topics were discussed during professional conversations as lessons were inclusive of LGB topics, events, and figures. For instance, the social studies classes learned about the gay rights movement, the

Stonewall riots, and the persecution during the Holocaust of those perceived to be LGB.

Two of the participants in the interview phase of the research reported that their school districts never offered professional development opportunities pertaining to LGB topics, not even in addition to yearly trainings that were mandated by the state. One participant reported that she had been offered a few opportunities for professional learning regarding LGB topics, but they mostly pertained to transgender issues. One participant described continuous trainings exclusive

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to LGB topics as well as professional development workshops that included LGB topics among other subjects.

The experiences of the 4 participants aligned with the survey data. Figure 33 reveals that

149 participants (46.7%) were never offered professional development opportunities pertaining to LGB topics by their school districts. Additionally, 154 of the participants (48.2%) who were offered professional development trainings by their school district were given 1-3 trainings; 15 participants (4.7%) received 4-10 professional learning opportunities that were specific to LGB topics or included LGB topics.

Figure 33

Question 18. In what ways do you believe your sexual orientation impacts your ability to be an exemplary teacher?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

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MM said he believed that his sexual orientation negatively impacted his teaching career.

He stated, “It negatively impacts my ability to connect with my students on a personal level,” and, “It makes me feel disingenuous with my students. It makes me feel distant from them. It makes me feel dishonest.”

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB said she did not believe that being a lesbian teacher impacted her ability to be an excellent teacher, it just made it a bit more difficult.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO shared that although sometimes being a female teacher creates friction with her male students, her sexual orientation did not impact her ability to be an exemplary teacher.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG stated she did not feel that being a heterosexual individual impacted her ability to be an exemplary teacher.

Question 19. What recommendations do you suggest to improve the school climate of LGB teachers in the state of New Jersey for pre-service teachers/programs, school districts, laws/policies, unions, administration, and LGB teachers?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM suggested that GSAs be provided for middle school students. He described instances when, in his previous school district, he overheard students in the Drama Club reference instances of HIB due to their sexual orientation. MM stated that the Drama Club was

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the “de facto Gay Straight Alliance” at his school. He consistently heard students discuss that they were “constantly bullied, about how they went to guidance day, after day, after day, and they felt that they were not listened to, or seen, or heard, or protected.”

In addition to GSAs, MM suggested that curriculum be reflective of LGBT history and figures, and that LGB trainings be offered to teachers, administration, and union representatives.

MM expressed that simply acknowledging an out LGB individual’s status can assist in providing a positive climate for all individuals. He shared the example of a conversation that he had with an administrator. MM was discussing the fact that both he and his husband carpool to work.

The administrator said, “That’s so great that you and your partner can carpool like that.” A simple statement like this helped MM to feel validated and valued.

MM offered suggestions for LGB teachers based on issues of guilt and shame.

Referencing his own non-confrontational approach, he said, “Don’t take a page from my book, that’s for sure. I do a lot of running away.” He suggested to LGB teachers, “They need to be a little more fearless than I have been over the years.” MM explained that in order for the school climate for LGB teachers to improve, they should be more vocal, educate themselves on their rights, insist on support groups like GSAs, and be more visible.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB discussed a need for younger LGB teachers to be aware of their history. She referenced a new teacher who was a lesbian and seemed to have little or no concern for the ways that being a lesbian might negatively impact her career. She discussed how she was not sure if ignorance, a shift in societal acceptance, generational differences, or the fact that her mother was the principal of the school that she worked in allowed her a sense of career security. MB stated

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that sensitivity training was necessary for students, teachers, and administration regarding LGBT topics, and laws and policies should be in place to protect LGB teachers in the workplace. MB connected the progress of the LGBT movement with the visibility of celebrities such as Melissa

Etheridge and Ellen Degeneres. She stated that the visibility of LGB teachers will positively impact school climate and assist in the progression of the LGBT movement.

Although some of the participants in this study noted the difficulties LGB teachers face, the data indicated a strong attendance record for teachers. Participants universally (305 participants, or 95.6%) reported that they were never absent from school because they felt uncomfortable or unsafe related to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Figure

34 is a graphic illustration of the data derived from the survey pertaining to teacher attendance in regard to sexual orientation.

Figure 34

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MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO discussed the need for sensitivity training for students and staff members regarding

LGB topics and the need for more programs that are based on acceptance. She thought that LGB topics were not addressed because, she said, “People feel uncomfortable about it because it’s something that they don’t understand. If we can’t understand it, we can’t talk about it.”

MO stated that as a former social studies teacher and current literacy teacher, she never taught a lesson that referenced LGB historical events or figures. She said that the texts used in her literacy class did not include LGB topics. She believed that if the curricula were more inclusive, the school climate would be more accepting and tolerant. MO stated she had never heard of a GSA prior to this study; upon learning of the mission and vision of GSAs, she said she believed middle school students and staff members could benefit from GSAs in their schools.

MO stated that administrators should be abreast of the laws pertaining LGB individuals and how the laws could affect the students and staff members within their schools. MO supported the idea that LGB teachers should be open about their sexuality. She stated, “Just continuing to be open would be the best thing. I think when everybody closes off and tries to hide things, that’s when people don’t connect. But if everybody is just open and normal with their experiences and their life and their decisions, then I think that’s the best way. If everybody just relaxes a little bit. I think that helps the climate a lot.”

MO felt that visibility of LGB teachers could assist students who struggle with their sexual orientation, suggesting that sharing stories from personal experience with students could be helpful. For example, she said, she informs her students of how she was bullied in middle school to help them with their difficult experiences. She said she felt that addressing the issue

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and attaching it to herself allows the students to see that she relates to their struggles and that they can persevere.

The 2 heterosexual participants who took part in the interview phase of the study were

100% out to colleagues, administration, students, and parents/guardians of students. The 2 LGB participants in the interview phase of the study were not 100% out to colleagues, administration, students, and parents/guardians of students. Figure 35 indicated the largest percent of out teachers, administrators, and staff members was less than 1%-5%.

Figure 35

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JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG believed that LGB teachers who were open about their sexuality provided a visible example to students and staff members of productive, happy citizens who were LGB. She wished that a project similar to the It Gets Better Project short video clips where successful individuals, some of whom were celebrities, discussed their personal difficulties with being LGB individuals and how thankful they were to be living satisfying lives. JG believed that professional development trainings should be offered for all public school administrators in direct and indirect manners.

JG discussed the difference between younger teacher and older staff members. She stated, “Younger teachers, it seems like they’ve only known inclusivity and the older teachers, it’s like they find it difficult to change. They were brought up in a certain way, they were brought up with a certain mentality.” JG explained her perception with a personal story about her grandmother, whom she deemed a racist, and who had a black nanny. JG’s mother married a

Cuban man and JG’s grandmother asked her pregnant daughter, “What color is she going to come out?” JG said of her grandmother, “She wasn’t a hateful person, one of the nicest you’ll ever meet.” While JG used the story to illustrate hurtful prejudice in her family, she indicated it was a sign of different generations, and thus it was also slightly permissible for older teachers to act in prejudiced ways due to their upbringing.

JG stated that school districts should have clear language in their board of education policies outlining expected behaviors in the workplace pertaining to the treatment of LGB teachers. JG shared her belief of the importance of GSAs and other clubs and activities that

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celebrate diversity. JG said she felt that it was up to the school administration to model the inclusive behavior that should be expected of their staff members and students.

Question 20. Is there anything that you would like to elaborate on or add to this interview that has not been discussed?

MM - Gay, Male, Middle School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Rural

MM shared that, in his previous school district, he had been aware of a community-based organization that tried to push the district to incorporate a GSA. He said that one of the superiors within the school district answered the organization's request by assuring the members that the

LGBT students felt safe and that there was not an issue with bullying of LGBT students. MM disagreed with this perception. He has maintained friendships with teachers and guidance counselors since leaving that school district. According to these individuals, the LGBT students and teachers continue to suffer with no support.

MB - Lesbian, Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Urban

MB said she felt that all pertinent topics had been covered.

MO - Heterosexual Female, Middle School Teacher, Middle Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

MO stated she felt that all pertinent topics had been covered.

JG - Heterosexual Female, High School Teacher, Low Socioeconomic Status, Suburban

JG said felt that all pertinent topics had been covered.

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CHAPTER V: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

Summary of Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the school climate for LGB teachers in New

Jersey, grades K-12. To date, there was little research that illustrated the perceptions of school climate as it related to LGB teachers. The following research questions regarding the school climate guided this study: 1. What is the school climate for LGB teachers in K - 12 public schools in New Jersey? 1a. What is the definition of school climate? 1b. What are the characteristics of a positive school climate? 1c. What are the characteristics of a negative school climate? 2. What perceptions/experiences do LGB teachers report regarding the contextual formal policies/laws and contextual informal actions/attitudes that may or may not have shaped their professional lives? 3. Does socioeconomic status, geographical location, or grade level of instruction impact the climate for LGB teachers in K-12 public schools? 4. How do non-LGB teachers perceive the school climate compared to LGB teachers in the same building/school district?

Conclusions and Implications

Research Question 1: School Climate

The data retrieved from the survey indicated a prevalence of negative school climate indicators for LGB teachers in New Jersey. The average summative score from the survey was

94.2 and 160 participants (50.2%) reported a summative score that was less than 94.2, indicating a high frequency of homophobic issues in their schools. The qualitative data that was derived from face-to-face interviews corroborated the finding of a preponderance of homophobic occurrences which led to the negative school climate for public school teachers in New Jersey.

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Kouzes and Posner (1993) determined that the most honored leaders are those who make their followers feel valued, who raise their followers’ sense of self-worth and self-esteem. The data derived from this survey indicated a 3.8% frequency of homophobic remarks from administration members. While the occurrence was rare, it did happen on occasion. The data indicated a higher frequency of homophobic remarks from teachers or staff members. In fact,

17.2% of the participants heard homophobic remarks from teachers or staff members either occasionally or frequently. When these remarks were made, according to 37.3% of the participants teachers or staff members intervened infrequently or not at all.

Both of the interview participants who identified as LGB individuals reported multiple examples of homophobic discrimination they suffered at the hands of their administrators.

Disguised discrimination included examples such as ignoring a gay teacher’s plea for help regarding verbal harassment to the direct bigotry of an HR Director telling a lesbian teacher that her marriage was not significant enough allow her children to be covered under her health insurance even though the law recognized same-sex marriage. Both of these participants resigned from their positions due to the extreme homophobic climate of their schools.

The interview participants identified communication with colleagues in school and on social media as indicators of school climate. MO referenced colleagues who assisted one another in school and supported one another on social media as examples of positive school climate indicators. The interview participants shared the belief that diversified professional development trainings and varied club offerings for students had a positive impact on a school building. Each participant reported that the existence of supportive clubs, such as a GSAs, in the school could positively impact the school climate for LGB individuals. Unfortunately, of the

319 survey participants, only 21.6% reported that their schools had a GSA.

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All interview participants shared the importance of an openly diverse faculty and collaborative staff members as indicators of school climate. For instance, JG had one of the highest scores on the survey, indicating a low frequency of homophobic issues in her school.

She detailed the positive impact of staff members who had gay pride flags on their key rings and

Human Rights Campaign stickers posted in their classrooms. JG also discussed the positive impact of the overlapping structure of administration, teachers, and non-instructional support staff members such as guidance counselors in providing a positive school climate for LGB individuals in her school.

Characteristics of negative school climate indicators were defined as schools in which individuals do not feel safe or supported due to their differences and the existence of individuals within schools that had an overtly negative attitude toward inclusivity. MM’s story of verbal harassment from students and the lack of support from administration resulted in his resignation from his teaching position. The way in which this situation was ignored by administration sent the message to students and teachers that homophobic behavior was acceptable. The data retrieved from survey indicated that more than 50% of the participants heard homophobic remarks from students occasionally or frequently. Teachers and administrators who choose to ignore these behaviors aid in creating a negative school climate for LGB teachers.

MB’s experience of being told by a superior to “shine up a bit, polish up a bit” and not talk about her “friends” while in school were examples of instructions from her administrators for her to remain closeted as a lesbian teacher. The directive to send a letter home to the parents of her students explaining that she would take a maternity leave due to the adoption of her child and that she was to portray the adoption as that of a single woman was an order to remain closeted as a lesbian teacher.

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Research Question 2: Policies, Laws, Actions, and Attitudes that Shape Professional Lives

The 2 interview participants who identified as LGB stated that the passage of marriage equality in New Jersey positively impacted their professional lives. These individuals felt more comfortable knowing that law supported them and their families. The 2 participants who identified as heterosexual stated that policies and laws did not impact their professional lives.

None of the participants who took part in the second phase of the research mentioned the impact of policies and laws, such as the New Jersey Anti Bullying Bills of Rights or affirmative action, on their professional lives. The data derived from the survey pertaining to affirmative action and AAOs reported that 168 participants (52.6%) were unaware of who their AAO was,

157 participants (49.2%) were unaware of how to contact their AAO, and 141 participants

(44.2%) were uncertain of the roles or functions of the AAO. 95 participants (29.7%) said that if they were harassed due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation that they would not report it to their AAO.

The 2 interview participants who identified as heterosexual did not encounter actions or attitudes related to their sexual orientation that impacted their professional lives. The 2 interview participants who identified as LGB shared actions and attitudes of colleagues, students, and administration that impacted their professional lives such as verbal harassment, physical harassment, and social exclusion. MB detailed an issue in which a student intentionally slammed the classroom door on MB’s arms, breaking it in half.

The survey data detailed the participant’s impressions of safety related to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. 1 participant frequently felt unsafe at school and 6 participants occasionally felt unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. 5 participants reported that their colleagues felt unsafe at school and 16 participants

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reported that their colleagues felt unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. 28 participants (8.8%) reported that they felt unsafe or that their colleague felt unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation.

Three of the 4 interview participants reported curricula that was not inclusive of LGB topics. MM taught a social justice unit in which the curriculum covered historical and present day social justice issues such as the civil rights movement, women’s suffrage, the Black Lives

Matter movement, the Mexican-American movement with Cesar Chavez. Missing from the formal curriculum was the LGB movement and topics such as marriage equality, Harvey Milk, and the Stonewall Riots. In this instance, a gay male teacher with an expansive knowledge of the gay rights movement was stifled. Furthermore, the students were never given the opportunity to learn about social justice issues pertaining to LGB individuals in America.

Research Question 3: Socioeconomic Status, Geographical Location, and Grade Level

The data from this study indicated that schools in middle socioeconomic status communities are the most inclusive of LGB individuals. The average survey score was 94.1, middle socioeconomic schools were above this average at 95.9. Schools with a high socioeconomic status scored an average 93.8 which was below the overall average score of 94.2, indicating a higher than average frequency of homophobic issues. The lowest average score, indicating the highest frequency of homophobic issues, belonged to schools with a low socioeconomic status with an average score of was 92.5.

The middle socioeconomic status data as it pertained to LGB issues aligned with the data regarding suburban school districts as both were above the average survey score and had the highest scores, indicating the lowest frequency of homophobic issues. The low socioeconomic status data as it pertained to LGB issues aligned with data regarding urban school settings, as

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both were below the average survey scores. Rural school settings reported the lowest average survey score of 92.9, well below the average survey score of 94.2, indicating the highest frequency of homophobic issues.

Participants who taught in an elementary school setting displayed an average score of

96.7, well above the overall average score of 94.2. In fact, participants who taught in middle school and high school settings scored below the overall average with 92.1 and 92.2 respectively, indicating a higher than average frequency of homophobic issues. This data suggested a need for

LGB inclusive curriculum at the secondary level and additional supports for LGB individuals and their allies in the form of GSAs.

Research Question 4: Perspectives of non-LGB teachers compared to LGB teachers

The survey data indicated a distinct difference in perceptions of school climate between non-LGB teachers and LGB teachers. Participants who identified as asexual or heterosexual reporting above average scores of 94.5 and 94.6, indicating the lowest frequency of homophobic issues. Bisexual, lesbian, and gay participants reported below average scores of 92.9, 92.1, and

90.8 respectively, indicating the highest prevalence of homophobic issues. Gay male participants reported the lowest average score of school climate for public school teachers in

New Jersey, indicating the highest prevalence of homophobic issues.

The qualitative data aligned with the survey data as the 2 participants who identified as

LGB teachers told stories of discrimination and social exclusion and shared feelings of fear, shame, and guilt. Both LGB teachers discussed fears of losing their teaching positions due to parental claims of attempted recruitment of students to the LGB lifestyle and accusations of pedophilia. When asked why he had these fears, MM stated, “I feel that as an LGBT teacher, I feel that I could be entrapped in some sort of like prejudicial view about gay people and their

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tendency to be sexual predators. I have this fear that if the wrong kid says the wrong thing about me that it will be more believed or it will gain traction.”

No non-LGB participants expressed fears of losing their teaching positions due to their heterosexuality, nor were they concerned they would be implicated as a pedophile. In fact, MO shared the stereotypical foundational mindset that gay males are more prone to inappropriate sexual acts when she stated, “You hear the stories. Unfortunately, you only hear the bad stories.

You hear about pedophiles. They might worry that their child is in that person’s care all day.

Their child isn’t going to know whether an appropriate or an inappropriate touch is like. They might worry that the teacher, since the teacher is in a more powerful position, could take advantage of that.”

The 2 participants who identified as LGB teachers both encountered verbal harassment in severe and covert manners which resulted in fear, anxiety, and embarrassment. One of the LGB teachers experienced physical harassment that resulted in a student breaking the teacher’s arm while shouting gay slurs. Her arm was broken in front of a classroom of students, none of whom intervened. Both LGB teachers resigned from at least one of their teaching positions due to the negative school climate in relation to their sexual orientation. Neither of the 2 heterosexual participants reported verbal or physical harassment due to their sexuality.

The 2 participants who identified as LGB teachers shared negative experiences that occurred in their schools related to their sexual orientation which resulted in their feelings of guilt and shame. Both participants expressed regret over opportunities in which they could have courageously defended themselves, but did not. When asked for suggestions for LGB teachers,

MM said, “Don’t take a page from my book, that’s for sure. I do a lot of running away” and added, “They need to be a little more fearless than I have been over the years.” MM explained

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that LGB teachers should be more vocal, insistent, and visible than he had been. Neither of the 2 heterosexual participants reported feelings of shame or guilt related to their sexuality.

The 2 participants who identified as LGB teachers had been closeted about their sexual orientation to varying degrees throughout their careers. Both individuals referenced the negative impact of secrecy on their relationships with colleagues and students. “It negatively impacts my ability to connect with my students on a personal level,” MM stated. “It makes me feel disingenuous with my students. It makes me feel distant from them. It makes me feel dishonest.”

Implications for Practice

The recent nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage and the paradigm which continues to ebb and flow regarding LGBT topics requires public school leaders and educators to be knowledgeable of LGBT topics in order to remain sensitive to the needs and rights of their students and colleagues. Pre-service teacher training programs should offer adequate instruction on LGBT topics so future educators can be properly prepared for that which they will encounter in the field.

In order to create a positive environment for LGB individuals, educators and educational leaders must first recognize their own prejudices against LGB individuals, particularly when contemplating the negative impact that internalized homophobia can have on students, teachers, and school climate. LGB-specific professional development opportunities should be provided at all instructional levels on a consistent basis. LGB topics should be included in yearly mandated trainings.

Administrators should be well-informed of the rights of LGB teachers and the positive impact that an LGB-inclusive climate can have on school environment. Administrators and

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teachers should attend professional development opportunities geared toward exploring their own prejudices and biases regarding LGB topics. Organizations such as GLSEN, the NEA, and the Human Rights Campaign have resources for school districts on how to properly train their staff members in order to provide an LGB inclusive environment.

LGB-inclusive curriculum development can be one of the most impactful approaches to providing a positive school climate for LGB teachers in New Jersey. Accurate information regarding LGB history and figures that is naturally ingrained in the curriculum is the most authentic approach toward an LGB-inclusive environment since well-informed students eventually become knowledgeable adults, parents, and citizens. Kevin Jennings, founder of

GLSEN, stated,

Schools, as institutions, are part of the much larger social context of culture, politics, and the economy...Schools also reproduce some of the ideologies that dominate the policies and structures of our cultural, political, and economic life...They transmit it tacitly as well as explicitly through the curriculum. (Jennings, 1994)

Public school curricula must reflect the diverse population of the citizens of the United

States. Additionally, LGB resources in public school libraries must be displayed and available to students and staff members. Supplemental support and resources should be available to all students through the offering of GSAs at all high school and middle school levels.

Recommendations for Future Research

The political strides that the gay rights movement made over the last few years in New

Jersey in comparison to the current national political climate suggest that while LGB individuals may have perceived the advances of the LGB community to be slow, the general population may have perceived the progress to be faster than they could keep pace with (Auciello, 2016). One limitation of this study was the number of participants who completed the online survey. While

319 public school teachers participated in the survey component of the research, according to the

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NJDOE there were 114,584 full-time classroom teachers in New Jersey during the 2015-2016 school year. Assuming that the number remained static for the 2016-2017 school year, this study only gained information from about .3% of the population of public school teachers in New

Jersey. The researcher recommends offering the survey to all public school teachers over an extended period of time in order to secure a larger pool of participants.

The study was limited to public school teachers in New Jersey. The researcher recommends expanding the participant criteria to include all public school teachers in the United

States. Further studies should involve disaggregated data based on socioeconomic status, geographical location, and level of instruction throughout the United States. The researcher also recommends further studies to determine the impact of public school support staff members on school climate in relation to sexual orientation.

The study examined the impact of school climate on public school teachers in relation to their sexual orientation. Participants identified themselves as heterosexual, asexual, lesbian, gay, or bisexual. The researcher recommends extending the research to include public school teachers with varying gender identities. In addition, this study referenced some negative experiences of LGB public school teachers. Further research should be conducted to compare and contrast the health implications of LGB teachers who are out to LGB teachers who are secretive about their sexual orientation.

Finally, this research discussed the need for LGB-inclusive curriculum in public schools in New Jersey. The state of California recently passed the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and

Respectful Education Act (FAIR Education Act) which required the inclusion of political, economic, and social contributions of LGBT individuals in textbooks and social studies curricula

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(Richardson, 2016). The researcher recommends that studies be conducted to determine the impact of LGBT inclusive curricula on school climate for LGBT teachers and students.

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

Interview Questions

1. The National Education Association defines school climate as, “norms, values, and expectations that support people feeling socially, emotionally and physically safe.” a. Describe examples of positive school climate indicators for teachers in your school. b. Describe examples of negative school climate indicators for teachers in your school. c. Describe examples of positive school climate indicators specific to LGB teachers in your school. d. Describe examples of negative school climate indicators specific to LGB teachers in your school. 2. If you described a difference in the school climate for non-LGB teachers in comparison to LGB teachers please explain and provide examples. 3. Describe any experiences that occurred while you were a teacher regarding homophobic remarks. a. What was said and who was present? b. Did anyone intervene (e.g., immediately address the individual who made the remark and/or try to stop the remarks)? 4. Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding verbal harassment (e.g., threats, rumors) of LGB teachers. a. What was said and who was present? b. Did anyone intervene (e.g., immediately address the individual who made the remark and/or try to stop the remarks)? 5. Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding physical harassment (punching, kicking, pushing) of LGB teachers. 6. Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding harassment of LGB teachers on social media. 7. Describe personal experiences in which your sexual identity conflicted with social norms as a teacher. a. How have these experiences (related to sexual identity) impacted your professional life as a teacher? 8. Have you ever been fearful of losing your job due to your sexual identity? Please explain.

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9. What concerns (related to sexual identity) did you have prior to securing your current teaching position? 10. Have you ever lied or avoided a topic in order to cover up your sexual identity while talking with a(n): a. colleague? b. administrator? c. student? d. parent/Guardian? 11. In what ways or to what degree are you open about your sexuality in your professional life (e.g., select colleagues, all colleagues, administration, students, parents)? 12. What experiences as a teacher have led you to be closeted or out regarding your sexuality? 13. What professional risks could be associated with being and LGB teacher who is out to all colleagues, administration, students, and parents/guardians in your school? 14. Have you ever modified your interactions with students due to your sexual identity? 15. What experiences related to LGB policies and laws have shaped your professional life as a teacher? 16. To what extent were LGB topics/issues discussed during your pre-service teacher training? a. If no discussions occurred, or if minimal discussions occurred, please discuss why. 17. To what extent have LGB topics/issues been discussed during your professional career as a teacher (e.g., workshops, PLC discussions, webinars)? 18. In what ways do you believe your sexual identity impacts your ability to be an exemplary teacher? 19. What recommendations do you suggest to improve school climate LGB teachers in the state of New Jersey? a. Suggestions for pre-service teachers/programs. b. Suggestions for school districts. c. Suggestions pertaining to laws/policies. d. Suggestions for unions. e. Suggestions for administration. f. Suggestions for LGB teachers. g. Other. 20. Is there anything that you would like to elaborate on or add to this interview that has not been discussed?

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Appendix C

Saint Peter’s University Research Study Advertisement

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED For a research study examining the impact of school climate on K-12 public school teachers in the state of New Jersey

Title of Research Project: Examining the Impact of School Climate on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Teachers in K - 12 Public Schools in the State of New Jersey.

Principal Investigator: Lori B. Burns

Criteria for Eligibility: Participants must: ● Be currently employed as a public school teacher serving students of any grade level in the state of New Jersey. ● Complete and submit the confidential online survey ● Select participants will be chosen to engage in a one time, face-to-face, confidential interview. The date, time, and location will be mutually agreed upon by the researcher and participant. If chosen to take part in the face-to-face interview, the participant must agree to one audiotaped interview lasting approximately one hour.

Participation: All information will be kept confidential with the researcher. Data will be destroyed after successful dissertation defense. Individuals who meet the above listed criteria should take the online survey: https://goo.gl/forms/C86aPt4pN5rgpraw1

Please read information on this form in it’s entirety prior to completing the online survey. Time Commitments/Requirements Completion of the online survey should take approximately ten minutes. Participation in the face-to-face interview should take approximately one hour. Any individuals selected to participate in the face-to-face interview will be subjected to one audiotaped interview session with the researcher. The researcher will then follow up with each participant to share and ensure the accuracy of the interview transcription.

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Procedures This research study is designed to examine the impact of school climate on lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teachers as well as non-LGB teachers . The researcher is conducting this study to learn more about school climate as it pertains to lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teachers in comparison to LGB teachers. The perceptions/experiences of all teachers will be explored as well as their implications on actions and attitudes within their professional lives. The perceptions/experiences non-LGB teachers will be explored in comparison with the perceptions/experiences of LGB teacher. This study will provide an examination of the characteristics of school climate for a variety of public school teachers in the state of New Jersey.

Participation in this study will begin with a survey in which participants are asked to answer questions pertaining to their school environment based on what they have seen, heard, or experienced in terms of homophobic remarks, gender expression, harassment, school characteristics, and personal characteristics. Select participants will be asked to participate in the second phase of the study through a face-to-face interviews. The researcher will contact the participants to set up a mutually agreed upon time, date, and location for the interview. The researcher will use a semi-structured format and ask all participants the same questions. The interview will take approximately one hour. The interview session will be audiotaped by the researcher and later transcribed for the purpose of data analysis. Participant names, schools, and location will be kept confidential . Each participant will then have the opportunity to review the transcriptions of his or her interviews for accuracy and to provide any additions or request any omissions.

Participations Benefits and Purpose of the Research Participants will benefit from being part of a study which will add much needed scholarly literature regarding LGB issues and education. The LGB community, specifically public school teachers, will benefit from this research if data indicates a negative school climate for LGB teachers. This would suggest a need for LGB legislation, board of education policies, and professional development regarding best practices pertaining to LGB topics. Simply examining the school climate of LGB teachers will assist the LGB community as historically it has been a very closeted group of individuals in the field of education.

Contact Information Participants may contact the principal investigator at [email protected] with any questions pertaining to the study.

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Appendix D

In addition to being a principal in the Neptune Township School District, I am a doctoral student at Saint Peter’s University enrolled in the K - 12 Educational Leadership Ed.D. program.

I appreciate you taking the time to help me with my study.

My dissertation topic pertains to lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teachers, and I am specifically studying the impact of school climate on LGB teachers in K-12 public schools in the state of New Jersey. The data collection will require the involvement of heterosexual teachers as well as LGB teachers.

The study consists of a two-part process. The first part is to request that all public school teachers complete an online survey on Google Forms, which will take approximately ten minutes. This results of the survey will be analyzed and used to identify a group of teachers to continue with the second phase of the study.

If you are identified to continue with the study, I will contact you to discuss the second phase, which will involve a face-to-face interview that will take about an hour.

All data will be analyzed in the dissertation without reference to the schools or teachers. No names or identifying factors will be used. Please be assured that your answers will be kept confidential with the researcher.

Please complete the survey on Google Forms using the link below:

https://goo.gl/forms/C86aPt4pN5rgpraw1

If you have specific questions or want more information, please do not hesitate to contact me at (973) 600-7264 or at my email address, [email protected] .

Again, I appreciate your willingness to participate in this study

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Sincerely,

Lori Burns

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Appendix E

Lori Burns 46 Camden Drive Brick, NJ 08723 [email protected]

December 2016

Dear Superintendent,

In addition to being a principal in the Neptune Township School District, I am a doctoral student at Saint Peter’s University enrolled in the K - 12 Educational Leadership Ed.D. program.

I appreciate you taking the time to help me with my study. I am requesting that you share the survey link for my dissertation research with the teachers in your school district and/or post the attached research study advertisement in all teacher lounges in your school district.

My dissertation topic pertains to lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teachers, and I am specifically studying the impact of school climate on LGB teachers in K-12 public schools in the state of New Jersey. The data collection will require involvement of non-LGB teachers as well as LGB teachers.

The teachers who are identified to continue with the study, will be contacted to discuss the second phase, which will involve a face-to-face interview that will take about an hour.

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All data will be analyzed in the dissertation without reference to the schools or teachers.

No names or identifying factors will be used. Please be assured that your answers will be kept confidential with the researcher.

This project has been reviewed and approved by the Saint Peter’s University Institutional

Review Board (IRB) for Human Subjects Research. The IRB believes that the research procedures adequately safeguard the subjects’ privacy, welfare, civil liberties, and rights. The chairperson of the IRB can be reached at (201) 761-6137 or [email protected] .

Please complete the survey on Google Forms using the link below:

https://goo.gl/forms/C86aPt4pN5rgpraw1

If you have specific questions or want more information, please do not hesitate to contact me at (973) 600-7264 or at my email address, [email protected] .

Again, I appreciate your willingness to share this link with your teachers.

Sincerely,

Lori Burns

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Appendix F

Lori Burns 46 Camden Drive Brick, NJ 08723 [email protected]

December 2016

Dear Teacher,

In addition to being a principal in the Neptune Township School District, I am a doctoral student at Saint Peter’s University enrolled in the K - 12 Educational Leadership Ed.D. program.

I appreciate you taking the time to help me with my study.

My dissertation topic pertains to lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teachers, and I am specifically studying the impact of school climate on LGB teachers in K-12 public schools in the state of New Jersey. The data collection will require involvement of non-LGB teachers as well as LGB teachers.

Select questions on the survey will be coded with a score of 1, 2, or 3. A score of 1 will indicate minimal support for LGB teachers. A score of 3 will indicate maximum support for

LGB teachers. A select amount of teachers who score the highest and lowest on the survey will be asked to continue with the study, I will contact you to discuss the second phase, which will involve a face-to-face interview that will take about an hour.

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All data will be analyzed in the dissertation without reference to the schools or teachers.

No names or identifying factors will be used. Please be assured that your answers will be kept confidential with the researcher.

This project has been reviewed and approved by the Saint Peter’s University Institutional

Please complete the survey on Google Forms using the link below:

https://goo.gl/forms/C86aPt4pN5rgpraw1

If you have specific questions or want more information, please do not hesitate to contact me at (973) 600-7264 or at my email address, [email protected] .

Again, I appreciate your willingness to participate in this study

Sincerely,

Lori Burns

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Appendix G

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144

145

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Appendix H

Department of Education

INFORMED CONSENT FORM FOR PARTICIPATION IN A RESEARCH PROJECT

PROJECT TITLE : Examining the Impact of School Climate on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Teachers in K-12 Public School Teachers in the State of New Jersey PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Lori Burns MENTOR : Robert Andrews SPU SPONSOR :

INTRODUCTION You are invited to consider participating in this research project. Please take as much time as you need to make your decision. Feel free to discuss your decision with whomever you wish, but remember that the decision to participate, or not to participate, is yours. If you decide to participate, please sign and date where indicated at the end of this form.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study will be to examine school climate as it pertains to lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teachers and non-LGB teachers. The perceptions/experiences of LGB teachers will be explored as well as their implications within their professional lives. This study will provide an examination of school climate for LGB public school teachers and non-LGB public school teachers in the state of New Jersey.

PROJECT PLAN You are being asked to take part in this research because you are a public school teacher in the state of New Jersey and you have been identified as a possible participant in the second phase of this study.

The second phase of the study entails participating in a face-to-face interview. The researcher will communicate with the participant to set up a mutually agreed upon time, date, and location for the interview. The researcher will use a semi-structured format and ask all participants the same questions.

The research will be examining school climate for public school teachers in the state of New Jersey. Participants will be asked to participate in a face-to-face interview. Interview questions relate to the participants past and current experiences in relation to their sexual orientation, the impact of policies/laws related to their sexual orientation, and recommendations for LGB students, pre-service teachers, and current teachers based on their experiences.

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The face-to-face interview will take approximately one hour.

Please be informed that a digital voice recorder will be used to capture all comments, opinions, and ideas from the interviews and may be vital to the study. Participants have the right to review all or any portion of the taped sessions and request that it be destroyed. Participants will be identified by a code name on tapes. After the interviews, the researcher will have the sessions transcribed into written format, so the researcher can analyze the data. The participants will have the opportunity to review the ensure accuracy. The data will be destroyed after successful dissertation defense.

RISKS There are minimal risks associated with participating in this research.

It is possible, but unlikely, that this research could cause minimal risk to LGB teachers in the form of physical harassment by those who oppose LGB lifestyles and/or those who oppose the existence of LGB individuals in education. LGB participants might be exposed to minimal psychological risks by discussing past and present difficulties in their lives due to their sexual orientation. The researcher will encourage all participants to only share information which they are comfortable discussing. LGB participants could be subject to minimal social risks such as exclusion and loss of friendships by those who oppose LGB lifestyles and/or those who oppose the existence of LGB individuals in education.

The researcher will reduce these risks by ensuring that all information be kept confidential. No mention of any subject’s name or name of school will be included in the researcher’s dissertation. Only the researcher will have access to the participant’s information from the survey as well as the interview. The data will remain secure and under lock and key with the researcher. The data will be destroyed after successful dissertation defense.

BENEFITS If you agree to take part in this research, there will be no direct benefit to you. However, information gathered in this research may help to understand the characteristics school climate as it pertains to LGB teachers. Information gathered in this research might strengthen protections for LGB teachers through suggested legislation in education and the workforce, policies, and professional development regarding best practices pertaining to LGB topics.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Every effort will be made to keep all information confidential. However, it is impossible to guarantee absolute confidentiality.

To keep your information secure, data will be kept in a password-protected file on the researcher’s personal computer. The data will be coded and kept in a digital file on a password- protected file on the researcher’s personal computer. The data will only be accessible to the researcher. The data will be destroyed after successful dissertation defense.

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No mention of any subject’s name or name of school will be included in the researcher’s dissertation. Please note that, even though your name is not used in publication, the researcher will still be able to connect you to the information gathered about you in this research.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR RESEARCH -RELATED INJURIES The researcher will make every effort to prevent research-related injuries and illnesses. If you are injured or become ill while you are in the study, you will receive emergency medical care. The costs of this care will be charged to you or to your health insurer. No funds have been made available by Saint Peter’s University or its affiliates, or any government agency, to compensate you for a research-related injury or illness.

YOUR RIGHTS AS A RESEARCH PARTICIPANT Participation in this research is entirely voluntary. You can choose not to participate at all, or to withdraw at any point. If you decide not to participate, or to withdraw, there will be no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled, or any effect on your relationship with the researcher, or any other negative consequences.

If you decide that you no longer want to take part in this research, you are encouraged to inform the researcher of your decision. The information already obtained through your participation will not be included in the data analysis and final report for this research.

QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS If you have questions about this research project, you may contact Lori Burns at (973) 600-7264 or [email protected]. Please contact the Saint Peter’s University IRB at 201 761-6137 or [email protected] if you have any questions about your rights as a research participant.

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STATEMENT OF PERSON OBTAINING INFORMED CONSENT I have fully explained this research to the participant. I have discussed the purpose and procedures, the possible risks and benefits, and that participation in this research is completely voluntary. I have invited the participant to ask questions and I have given complete answers to all of the participant’s questions.

______Signature of Person Obtaining Informed Consent Date

STATEMENT OF CONSENT I understand all of the information in this Consent Form. I have gotten complete answers for all of my questions. I freely and voluntarily agree to participate in this research project. I understand that I can withdraw at any time. My signature also indicates that I am 18 years of age or older and that I have received a copy of this consent form.

______Participant Signature Date

______Printed Name of Participant

Once you sign this form, you will receive a copy of it to keep and the researcher will keep another copy.

I understand that I will be audio recorded as a part of this research. Please indicate whether you agree to be audio recorded as a part of this research.

 YES (If you change your mind about this at any point, please let the researcher know)  NO

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Appendix I

Interview with MM 2/17/17

Interviewer: Question one is: the National Education Association defines school climate as, “norms, values, and expectations that support people feeling socially, emotionally, and physically safe.” Describe examples of positive school climate indicators for teachers in your school.

MM: Let’s see. Let me think about that. Things that maintain a healthy climate for us?

Interviewer: Yes. Socially, emotionally, or physically safe for your teachers in your school.

MM: We have security, we have security force, and a patrol the hallways said that if there is no boisterous behavior in the hallways between classes we at least have that backup. We are expected as teachers to stand at our doors. I guess it's more of this maintaining student safety, safety in between classes. Welcoming students and students we monitor the hallways, we monitor each other. We are expected to be vigilant and visible. There is a security staff in the main office if we need to call security to assist us in our classrooms and if we feel unsafe, then I guess we would be able to reach out and call them.

Interviewer: Alright so then that would be physically safe, but what about socially or emotionally for any and all teachers?

MM: In some of the PLCs they are very social and they'll share stories about their culture or they’ll have like days where they bring in food, share food with each other. Some of the PLCs can be quite social, okay, and I guess that's an opportunity for teachers to share personal stories or just let their hair down, unwind.

Interviewer: Can you get any negative examples of school climate for teachers in your school?

MM: Well for teachers, if we're talking about LGBT issues I would say that any attempts to make climate comfortable for LGBT teachers are pretty nonexistent. Completely nonexistent.

Interviewer: Meaning things that have been brought to administration as possibilities are not accepted, or followed through with?

MM: Well, I would say that, I would say that if teachers do raise concerns that they're not followed through with. They're ignored or diminished.

Interviewer: Would you be able to give an example even if it's not a personal one? One that you're aware of.

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MM: I would say that I know of administration or teachers throughout the district and none of them are, not of them are open about their personal lives. So I just feel like there's a general culture of it being diminished or not valued.

Interviewer: So would it be fair to say that you are the only out teacher?

MM: Yes.

Interviewer: In your entire school or entire district?

MM: I can't speak to the district but I am the only out teacher in my school.

Interviewer: And how many teachers are in your school?

MM: I would say there's there has to be one hundred and fifty, one hundred and thirty. It's a rather large middle school.

Interviewer: Could you describe the difference in school climate for non-LGB teachers in comparison to LGB teachers? So some of the questions will seem a little redundant but it might kind of jog your memory for a couple things. So compare and contrast, what is the difference between the climate for a non-LGB teacher and for an LGB teacher?

MM: Do you mean from as far as what administration can provide? Like the culture that administration has cultivated?

Interviewer: Really anything, the culture is teacher-to-teacher, it can be parent-to-teacher, student-to-teacher and vice-versa. Any interactions.

MM: Well I mean I can't speak for the way that non-LGB teachers perceive their climate.

Interviewer: But in your opinion.

MM: But in my opinion, I feel that they probably feel much more comfortable in the culture of the school. I would assume.

Interviewer: It's fair to say a lot of these questions are going to be your opinion and that's fine. That's why you were selected to share your opinion.

MM: The only reason that I give that opinion is because when I have been more vocal as an LGBT teacher, I don't really feel that my point of view has been readily, warmly accepted. Either in small groups or schoolwide.

Interviewer: With your peers?

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MM: Correct, yes.

Interviewer: Can you give an example?

MM: Sure. So I'm on the I&RST team at my school. We are supposed to be advocates for students on our team who are struggling and then we bring back the evidence. We help the teachers to generate an 8 minute model of strategies that the entire team can use to help that struggling child. As the advocate, you're supposed to monitor how that process is going and then go back to a committee. I will say that students are brought up in committee that are well-known throughout the school for being LGBT or who are questioning and they’re being bullied and they're acting out and each child is different but they are struggling in different ways. They will be brought up in I&RST and that is the CST, the principal, guidance counselors, and then an array of teachers who all belong to the I&RST committee. They will bring up that the child is probably LGBT or possibly add that is core to the problems that they're experiencing socially and emotionally. I will say, you know, we need to just not mention that we need to actually do something about that. The child needs a mentor and that mentor needs to be able to go there, to actually address those LGBT issues. Then everyone will nod and like agree with me and then no one will run with that idea. No one will take it to the next step where we actually figure out how that happens.

Interviewer: So then even, like you mentioned, obviously guidance counselor, CST members are in there. Do they even offer resources to that student like local organizations or even websites, books, with technology you have availability to communicate with people throughout the world, all different kinds of people? Do they offer any sort of resources for the student or for the family?

MM: No. I would say that teachers generally agree with me that that is the source of the child's problem and that is completely ignored.

Interviewer: Why do you think that is?

MM: Because I don't think that there is a culture within my school that is able to accommodate that. That would be admitting that there are children that are genuinely struggling with their sexual orientation. It is almost like an acknowledgment that yes that struggle is there, but they will not take it to the next level to provide resources.

Interviewer: And you feel it's because your school cannot provide those resources?

MM: No. I feel that is because they will need to have a conversation with parents, with family. I don't think there's... the training is not there.

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Interviewer: And then, so what if they have a conversation? What would happen? What is their fear that would happen then?

MM: I don't know. I think that they have a fear that the family will be resistant to admitting that that is the problem.

Interviewer: And then what would be the negative outcome possibly?

MM: I don't know. I guess an awkward phone call or an awkward confrontation with a parent. My school is stationed outside of a military base, so a large number of my children are military kids and there is a strong military culture at my school. Republican, family, and military. A lot of the services that we provide for military kids are very valuable because they really do need a little extra support. They are often moved around a lot.

Interviewer: So what kind of supports are those?

MM: They provide military mentors so if the child's parents are deployed overseas they will bring in officers from the base to eat lunch with the kids, to mentor them, to talk about things.

Interviewer: So it’s fair to say that they recognize the difficulties of being a military family where children are relocated quite often but perhaps other difficulties they are not recognizing?

MM: Specifically LGBT issue[s] are ignored.

Interviewer: Could you describe any experiences that occurred while you were teaching where homophobic remarks were made?

MM: While I was teaching? Or while I was in like a PLC?

Interviewer: It could be anytime within your school.

MM: Okay. So, specifically, I have heard homophobic remarks made by teachers during my PLCs.

Interviewer: While you were present?

MM: Yes.

Interviewer: And I ask that meaning that you were not just walking by.

MM: No I was in the PLC.

Interviewer: Can you give an example of that?

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MM: Yes. This is back when we used to meet as teams. So it was, another teacher who teaches a different subject was describing students that we all teach in common. She was saying that there's a problem with this one boy, he is bullying another boy and he was part of his bullying behaviors were reaching out and touching that boy when the boy wanted to be left alone and given his own space. This boy would reach over and touch the back of his head or the top of his head. This was part of the behaviors that this boy was showing. Then the other teachers agreed that they had seen the same behavior between the two in their classes as well. Then this teacher commented that, “I finally spoke to him about it and I said ‘why do you keep touching him what are you gay?’” So the entire PLC just immediately fell deathly silent, crickets. It was like everybody frozen where they were in the room. All of the teacher[s] knew that I was out. Perhaps this one teacher was not aware. She's kind of an older generation teacher, she might not have been aware. But the other teachers in the room were aware.

Interviewer: And did anyone intervene or say anything?

MM: No. No one said anything and I did not say anything either.

Interviewer: Why?

MM: Because I work in a school where the culture is intensely homophobic and I decided in that moment to just let it go because perhaps her age and her being of an older generation I just didn’t feel, for whatever reason, I didn’t feel comfortable doing that and I just decided to let it go.

Interviewer: Did anyone mention anything? Did anyone talk about it afterwards with you?

MM: Only because I brought it up. I brought it up at the next PLC that she missed which I think was the next day and they apologize profusely for not saying anything and they said that they felt that they should have said something in retrospect but that they just apologize for not saying anything.

Interviewer: Why do you think they would? Do you think it would be fear or sometimes people not knowing what to say? Or do you think it could be that they don't want to bring attention to you first for fear that maybe you don't want attention brought to yourself?

MM: I don't think that it was the latter. I don't think that it was about me. I think it was just about not knowing what to say. Maybe they thought I should take the lead. Maybe they thought that it wasn’t their place.

Interviewer: Do you wish that you did say something?

MM: Oh yes. I did.

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Interviewer: And how long ago was that?

MM: Maybe last year, last year.

Interviewer: If something like that happened again would you say something?

MM: In retrospect, I regretted my action.

Interviewer: Could it be sometimes you are little caught off guard, like you almost don't expect something like that?

MM: It was totally unexpected. I think that was part of it as well, I was totally shocked that she would say that, that she would like mock. That was her avenue to handling that bullying situation, to humiliate using gay epithets. That was really shocking to me.

Interviewer: Do you hear homophobic amongst other students while you are present, whether you are teaching a lesson or in the hallway?

MM: Constantly.

Interviewer: Do you intervene then?

MM: No.

Interviewer: For the same reason?

MM: Um. Well I cannot say no. When it happens immediately in my space and I will tell students not to use those words or those remarks and that it is disrespectful. But you hear it constantly as the flow of kids who are passing your door. They are not necessarily your students, they are on their way to the classes and I don’t always feel comfortable pulling them out of a crowd and addressing it. But if I hear it in my classroom then I will.

Interviewer: Do you not feel comfortable for fear of retribution, or you don't feel comfortable, or, like you said, the reason that you don't know the other students?

MM: I think it's a little of both. I don't know them, that they're on their way to another class so I feel weird about pulling a kid. Middle school is so much about the schedule and I mean I should I should, I should pull them out of the crowd. I should. I should correct them and I should find out where they are going, call that teacher, and tell them why that student is going to be late. I should do that. I'm untenured at that school. I've only been out of [previous school district name redacted] for 4 years so I am not tenured yet. I won't be tenured until September.

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So I'm sure there's a plethora of reasons why I don't do that. I certainly address [when] it happens in my classroom. I will address it.

Interviewer: But it has to be in your immediate…

MM: Yeah, I mean yeah, because I hear it a thousand times a day from moving crowds of kids, like crowded hallways. I’m not even always sure who is saying it.

Interviewer: Is it almost like, in that situation like a hallway situation, is almost overwhelming that how could one person address this person, this person, this person, as it's flowing past you?

MM: Yeah.

Interviewer: Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding verbal harassment of LGB teachers.

MM: Myself or others?

Interviewer: Anything that you're aware of. It could be yourself or could be others. So who was present? Did anyone intervene? More of a verbal harassing.

MM: Okay I've experienced that personally but there were no other adults present in the room to intervene. In my classroom [previous school district name redacted] at the middle school. I taught several classes throughout the day, this was a regular education classroom so I didn’t have an inclusion teacher or anything like that, it was just me and the kids and it was a smaller class and there were some rough kids in that class. There was one young lady who everyone in the school believed was questioning herself, she was often mistaken for a boy and she dressed in the fashion of the boys of today and it was clear that, again, everyone knew that this was part of her core issue with her anger. So I was dealing with her behavioral issues from day one, and several other kids in the class. I would say at some point in the year after Christmas, the relationship between myself and the student in the class just deteriorated for probably a number of reasons. I started to feel that I was losing my classroom management in that class and the students were becoming more like verbal towards me then they had been the first half of the year. So usually you can retrieve your management back so I tried all of my bag of tricks, but what started to happen in the second half of the year was they became more verbal with slurs, gay slurs.

Interviewer: What would they say?

MM: Mr. McGovern's a gay faggot.

Interviewer: They would say that in class?

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MM: Yes.

Interviewer: To you or around you?

MM: Both. Sometimes they would say it to me and sometimes they would wait until the bell when they were being dismissed from class heading out the door.

Interviewer: Males and females would say that?

MM: Yes. Not everyone, half of the class. The other half of the class were very respectful. The other half were engaging in these sorts of taunting and using gay slurs.

Interviewer: You gave an example of one slue, what's another example of another slur they would say?

MM: “He gay,” “You're such a homo.”

Interviewer Did you report it to administration?

MM: I did.

Interviewer: And?

MM: And nothing was done. I went to my vice principal of discipline at the time. I spoke to him about it.

Interviewer: Was there anyone else in district, I'm assuming it didn't go further than that, was there anybody else in district that you talked to about it? Administratively?

MM: Other teachers but not administration.

Interviewer: Would you have talked to an affirmative action officer?

MM: Yes.

Interviewer: Okay, but you didn't at the time, right?

MM: No.

Interviewer: Did you know who your affirmative action officer was at the time?

MM: I probably did. I went to the vice principal of discipline because I wanted him to come up with some sort of solution.

Interviewer: What was his answer to you?

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MM: Very, very, just like nodding, not very verbal with me and then several bizarre instances where he would come up next to me and almost next to me and have his face right next my face and he would say, “Mike, you have to understand that there's nothing I can do about this, you have to go down and fill out a form saying that you're being harassed and then that would force us.”

Interviewer: Like an HIB form?

MM: Yes. I think he was inferring that I should fill out a HIB form, and I would say back to him, “But I don’t want to fill out a HIB over this, I just want you to assist me and address it.” I think at one point he said, “I could stop in your classroom. I can before the presence and stop in.” He never came.

Interviewer: Did the student get any disciplinary referrals?

MM: I wrote referrals on them.

Interviewer: Did they receive any disciplinary action?

MM: No, because the referrals were never processed. So I wrote about the students, “This student said these things to me, ‘You're a faggot.’” I wrote it out and then I would go back and I think in the computer there was a way to see how it was processed or the date that it was processed. I think as a teacher you could go back and see if the referral was processed, and referrals where I wrote those blatant reports were not process. They would just not be processed. So I saw him on several occasions, he would give very noncommittal responses. And at one point, like I said, I think he was tired of me coming around, he was just like, “You need to listen to me. The only way to handle this is if you go down and fill out a form and that’ll force their hand. I'm powerless I can't do anything about this.” I was adamant with him that was not what I wanted. I taught in [previous school district] for 8 years, I had bag of tricks, my management, I knew... but this class was different. It was just like a large number of kids who had jumped on this bandwagon and that had never happened before. I had disrespect before, I never had kids call me faggot. Kids knew, they knew instantly, they could tell, they knew instinctively, and they never used that language before. This was all new to me it was very disconcerting.

Interviewer: Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding physical harassment, for example punching, kicking, pushing of LGB teachers. So it could be you or someone that you are aware.

MM: I don't really recall any incidents where I've seen LGB teachers physically abused.

Interviewer: Describe an experience that occurred while you were teacher regarding harassment of LGB teachers on social media.

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MM: I've never seen that.

Interviewer: Describe a personal experience in which your sexual orientation conflicted with social norms as a teacher. For example, your professional life as a teacher and a negative impact of it.

MM: I would say because of the culture in my school and not to... you’re de facto, your life is not perceived as normal, it’s not normalized by the culture. So therefore I don’t share it. So if part of teaching is reaching out to your students and sharing a small personal part of your life so that you can connect with your students, that is something that is missing from.

Interviewer: So you never referred to a personal experience in a lesson that would indicate that you are gay male?

MM: No.

Interviewer: Have you ever been fearful of losing her job due to sexual orientation?

MM: Yes.

Interviewer: In your previous school district as well as your current school district equally?

MM: Yes.

Interviewer: What concerns, related to your sexual orientation, did you have prior to securing your teaching position? So before you became a teacher, did you have any concerns?

MM: Not really. I’ve held a number of different careers before I became a teacher and I was always out in those environments.

Interviewer: Going into the teaching profession, did you have reservations?

MM: Well, not enough to stop me from pursuing teaching, but I did have concerns such as not being able to be open about my personal life to my students, retribution from parent, complaints from parents to administration, objections on religious basis from me being open in the classroom with their child. The religious concerns of parents were forefront.

Interviewer: Have you ever lied or avoided a topic in order to cover up your sexual orientation while talking with a colleague?

MM: No.

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Interviewer: Avoided or lied.

MM: Well, yes.

Interviewer: Could you give us an example?

MM: Sure. The day that I signed my resignation papers in the middle school, my principal asked me why was leaving, and I told him that I wanted to pursue other opportunities in another district. I could have told him about the vice principal and the way that he handled my classroom, which was the real reason that I was leaving, but I was not honest with him.

Interviewer: So is it fair to say that you left because of the poor handling of the situation or you left because you felt uncomfortable, or both?

MM: Both. Mainly the poor handling of the situation.

Interviewer: Are you out to all of your colleagues?

MM: Yes.

Interviewer: Have you ever lied or avoided the topic with a student to cover up your sexual orientation?

MM: Um, well. I wouldn’t say lied but I would say like omission. Like a few weeks ago a student asked me if I was married, no, she asked me if I had children, and I said, “No.” Then she asked if I had a wife and I said, “No, I don't.” I could tell she was trying to elicit personal information. I really am married, I'm just not married to a woman so I sort of avoided. I could've just said, “No, I'm not married. I don't have a wife but I have a partner.” I could have been more explicit.

Interviewer: Do you have another example of avoiding or omitting or lying about your sexual orientation to a student?

MM: I'm sure at some point over my long teaching career a student has asked me if I am married or have a wife and I’ve probably said “yes” to the question.

Interviewer: Did you ever pretend to be straight? Or maybe not lie, but allow people to assume that you are straight and then go along with it?

MM: No, I've never done that. I have never like said anything someone to lead them to believe that I was straight. I have never done that. I can definitively say that I've never done that. Sometimes students’ questions catch me off guard, I really try not to do that. I’m sure it's happened once or twice during my long teaching career, questions like, “Do you have a wife?” and I needed to just like pass out

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papers and move on with my lesson. Sometimes I just say like, “Yes I do” and I will just move on, but it's not meant to be detrimental to students, just sometimes that question catches me off guard. It’s really not my chosen stock answer [to] that question. I'm sure I have done it. It’s really not what I would [have] preferred to say to that question but sometimes kids just catch you off guard. Sometimes I will just look back, in retrospect I look back and feel just horrible that I said, “Yes, I have a wife.” It was really just like I needed to move forward as the educator to get the room moving forward.

Interviewer: Have you ever had a follow-up conversation then? Have you ever had a follow- up conversation with a student to be more authentic or to just be more up front about it?

MM: No. I never have.

Interviewer: Have you ever avoided the topic related to your sexual orientation with a parent or guardian or had to lie?

MM: I don’t think so.

Interviewer: In what ways or to what degree are you open about your sexuality in your professional life? So, for example colleagues, all colleagues, some colleagues, some administration, all administration, some students, all students, some parents. To what degree?

MM: I would say that I'm out to the majority of my colleagues and the ones that don't know, it's not for lack of my being revealing, that is, just like it hasn’t come up or so, or they work in a completely different part of my building and I don't interact with them. But the colleagues that I interact with every day know.

Interviewer: And how are they with you?

MM: They're fine. They’re very accepting.

Interviewer: And students?

MM: I'm not out to students at all.

Interviewer: And administration?

MM: I've never had a conversation with them but I feel that they know. I get the sense that they know, but I have never had a conversation with any of administrators.

Interviewer: And parents/guardians of students?

MM: I've never.

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Interviewer: What experiences as a teacher have led you to be closeted, and/or out? So the degree of which you are out, what led you to be that way?

MM: With students or with colleagues?

Interviewer: In general, in your profession.

MM: In my classroom I absolutely do not indicate to my students that I'm gay because I have concerns about possible retribution from parents whose religious practices would cause them to maybe call the school or be upset with me for sharing that information with their kids.

Interviewer: What subject do you teach?

MM: I teach social studies this year but I've always been a language arts teacher.

Interviewer: Ok, so social studies, does it ever come up in the curriculum regarding like historical figures or even authors?

MM: No, it does not.

Interviewer: Or historical figures and events, current events even?

MM: Well I teach social justice as a unit and we have a general discussion at the beginning about social justice events and kids are very keen to talk about Black Lives Matter and other current social justice events, the Women's March on Washington, and then inevitably some students will bring up LGBT rights.

Interviewer: And is that taught as a subsection of the curriculum?

MM: No, it’s not.

Interviewer: Is it written in the curriculum?

MM: No.

Interviewer: What is written in the curriculum?

MM: The Civil Rights Movement, women's suffrage, the Mexican-American movement with Mexican farmworkers and Cesar Chavez.

Interviewer: If the opportunity was given to rewrite the curriculum, would you feel comfortable pushing to add a subsection there for LGBT history?

MM: I would if I were tenured. I would feel more comfortable doing that.

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Interviewer: So then the students who do bring up that discussion point, do you then have that discussion in class?

MM: Yes.

Interviewer: What do you normally talk about in that, within those lessons?

MM: I acknowledge their answer and I place it right alongside all the other movements that have been discussed with parity and I usually say something like, “Does everyone know what LGBT stands for?” And some students will say that they don’t. I then say that it stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, and then I'll say those things are not necessarily the same but they have banded together as one cohesive social justice movement.

Interviewer: So then do you get to talk about things like the Stonewall Riots or Harvey Milk?

MM: No I don't, not at the middle school level.

Interviewer: Have you ever modified your interactions with the student to due your sexual orientation?

MM: Yes. I do. When I hold students for after-school detention I will not be alone so I will take a desk and I'll prop my classroom door open wide and I kind [of] position a desk where I am half in and half out of the room, and I kind of work with my laptop from that position because the cameras can clearly see that my door’s open the entire time that I'm holding students after school.

Interviewer: Now some people may argue that for most teachers, no matter who you are, to be alone in a room is just generally not the best practice just for your own rights. Do your colleagues work one-on-one with students in rooms alone?

MM: They do.

Interviewer: Often?

MM: Yes.

Interviewer: If you were in a room with two or more students, would you feel comfortable being in a room by yourself with them?

MM: It without depends on the students. If I felt that the students had animus toward me based on my sexual orientation, I probably would not.

Interviewer: Or does it depend on the student’s gender or their sexual orientation?

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MM: It does not depend on their gender and it’s based on those good practices that you just described, those commonsense practices, and then the other part of it is that I feel that as a LGBT teacher, I feel that I could be entrapped in some sort of like prejudicial view about gay people and their tendency to be sexual predators. I have this fear that if the wrong kid says the wrong thing about me that it will be more believed or that it will gain traction more.

Interviewer: Where does that fear come from?

MM: From I don’t know. Just from the perception amongst straight people that gay people are more predisposed to being sexual predators.

Interviewer: What experiences, if any, related to LGBT policies and laws have shaped your professional life as a teacher?

MM: Only that I was able to marry my partner so we had to file with our school district. He works in the same school district that I do so we were able to file jointly, I’m under him for benefits.

Interviewer: So your school district did recognize same-sex unions for benefits.

MM: And they did before marriage equality. They were one of the few school districts to recognize our civil union.

Interviewer: So you said that your partner does work in the same school district. Same school?

MM: No. Elementary school.

Interviewer: Do you feel that he has the same viewpoints as you do?

MM: No I don’t. I feel he is more open. I feel that he less fearful. He is more outspoken.

Interviewer: Why do you think that is?

MM: He’s older than I am. He's been teaching for much longer. He's probably going to retire in the next 2 to 3 years. He's been teaching for well over 30 years.

Interviewer: In the same school?

MM: No. We met in Philadelphia. I'm from Pennsylvania so we lived in Philadelphia for many years and he eventually started working in New Jersey.

Interviewer: Do you think that it has anything to do with elementary versus middle school?

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MM: Yes. I don't think a lot of the topics that you brought up in this table come up as readily in elementary school. Students don’t tend to ask the same questions. So I don't think he faces the same questions. He’s not a classroom teacher either, he’s a reading specialist so he takes out small groups of kids from the classroom, so I think it’s a different atmosphere.

Interviewer: To what extent were LGBT topics or issues discussed during your pre-service teacher training?

MM: I don't remember that. I don't remember us discussing that. I'm sure it was mentioned at some point if we were taking classes on different characteristics that could cause students to struggle, or poverty, or within the context like poverty.

Interviewer: But you don’t remember specifically the topics being covered?

MM: I really don't recall at all so it must have been minimal.

Interviewer: Do you think any of those discussions [have] been beneficial for you?

MM: Yes.

Interviewer: How so?

MM: Maybe something about improving your, making your school culture more as a teacher more inclusive. If they were to work in a school such as mine and then obviously recognizing LGBT students. How to make them feel more safe and comfortable, how to assist them.

Interviewer: To what extent have LGB topics to been discussed during your professional career as a teacher such as workshops, PLC discussions, professional development? Have you been offered any?

MM: I would say no.

Interviewer: In what ways do you believe your sexual orientation impacted your ability to be an exemplary teacher?

MM: I feel that it's negatively. I feel that I work very hard. I feel that I'm a good teacher but I do feel that it negatively impacts my ability to connect with my students on a personal level.

Interviewer: Does it have any negative impact on your personal stress?

MM: Yes. It makes me feel disingenuous with my students. It makes me feel distant from them. It makes me feel that I... it makes me feel dishonest.

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Interviewer: What recommendations do you suggest for improving school climate for teachers in the state of New Jersey?

MM: To prepare them for what?

Interviewer: To prepare them maybe for some of the difficulties that you have come across.

MM: Like if there are state protections and laws, maybe they can be apprised of their rights and encouraged to be open about their sexuality from the get-go. To find those opportunities early on. I guess to apprise them of their rights as citizens.

Interviewer: You seem to be aware of your rights, how are you aware of your rights if nobody shared it with you?

MM: I think that I am somewhat politically active. I am a member of certain political groups that apprise me of my rights. I contribute to and participate in the Human Rights Campaign.

Interviewer: So it’s all self-directed, you have sought out the information that you need.

MM: Yes.

Interviewer: What could school districts do to improve the climate for LGBT teachers?

MM: They could institute Gay Straight Alliances in middle schools. One of my jobs at the middle school was the drama teacher for 8 years. I taught it as an elective class and I also taught an afterschool club. I put on and performed all of the school plays at the middle school for 8 years and that drama club was the de facto Gay Straight Alliance at our school. Every gay kid that was struggling at that school was a part of my program. I think it was the only place in the school where they felt comfortable being themselves, talking openly. While I was conducting that drama program, I had to listen to them talking to their peers about how they were constantly bullied, about how they went to guidance day, after day, after day, and they felt that they would not listened to, or seen, or heard, or protected. So I had to hear that every day that they just didn’t feel the guidance services at that school were attuned to their particular problems.

Interviewer: So in addition to having a GSA for middle schools and high schools, what else could a school district do to improve their climate?

MM: Well, they can make sure that their curriculum reflects the contributions of LGBT people, reflecting back on what you said earlier about social justice movements from history bringing parity between LGBT contributions and, you know, African-American history month, all of the other ways that we explore our shared human history. I think, in middle schools at least, LGBT contributions are ignored.

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Interviewer: Any suggestions pertaining to laws and or policies?

MM: Um, I don't know, I mean on a personal level just like when you know you have, when you are an administrator, if they can train them to reach out to their LGBT staff and maybe encourage them in some way to be more visible or encourage them to. I don't really know how that would work like because they don't have straight teachers to bring their spouses in to school, but they do have bring your child to work day and, you know, you bring your children in, but not the gay people can't have children. I guess I would say that when teachers come with a concern that they feel that there is a student-to-teacher bullying going on in their classroom, that it is treated with the same seriousness as student-to-student bullying would be. I just might, as you know from what we discussed, is has not been my experience that bullying LGBT staff either by students or by teachers, my experience has not been positive. So I would say like after my dealings with [name redacted] I came away from that saying to myself, “There's an administrator that needs some serious, serious training.” So there was an administrator in that example who had absolutely no idea how to address that teacher concern or that situation. Had absolutely no clue on how to deal with it.

Interviewer: What about, for that situation, did you speak to any union representatives?

MM: I did not.

Interviewer: Why not?

MM: I don't know why. I was first really demoralized by the whole situation and it was a horrible, horrible year with those kids. Many of those students were either placed in special ed programs the very next year or were, due to disciplinary reason, released from our school district. I just know because I'm still friends with teachers in the district. What was my point that I was making?

Interviewer: Unions?

MM: Oh, why didn’t I go to the union. Because what would happen with that? Like the union would have, the union would've gone to either to my principal or I don't know what. I guess I would've had a union rep in a meeting with [name redacted]. Maybe I didn’t feel that my union reps were capable of speaking for me [were] adequately educated.

Interviewer: Maybe they’re not educated in this manner?

MM: Like maybe I just was fearful about what that would look like. Like, it's what I should have done. I should have asked for union rep to go in there with me and that's what I should've done. I don't know why I didn’t do it.

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Interviewer: Did any of your colleagues suggest that you do it?

MM: No. Many colleagues reached out to me. Like I told colleagues about what was happening and they were sympathetic, but they did not suggest that I go to the union.

Interviewer: Perhaps they didn’t know what to do.

MM: Maybe they didn't know what to do either.

Interviewer: What about suggestions for administration? In a perfect world what would your suggestions be for administration so that school culture... because administration has a big impact on the school culture for everybody in the building. What would be your suggestion for the administration to improve climate for LGBT teachers?

MM: Well, they need to see their LGBT staff members as valuable and they need to treat them as a valuable resource, and that means that they have to have meaningful conversations with their LGBT staff members where they feel comfortable acknowledging their LGBT status. I mean speaking from my previous school district, and now my current school that culture just does not exist.

Interviewer: Where they would have even a casual conversation? Like, what did you do this weekend?

MM: Yes. I’ve never had that experience.

Interviewer: Where an administrator said, “How was your birthday?’ or “What did you do?”

MM: You know, I take it back, I did have one principal in my current school district and he's no longer our principal, he’s a principal of an elementary school now, but I was discussing for a while [that] my partner and I would carpool because he was tutoring children before the elementary school would open so it coincided with an earlier opening in my middle school. So he could drop me off and go tutor the kids before his elementary school. So for a while we were carpooling and I mentioned that to some of my teachers at my I&RST training, and my principal was seated next to me and he did make a point of saying, “That’s so great that you and your partner can carpool like that.”

Interviewer: Which was his way of recognizing the fact that you were a gay male who had a partner in the same school district.

MM: Yes. It was legitimate. That was the only time I've ever experienced that.

Interviewer: What would be your suggestions for LGB teachers to improve climate in their schools?

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MM: Well, don't take a page from my book, that's for sure, because I do a lot of running away. They need to be more vocal. They need to understand their protections, their state rights that protect their job security. They need to be able to get a little more fearless than I have been over the years. They need to insist that when they have a population LGBT kids that are struggling and being bullied that their school, start a Gay Straight Alliance, and that the school has other visible representations of those of that community.

Interviewer: Last question, is anything that you would like to elaborate on or discuss that we didn't discuss in the interview that you think is pertinent to the topic?

MM: I can't really think of anything. I can’t really think of anything. It was just a couple of years ago I was attending a meeting for a community organization that I belong to called Ocean Grove United and it’s a gay advocacy group in Ocean Grove. I was attending one of their meetings and it was a general meeting to establish where the group was going to go politically forward from that point. Like what sort of community issues should they address. It was loosely based on the fact that a lesbian couple was denied the ability to marry. So they were having a meeting about it and I brought up the fact that I had been a teacher and that I really feel that the culture is really lacking for LGBT faculty and especially students. And I specifically spoke of the middle school. And there were many people in the crowd, parents who agreed with a lot of what I was saying. So they decided to form a committee to ask the high school to form a Gay Straight Alliance. So the next time that I was able to meet with the group, a group of women came over to me and said that they had formed that committee that would speak to the school district and they made an appointment with the, I don’t know what she was, I want to say the affirmative action officer at the high school. They said that this woman met with them and that it became very clear to me that they believed when she told them. She basically told him that gay kids at the high school don't have any problems. That their problems are seen to immediately. That LGBT students feel very safe at the high school. She said they really don't have a problem with bullying for LGBT students, students being dissatisfied with the school culture, and anyway when there are problems they were immediately dealt with. I knew that to not be true because I had been in communication with teachers and secretaries and guidance counselors at the high school and I knew that they were huge problems with the culture at the high school and the middle school, that goes without say[ing], that was a train wreck. So I knew that whoever spoke with them was being disingenuous, but they were very happy with her response. They were very satisfied with the meeting.

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Appendix J Interview with MO

Interviewer: The National Education Association, NEA, defines school climate as norms, values, and expectations that support people socially, emotionally, and physically to make sure that the environment is safe. Can you describe positive climate indicators for teachers in your school, all teachers?

MO: How I know that there's a positive climate?

Interviewer: What makes it a positive climate?

MO: Okay. I would say that, with the group of teachers that I come in contact with the most, there's a lot of sharing of ideas. There's a lot of covering for each other. If somebody is sick, people are very quick to help out in a bind. A lot of people generally, on a social level, hang out and get together outside of school. Facebook makes it so that a lot of people kind of compliment each other and feel friendly and happy with each other.

Interviewer: A little bit more supportive.

MO: Yeah. Definitely. At meetings, everybody is always just smiling, cordial, friendly in the hallway. Overall, seem pretty happy to be at work.

Interviewer: Okay. Are there any negative school climate indicators for your school?

MO: Sure. There's always the complainers. I was just talking to my friend this morning about the people that right at 3 o'clock feel like they need to leave a meeting because it's not in their contract, or during park testing if they lose part of their prep. Really, the bigger complainers would be the biggest thing. It's, I guess, a little outdated but I used to feel that the school was very cliquey. I don't feel that way anymore. I would say maybe like 7 years ago, there were a lot of groups and exclusions and now I actually feel kind of the opposite. I feel like everybody gets along pretty well and includes everybody.

Interviewer: Okay. Would you say that there is a difference, in your opinion, for school climate for straight teachers compared to LGB as lesbian, gay, bisexual? Do you think that there is a difference in school climate for those two types of teachers?

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MO: No. I mean, I know of people that are openly gay. I don't feel like anybody is treated any differently. I feel like everybody that I socialize with is very accepting and very loving.

Interviewer: Why do you think that is?

MO: I don't know if it's maybe because it's not like one teacher. Because there's a higher percentage of people in our schools, that makes it easier for everybody to feel comfortable.

Interviewer: How many would you say are in your school that are openly gay or bisexual if you had to guess?

MO: If I had to guess, like a handful, five, six.

Interviewer: You have what? About 150 to 200 staff members about?

MO: Yeah, I think a little over 100 I would have guessed.

Interviewer: Okay. Describe any experiences that occurred while you were teaching or a teacher. It could be in the hallway, cafeteria. Where you heard homophobic remarks.

MO: About teachers or about students?

Interviewer: It could be in general that you heard something like a derogatory term. If there's none, then that's OK.

MO: Nothing stands out to me. I feel like sometimes students use a word and they don't really know what they're saying. Once you correct them, it's like, "Oh. I didn't mean it like that." I don't know. I feel like maybe the reason that I don't see things is because I'm very disciplined and I'm very routine with the kids. There's not a lot of down time. There's not a lot of time for them to be saying things in front of me. They walk in and it's like, "Okay, okay, stop talking, copy your homework. Let's get to work."

Interviewer: Okay.

MO: I feel like that could also explain why I haven't seen things or heard things.

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Interviewer: Okay. It could be student-to-student, student-to-teacher, teacher-to-teacher.

MO: I can recall a teacher once telling me that another teacher had made some comments about her. That was in a situation where a male teacher thought that she was lesbian. He made a comment. I don't even remember what the comment was, but it was something where she got really upset.

Interviewer: She was upset because she wasn't, or she was upset because he made a rude comment?

MO: She was upset because he made a rude comment.

Interviewer: Really?

MO: Yeah. That was like a one extreme time, and I'm talking like 10 years ago easy.

Interviewer: Okay. All right. Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding verbal harassment of LGB teachers. If there's none, then it's none. Parent-to-teacher, teacher-to-teacher, student-to-teacher.

MO: I haven't heard anything like that.

Interviewer: Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding physical harassment, punching, kicking, pushing, of LGB teachers.

MO: None.

Interviewer: Okay. Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding harassment of LGB teachers on social media. It could technically be email, Facebook, Twitter, anything like that.

MO: None.

Interviewer: Okay. Describe personal experiences in which your sexual orientation, you identified as heterosexual, conflicted with social norms as a teacher. Social norms being the typical average American, average teacher life in school. Was it ever a conflict?

MO: With me being heterosexual?

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Interviewer: Yeah.

MO: No.

Interviewer: Okay. I know some of the questions will seem weird. They might not apply.

MO: No. I don't. No.

Interviewer: Okay. Have you ever been fearful of losing your job due to your sexual identity?

MO: No.

Interviewer: What concerns related to sexual orientation did you have prior to securing a teaching job? Before you were a teacher, did you ever have concerns that, as a heterosexual female, you would have a problem getting a job or you'd have a problem once you got the job?

MO: Not in teaching. I feel like it's actually easier to be a female and get a teaching job.

Interviewer: Have you ever lied or avoided a topic in order to cover up your sexual orientation while talking with a colleague?

MO: No.

Interviewer: Administrator?

MO: No.

Interviewer: Student?

MO: No.

Interviewer: Parent or guardian of a student?

MO: No.

Interviewer: In what ways or to what degree are you open about your sexuality in your profession?

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MO: I do talk about my children and my husband to my students often. I'll tell them stories, so I guess I'm pretty open.

Interviewer: Okay, so your students know you're married to a man and have children?

MO: Yes. I use the term husband. I call him by name. They should understand that.

Interviewer: You mentioned in lessons. Would you say that your family or personal stories come up daily, weekly?

MO: Definitely. At least weekly. Sure. I show a video of the kids skiing on the ski trip because there were four kids that were on the ski trip in my class. I pulled up a video real quick and showed them that.

Interviewer: You went on the ski trip with your family?

MO: The school ski club. I run it now with my colleague. My husband comes on as a chaperone. My two children come on as well.

Interviewer: Administration, do they know you're married to a man?

MO: Yes.

Interviewer: Okay. All administration?

MO: I've had conversations. Yeah. With both vice principals, yeah definitely.

Interviewer: All colleagues know you're a woman who's married to a man with children?

MO: I would think so. Yeah. When I was on maternity leave... I've definitely talked about my husband. My vice principal knows and plays sports with my husband. The other vice principal, I've run into him at a concert with my husband. I've talked to him about him. I don't know. I think my principal met my husband at some point as well.

Interviewer: Would there ever be a reason that you would hide your sexual orientation from any of these people?

MO: No.

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Interviewer: In your opinion, for LGB teachers, public school teachers, what professional risks could be associated with them being out? Whether it's to students, teachers, parents?

MO: You're going to have parents that make comments. I think there's already a loss of respect for teachers in general. I think people, like ignorant parents, could then use that as something extra to say to their kids about their teacher and give them a reason not to have their kids respect their teacher.

Interviewer: Do you think LGB teachers would be concerned for losing their job if they were out?

MO: I don't think so. No.

Interviewer: No.

MO: No.

Interviewer: Do you think there's a difference if you are an LGB teacher in elementary versus middle school versus high school? Like climate-wise.

MO: I think high schoolers would probably be the least to worry about. I feel like by then the students are kind of on their own. The parents aren't as involved. I really just think it's the parents that could possibly be jerks.

Interviewer: Not the students?

MO: I guess at the high school level it's more the students maybe. I would guess that they might start rumors or spread false facts or make fun of their teachers if they were uncomfortable with it. Whereas, I think at the elementary level the parents might be more of the issue if they had an issue with it.

Interviewer: Small children are there.

MO: Yeah. These are literally things I've never thought of.

Interviewer: I know, and that's fine. Think of a scenario where, just for the sake of conversation, let's say there's a gay male elementary school teacher and the parents have an issue with that. Why do you think they would have an issue with that?

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MO: Because they might be worried about their boys if they have a son. You hear the stories. Unfortunately, you only hear the bad stories. You hear about the pedophiles. They might worry that their child is in that person's care all day. Their child isn't going to know whether an appropriate or an inappropriate touch is like. They might worry that the teacher, since the teacher is in a more powerful position, could take advantage of that.

Interviewer: Okay. Okay. Have you ever modified your interactions with students due to your sexual orientation?

MO: Due to my sexual orientation? I don't think so. No.

Interviewer: Okay. What experiences related to LGB policies and laws have shaped your professional life as a teacher?

MO: I'm sorry. Can you start that again?

Interviewer: Yeah. What experiences related to LGB policies and laws have shaped your professional life? Have any laws or policies out of either school district, or township-wise, or statewide, or federally have been passed that have impacted you as a teacher?

MO: Not me personally.

Interviewer: Okay. To what extent were LGBT topics discussed during your pre-service teacher training? When you were training to become a teacher for your undergrad, did you ever have any courses that discussed LGB topics?

MO: No.

Interviewer: No?

MO: Nothing.

Interviewer: Any courses or even like a part of a course or maybe it came up in a conversation?

MO: I can't recall any kind of training, anything, any discussions about it.

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Interviewer: Has anything ever occurred in your teaching profession that you wish maybe you had a little bit more education on LGB topics?

MO: I think there is definitely more of a need to... not for me personally, but can I speak about everybody? I think everybody could use some sensitivity training and training on how to almost be able to make a child feel comfortable with their sexual orientation.

Interviewer: Okay.

MO: I think some people... I could see getting shocked. I've had girls coaching volleyball. I've had girls come out to me. In fact, just this past season I had a girl literally cry in a closet with me about the fact that she came out and she's dating one of my other old volleyball players. The girlfriend's family is fine with it, but her family is not fine with it. It's this whole big thing. It was easy for her to talk to me about it. I don't think that everybody is that good. I don't think everybody can have that conversation.

Interviewer: Did you feel like you knew what to say, or were you kind of fumbling around a little bit?

MO: No. I felt like I knew what to say. I felt like if it would have been any other trouble that someone would have brought to me, I treated it because that's how I feel. I don't know.

Interviewer: Did you have any concern that maybe that child's parent, being that they're not accepting obviously, would take issue with you having that conversation with her? Were you nervous at all?

MO: I was a little nervous. If she went back and said, "Oh, well, my coach said everything is okay." I could see that as being a potential problem. I think training would be good probably on something like that. How much can you talk? Are there legal ramifications of having those conversations with kids?

Interviewer: Yeah. Okay. Is this you talking with her alone?

MO: Yes. Yes.

Interviewer: Okay. If you have to tutor students after school or, like you said, coaching, if you're working one-on-one, do you ever feel nervous being alone with a student?

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MO: I wasn't alone. The practice was going on and we were in a corner. Everyone could see me.

Interviewer: Yeah. Okay.

MO: But no one else could hear the conversation.

Interviewer: Okay. If you do after school help though, are you ever alone in the classroom with a student?

MO: Yes. I keep my door open just as a safe policy even if it's a girl or whatever.

Interviewer: Just good practice.

MO: Yeah.

Interviewer: You'll operate normally in your classroom with just that one student with the door open.

MO: Sure. Yes.

Interviewer: To what extent has LGBT topics been discussed during your teaching career? Workshops, PLC discussions, one-on-one trainings, webinars, anything that's been offered to you?

MO: Really, no trainings. I can't think of anything formal. Maybe a discussion with the guidance counselor. I cannot think of an assembly. I really can't.

Interviewer: Have you ever, as a teacher, been given resources even in collaboration with guidance?

MO: No. I can say I've had conversations with guidance counselors. That's probably the extent of it.

Interviewer: All right. In what ways, if any, do you believe your sexual orientation impacts your ability to be an exemplary teacher? You, as a straight woman, does that ever negatively impact your teaching?

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MO: I think to a very small percentage I've had the once in a while boy that doesn't like a female teacher and doesn't like taking authority from a female teacher.

Interviewer: Because maybe past experiences were negative?

MO: Right. Right. I guess that very rarely that has happened.

Interviewer: Okay. What recommendations do you suggest to improve school climate for LGBT teachers in the state of New Jersey? Pre-service trainings.

MO: Okay. Trainings that people should have before they are actually in the classroom?

Interviewer: Yeah. If you could craft the curriculum that an undergrad student is getting as a teacher and you wanted to weave in there a little bit of LGBT topics, what would you do?

MO: I think I would just put it in with bullying and programs on acceptance. Is this for the students or for the teachers?

Interviewer: For the teachers. The climate really is administration, teachers, and staff in the building.

MO: Right.

Interviewer: You had mentioned sensitivity training as well.

MO: Yeah. For the teachers, sensitivity. But for the students as well. Maybe just more openness in general. I feel like that is the thing that causes issues is that everything is bottled and not spoken about. It makes everything more uncomfortable.

Interviewer: In public schools in general?

MO: Yeah. No, I think in society in general.

Interviewer: Why do you think it's not talked about in schools then?

MO: I think people feel uncomfortable about it because it's something they don't understand. If we can't understand it, we can't talk about it.

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Interviewer: Yeah.

MO: I think that goes back to that one story I have about the one girl getting upset because of an ignorant guy who was much older. I feel like the older people are, they don't understand and accept. The traditional roles, they play into this is how it's supposed to be. You can do that with a number of things. I think just, in general, especially at the middle school level, not making everything so role- related like it has to be man and woman. Just letting everybody be a little bit more comfortable somehow.

Interviewer: Possibly even like, if you think about curriculum, do you think that, for your example in your middle school, is your curriculum inclusive of all different types of people?

MO: No. I teach literacy now. It was social studies for a while. In social studies, I don't think I've ever taught about any famous gay or lesbian person. I don't think in literacy there's ever a story written in the text books or whatever about families that are not man and woman. I think putting those into the curriculum would make people feel more comfortable talking about it. Let the children of those families feel more included. I think it's just not talked about. I think that's why I say I don't see it. It's just not talked about.

Interviewer: Okay. You mentioned you taught literacy and social studies. In those topics, did you talk about Black historical figures and maybe some racial stories?

MO: Yeah.

Interviewer: Women's movement? I'm assuming like the women's suffrage and women writers?

MO: Because there's the months for it. It ties in easily with some of the things that you're required to do. Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay. Would there be suggestions for your school district to have a more inclusive, supportive, LGB climate in general?

MO: Yeah. Like I was just saying. Putting it into the curriculum. Making a point of adding it into the curriculum. Putting it into an assembly. I've never heard anything. Whenever somebody talks about bullying, it's always about the kid

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that's overweight or a nerd or something like that. That's not the truth either. People get picked on because of their sexual orientation. I've never heard that in an assembly.

Interviewer: Yeah. Do you have any programs in your school or in your school district like a Gay Straight Alliance?

MO: Not that I know of.

Interviewer: Have you heard of a Gay Straight Alliance before?

MO: No. I haven't.

Interviewer: Okay.

MO: What does that mean?

Interviewer: It's a club for those who identify as gay, straight, bisexual. Straight meaning you're an ally and you are supportive of friends or family or of just the overall group. They usually do a lot of educating. It's also good for the students in it because it helps them to understand things a lot more. I think a lot of people don't understand that, when you're young, you're coming out as gay, let's just say. Maybe you don't know anyone who's gay. You are something that you know nothing about, but you know that you're not what everybody else is.

MO: Right.

Interviewer: Sometimes having that group around to help educate you about LGBT history, historical figures, stories, and maybe other people who are going through the same thing.

MO: Oh, that makes total sense.

Interviewer: Yeah. It also helps to then educate the adults in the building because, obviously, there has to be somebody running the group. They usually do dances and functions. Just like any other group. They do fundraisers and shirts. It gives a place for children to go. It's not exclusive. You don't have to be gay or bisexual or lesbian.

MO: You just have to be supportive.

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Interviewer: Yeah. You just have to be a part of it. There's actually a nationwide organizing body. Do your high schools have a GSA?

MO: I don't know. I mean, I wouldn't have guessed so.

Interviewer: Do you think a GSA would be appropriate for middle school age students?

MO: I don't see why not. That's why I'm saying I think it does need to be... not so much taught in the elementary school, but introduced and more like normal everyday life. Like, hey, yeah there's a story. It's so funny. I watch “Love it or List It.” There have been a lot of gay couples on “Love it or List It” lately. My kids are watching it with me. They're watching. I have a second grader and a preschool daughter. They're watching the two men fix up their house. They've never asked me a question. I'm waiting for that moment because that's not something that has ever been talked about. I've never felt the need to.

Interviewer: They're not as exposed because…

MO: They haven't been exposed. That's exactly the perfect word.

Interviewer: Okay.

MO: When they do eventually ask me, oh, how come? I also wonder are they not noticing it because it is more natural.

Interviewer: Yeah.

Interviewer: Any suggestions for teacher unions regarding support for LGB teachers? Like what should be written into our contracts and things like that?

MO: I don't know. That's a tough question for me because I'm not a big union person.

Interviewer: Okay.

MO: Honestly, I don't really love the whole idea of the union. I've always been kind of like... I get the argument. I really do. But personally, if I'm a hard worker, it's going to pay off and I'm not at risk for losing my job.

Interviewer: Yeah.

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MO: I don't want to offend anybody that's into the union.

Interviewer: No.

MO: I've never really been that pro union in general.

Interviewer: Okay. Any suggestions for administrators regarding how they can provide a positive school climate for LGB teachers? Are there things that you think maybe you should know in case you have an LGB teacher to provide a supportive environment?

MO: As an administrator, I think I would definitely need to be up on any, just in general, like discrimination laws and anything like that that's out there.

Interviewer: For instance, the transgender bathroom issue.

MO: Sure. Yeah.

Interviewer: Every state the law is different.

MO: Yeah. Any upcoming laws on how that affects the school and the staff. Yeah. I think every administrator should get training on how to talk to their staff, talk to their parents. More like the whole sensitivity training that I was saying before. I think the whole idea is to not treat anybody differently because then that's reverse discrimination.

Interviewer: Yeah.

MO: Just being up on laws I think would be very important as an administrator.

Interviewer: Okay. Any suggestions for LGB teachers what they can do to make the climate more supportive in their schools?

MO: To make other staff members supportive of them?

Interviewer: Yeah. Just to make the climate a little bit more supportive in general. It might be for colleagues. It might be for students. What can they do?

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MO: Just continue to be open would be the best thing. I think when everybody is just open... when everybody closes off and tries to hide things, that's when people don’t connect. But if everybody is just open and normal with their experiences and their life and their decisions, then I think that's the best way. If everybody just relaxes a little bit. I think that helps the climate a lot.

Interviewer: Do you think it helps younger students when they see an openly gay teacher or administrator?

MO: Sure.

Interviewer: How so?

MO: In case they're worried about coming out, then they can now see there's a role model of, "Oh, well, he came out and he seems happy." You know? I was bullied in middle school and I make a point of putting it into lessons. Then the kids can see, "Oh, wow." I just did it the other day and I saw the faces of the kids that I think are bullied go, "What? She's social. She's happy. She talks about her kids. She's happily married."

Interviewer: She got through it.

MO: She got through it and, look, she's on the other side of it. I think, in a silent way, I gave them hope of, okay, this is just a temporary thing. I can get past this too.

Interviewer: Yeah.

MO: I think, sure, if people are just open about who they are, it lets everybody be open about who they are and feel more comfortable.

Interviewer: Okay.

MO: Like in my family my uncle, my mom's brother, is gay. He moved to Spain basically to live an open life because my grandparents were not accepting. Then my cousin... I have two twin cousins. One is gay and one is not. Both my cousin and my uncle completely hid it from me as I was growing up. Nobody spoke about it.

Interviewer: Did it have anything to do with your parents?

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MO: Not my mom. It was more my grandparents. More my cousin's parents. My aunt and uncle are different people.

Interviewer: There was this unnecessary layer of protection.

MO: Yes. When I finally found out when I was like 17, I felt like, "Why did you guys all lie? Are you serious? I don't think any differently. Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" That's why I feel like everybody just can be ... I know that's easier said than done because I'm coming from it from a point where I don't need to worry about what people are going to think. I just think that seems to be, to me, why I see as teachers a more accepting environment. I feel like the teachers in our school that are gay are open about it. It doesn't change them. I think it's made it easier for everybody to just, okay, there's no secrets.

Interviewer: Yeah. Just being authentic.

MO: Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay. Is there anything that I didn't address in the interview that you think should be discussed or you want to elaborate on?

MO: No. I don't think so.

Interviewer: Thank you very much.

MO: Sure.

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Appendix K MB Interview

Interviewer: The National Education Association, the NEA, which we're both familiar with, right?

MB: Right.

Interviewer: They define school climate as the norms, values, and expectations to help people feel supported socially, emotionally, and physically in their building. When they're talking about school climate those are the factors they're talking about.

MB: Okay.

Interviewer: Could you describe for me some examples of positive school climate indicators for your school?

MB: As a gay teacher or just in general?

Interviewer: It's your opinion, so you might be able to give the perspective as a gay teacher, but also an opinion of what it might be for a straight teacher. There's no wrong answer.

MB: Okay.

Interviewer: I would assume since you happen to be gay that your opinion would probably be mostly having to do with a teacher who might be gay, bisexual, or lesbian.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: Any positive school climate indicators, anything positive that happens that makes it a good place to work?

MB: Let me see. We have a really small group. It's not a typical high school right now that I'm working at.

MB: I have a lot of experience. I just came from a job where I was at 18 years where it was a much bigger school. It's really hard for me right now, because I still kind of associate myself with the other school, because this is pretty new for me.

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Interviewer: Okay. Was that high school as well?

MB: That was CHS.

Interviewer: Very different.

MB: That was very, very different.

Interviewer: Yeah, that's an interesting discussion point.

MB: Right, and before that I was in EHS for 8 years which is very different than CHS. When I was in EHS I didn't feel comfortable coming out at all.

Interviewer: Why was that?

MB: Just the feeling that I had from the principal, and from the other teachers, that it just would not be okay. I also taught 2 years in SHS where, I'm not sure if you're familiar with SHS or not, but there was no one coming out in SHS. I actually adopted my daughter, and I had to write a letter to the parents in Springfield stating that I'm unmarried, but that my child is adoption, because the principal didn't want people to think that I was an unwed mother giving birth to a child.

Interviewer: What year was this?

MB: This was 1998.

Interviewer: Okay. The principal asked you to write a letter to clarify?

MB: He said I had to let the parents know that I was taking maternity leave, and explain to the parents why I was taking maternity leave, because they knew I wasn't married. I wasn't allowed to say that my partner and I were adopting. I had to say that I was adopting a baby.

Interviewer: Did you ask your principal if you could say that?

MB: He made it clear that it was for me to adopt, that I was adopting the baby.

Interviewer: What was the language, like how did it go?

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MB: Just to let you know that I would be staying on for a week to let the new substitute so that there's no wrinkles in my being gone for 6 weeks that I am adopting a child, and that when I come back from my maternity leave from the adoption that it will be smooth transition, so there will be no problems in class for your children.

Interviewer: How'd that make you feel to have to write that letter?

MB: I left after that, so I felt uncomfortable. The whole school system made it very uncomfortable for me to be there as a gay teacher.

Interviewer: Then beyond that letter, what else? If you had to pinpoint what happened?

MB: The way I dressed, the way that I spoke. Just everything that I was, being gay, was unacceptable.

Interviewer: You were told it was unacceptable?

MB: Yeah, I actually had a human resource person come and pull me out and talk to me about the way that I spoke, and not to say that I was doing things with “friends” over the weekend.

Interviewer: She said don't talk about those things?

MB: She. She said that, “I heard a couple of stories that you were doing things with ‘friends,’” and she quoted my friends, and that it was taken the wrong way by a student.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: I knew what that meant, because I was referring to a girlfriend that I spent time with over the weekend.

Interviewer: This was a story that you talked about in like a lesson?

MB: Yeah, right. Yeah. Maybe we went camping, and there was something about a slope of a hill that we were climbing, because I was talking about Algebra, something like that. They were like, "Oh a friend." Even just the pronoun, it bothered one of the kids.

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Interviewer: Okay. Okay. Then you left after the whole letter.

MB: Right. That was the cutoff point for me.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: That I didn't want to be there. Then I went from there to Columbia, and Columbia was totally different. I went into the parking lot, and I saw a gay equality sign on the back of a teacher's car, and I was like, "Are they crazy?" Like I got scared for that person, because I was thinking they were going to like get their car messed up. Now, this is 1999, so it's very different just from that, 17 years ago.

Interviewer: Yeah.

MB: I was like, "Oh, my god these kids are going to kill that guy." Because he was kind of like flamboyant, and he was a great guy, but I thought for sure that they were going to.... Then they started having LGBT meetings for students with teachers, and one of the students came to me and said, "Are you staying for this meeting?" I was like mortified.

Interviewer: Like a GSA, or like a mentoring?

MB: It was just like it was just for kids who had friends who were gay, or they were gay themselves, or maybe had parents that were gay, and it was just a club for anybody that could go and talk to each other, and other faculty about what it's like to be gay, and help.

Interviewer: Get like questions.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: Resources.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: Actual good information.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: Wow.

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MB: I was just so mortified that she asked me to go.

Interviewer: Why?

MB: Because up until that point I was never allowed to even put a picture on my desk, or talk about my life to anybody at work. Everything was this big secret, so I actually went, and it was the scariest thing that I ever did was go there. Because I knew that once I went in that auditorium that day every kid there was going to know, oh she’s gay. I pretty much knew they already knew, but it wasn't like a stamped statement that I was…

Interviewer: You were solidifying that that was a fact.

MB: I was solidifying that it was true.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: Ever since then at that school it made me feel like it was okay for me to talk about things. Then things started progressing a lot more than that, because there was like the civil union, and then the gay marriage, and then we had to get married three different times. Like all that. But before that it was so different.

Interviewer: Then you were in CHS for 18 years, you said?

MB: 18 years.

Interviewer: Okay. What made you move?

MB: Just because me and my family moved.

Interviewer: Oh, okay.

MB: I was commuting for 2 hours each way last year for a whole year, and then I just thought I'll just retire. I have 27 years in, but then I got this job here which is only an hour away, and I was like, "You know what, let me try it." I had, not that tattoos have anything to do with gay, but a lot of times they associate. As soon as I got to this job I said, "I'd have to talk to my wife about it." I let them know that I had quite a number of tattoos on my body, and they were totally okay with that.

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They said, "We have a couple of teachers that are gay." They let me know that it was accepted there.

Interviewer: At your current school?

MB: At my current school.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: Because I wasn't going to go from being totally open in one district to go backwards, and I thought that the further south I went it would be harder for me to tell you the truth.

Interviewer: Yeah.

MB: Even where I live now, with my own children, it is harder for them to say that I have two moms at home. We're probably one of the only ones in our whole town that that situation is coming up.

Interviewer: Yeah, yeah. In your current school district, you would say generally it's pretty positive?

MB: I think it's pretty positive with the other teachers. I don't feel that there's no kind of like little sly remarks or anything like that with the kids. I think it's about the same with CHS and my current school. The only time I hear it is when they're mad at me. Which is, "Oh, this fucking dyke." You know.

Interviewer: They'll say that to you?

MB: They'll say it loud enough for me to hear them that they're disappointed with whatever punishment they're going to get. If I gave them detention, or if I... basically, if I tell on them if it's a snitching situation. Like let's say that somebody was being disruptive in class they expect me not to call the dean, or whoever.

Interviewer: For you to just handle it.

MB: For me to just handle and just ignore it. But if it gets to a point where a punch was thrown, then obviously then that's too far, and I do have to call somebody. They feel like I'm snitching.

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Interviewer: Okay.

MB: That's when I would notice, "Fucking dyke." It's almost like…

Interviewer: Do they say that often?

MB: Only in a situation where they're really angry with me.

Interviewer: Has it happened like more than five times since you've been there?

MB: I'd probably say about five times. About five times.

Interviewer: Okay. It's all high school students?

MB: It's all high school. I have sophomores, and juniors. There's a couple of kids that are finding their way who think they might be gay at this age. I always tell them to, you know, “You're young, don't box yourself in yet.” You don't know what you are yet.

Interviewer: Do you feel comfortable having those conversations with them?

MB: I do with some of the kids. Some of the girls that are like really, they call butch or dyke-y or something like that. If they're that far where everybody calls them like a dude, or the N word, almost all of my kids are black, so they would call a gay female the N word meaning that she's more male.

Interviewer: Really?

MB: That would be her, and she'd be proud to call that.

Interviewer: Okay. That's interesting.

MB: Yeah.

Interviewer: Then you mentioned that there's a positive indicator that you were upfront about your tattoos, and that kind of led to a conversation. Is there anything else in your current school district that you could pinpoint that makes it a positive environment for you?

MB: Just that people they all made me feel very welcome.

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Interviewer: Okay.

MB: Anytime you go in, we have a faculty room kind of like this, and everybody always moves their chair over, so that you could be part of the group.

Interviewer: Yeah, they're very inclusive.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: Is it the same way regarding teachers to administration, is that relationship the same?

MB: Yeah, I think so.

Interviewer: Comfortable.

MB: Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay. All right. Has there ever been anything negative that's occurred in your experience as a teacher, or in your current school? You mentioned a few before.

MB: No.

Interviewer: That makes it a negative.

MB: Not recently.

Interviewer: Not in your current school district.

MB: No. In CHS, I would have to go back... I'm trying to think. In all those years, the only thing that I had a hard time with was my insurance, and that was a big thing, so I actually had to sue them, and I won just to get my insurance back for my stepdaughter. They said that, it was when I had a civil union with my wife, she wasn't considered my wife then, she was my civil union partner. She had a daughter by marriage, and when I said that I wanted to put her [daughter] on my insurance, they said that that wouldn't be allowed. That I had to have her birth father sign his rights over.

Interviewer: So that you could then adopt her.

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MB: Adopt her. But it turned out that that was not the law, the law was that if she's living with us full time, and we had a committed relationship she should've been on my insurance. All the money that we paid for a separate health insurance just for her we were reimbursed by that school district.

Interviewer: Really? Okay.

MB: Yeah. There was like this holy than thou Catholic woman who was at the HR, and she said that if I had a significant life changing event I would be able to put my daughter on my insurance.

Interviewer: Such as?

MB: Then when we got remarried after Governor Christie allowed it I said, "Okay." I said, "Now, I had a life changing event."

Interviewer: Yeah.

MB: She said, "You getting married is not a life changing event." I said, "Yeah, it is." She said, "No, it's not. If you were heterosexual it would be."

Interviewer: She said that directly to you?

MB: Directly in front of other people. I said, "I'm telling you right now that one you're hurting my feelings, and I want you to reword that. Because I was sweating, and I was nervous, and there was rings, and it was a life changing event." She said, "No, it wasn't." That's what made me…

Interviewer: This was recently, obviously. The last few years.

MB: Yeah, it was like 2 years ago.

Interviewer: Wow.

MB: Yeah.

Interviewer: When that happened, did you contact your affirmative action officer, or your union reps?

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MB: Yeah.

Interviewer: Especially since it occurred in front of other people.

MB: I called up the assistant superintendent right away, and he said that she was the expert of the HR, and that whatever she says goes. I said, "That's not okay with me." I called my wife, and she's like on the phone with the insurance from God, and she was like, "No, you go back in there, and you tell them." I went to the union person, and they went through the whole thing, and I had to go through the NJEA. They got me a free lawyer, and then we went through the... first it was a grievance, and then it became a lawsuit. Then, we didn't get any money for them hurting my feelings or whatever, but we got all of our money back for all of the 5 years that we had to pay for a separate insurance.

Interviewer: Did you have any interactions with that HR person afterward?

MB: No, but right now my pension is still not being taken out, and it's because HR from Columbia has not sent it in. Now, I've been... from September of this year until now I'm all screwed up with my pension, and every time my new boss calls they say, "Oh, it's because CHS didn't send their paperwork in yet." I know damn well it's because of that. She's giving me a hard time, because she doesn't believe in our lifestyle, and she made it clear that she doesn't believe in our lifestyle.

Interviewer: Okay. Could you describe if there's a difference in your opinion for school climate for LGB teachers, versus heterosexual teachers?

MB: In my current school, I don't think so.

Interviewer: In your previous schools, like SHS?

MB: Oh, definitely in SHS you weren't even allowed to be part of anything. They made it very clear that you were not included.

Interviewer: Such as what? Social gatherings?

MB: Social gatherings. If the teachers were having parties or baby showers….

Interviewer: You just weren't invited?

MB: I wasn't invited, no.

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Interviewer: What about like things that would be additional stipends, like coaching, clubs, or electives?

MB: Coaching, I was allowed to be a coach, because we're typical coaches, right, but I never tried to do anything else there, but I just felt very unwelcome right from the very beginning when I got there.

Interviewer: Would you say it's because, like you had mentioned that they had a problem with the way you talked, which actually can you elaborate on that? What was the problem with the way that you talked?

MB: I think it's from they said I talk rough, and they said that I was from a city so I have a city accent. I have a heavy city accent, and she said, "You're not there anymore." That's what she told me. She told me [to sound] the end of my words more [as] if I was going somewhere make sure that I end it with a strong G. I couldn't believe I was having this conversation.

Interviewer: With an administrator?

MB: With an administrator.

Interviewer: Was it the principal?

MB: No, she was the HR person.

Interviewer: Again.

MB: When she asked me to leave she actually said, "Ta-ta." It wasn't even a joke, and I was just like, "Are you kidding me? Like where is this woman from?"

Interviewer: Just from my own knowledge of SHS, it's high socioeconomic, right?

MB: Yes.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: Predominantly richer white Jewish families live in that town. I was used to with the kids’ heavy slangs, inner city slang, a lot of cursing, and that's why I fit in where I am now.

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Interviewer: Okay. Then you mentioned also they had a problem with the way that you dressed.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: What was the problem?

MB: You weren't allowed to wear jeans, but I would wear khakis, and they asked if I was going to …

Interviewer: As a classroom teacher?

MB: As a classroom teacher, and they asked me if I was going to wear khakis every day.

Interviewer: Who asked you that?

MB: The principal, and I said yes I was.

Interviewer: Was it against your dress code in your union?

MB: No, it was not against the dress code.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: But other female teachers wore dresses and skirts, and I wore khaki slacks with like Dockers. The typical dyke stuff. He said, "Are you wearing ..."

Interviewer: I'm just asking the questions because I get it, but I need to make sure that whoever would read this would get it.

MB: Right. He said, "Do you plan on wearing those kind of pants every day?" I said, "Yes, I do."

Interviewer: Was it ever recommended that you wear more feminine clothes?

MB: He didn't say I had to wear a skirt, but he said that he wanted me to... the word was “clean up” or “shine up a bit, polish up a bit.”

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Interviewer: Okay. Interesting.

MB: I said I was comfortable with the way I was.

Interviewer: Yeah. Then going back to the other question would you say, even if not in your current school district, was there a difference in climate of the school environment for LGB teachers versus heterosexual?

MB: I think so, yeah. I still think so. I think like it's just almost like black and white. If you have a faculty meeting and you have a couple hundred teachers, the gay teachers sit together, and the straight teachers sit together.

Interviewer: Why do you think that is?

MB: I think you just sit with who you feel more comfortable with. I know that we did that. I was more friends in Columbia with all of the gay teachers, and not that I wasn't friends with the straight teachers, but it was just like in the faculty room, or a lunch room all the gay teachers sat somewhere, and all the straight teachers like stick together.

Interviewer: Okay. Describe any experiences that occurred while you were a teacher regarding homophobic remarks. It could be in the classroom, in the hallway, in the parking lot, it could be a student said it, administrator, colleague, if any.

MB: Probably the worst thing that happened was when I was a teacher in Elizabeth, one of the kids that I was coaching softball for peed in the middle of the game, and it was during the pitch she just pulled her pants down and peed in center field, so I called timeout. I said you know, "What are you doing? There's a porta potty right there." She was like, "Well, when you got to go you got to go." I took her off, and I told her that she was off the team.

Interviewer: How old was she?

MB: She was in middle school.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: I had a whole bunch of men who were going to take that field for men's softball, and they had families there, and I was totally embarrassed about her behavior, so I kicked her off the team just from that. The next day when she came into my

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class, she was demanding that I have all of her homework assignments that she's ever missed. I said I wasn't going to do that. She said, "Dyke, you're mad because you ate your mother out last night."

Interviewer: Wow.

MB: I kicked her out.

Interviewer: Was that in front of other people?

MB: In front of the entire class.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: I was only there probably for my first 2 years, so I didn't really have an established relationship with the kids.

Interviewer: You were non-tenured.

MB: I was definitely not somebody that I was telling anybody that I was gay. I don't even know if she knew I was gay.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: When I went to go close the door she slammed the door, and broke my arm right in half.

Interviewer: Really?

MB: Yeah.

Interviewer: You were walking out…

MB: I went to close the door behind her, so she couldn't come back in, and she grabbed the door from my hand, and slammed it, and cracked my arm in half. It was right after she said because I ate my mother out last night. That was probably the worst gay remark, and actions, that I had to ever deal with.

Interviewer: Did you report it to anybody?

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MB: Oh, yeah, that was reported. For her punishment, they had a court like through the school system, and she had to sit in the other side of the school. It was almost like if your boyfriend's mad at you you're not allowed to stay within 500 feet.

Interviewer: Yeah.

MB: It was kind of like that.

Interviewer: Until she was graduated?

MB: Until she graduated, right.

Interviewer: Okay. Wow.

MB: Other than that I've heard a couple of times dyke, but I would say more often now it's still everything a lot of kids just say that's gay, or that's queer, that's gay. Meaning so many different things, and now I just use like humor and say, "We actually do like that, but not all of us partake in it." If they're like, "Oh, picnics are gay." I'm like, "Sometimes we go on picnics." They're like, "Oh god, here she goes." They know.

Interviewer: Are you offended when they say that?

MB: No, because I know that it's just a terminology that it's not cool. Gay means it's not cool. They don't really mean…

Interviewer: There's a negative connotation.

MB: They don't really mean the gay relationship between two, same-sex couples.

Interviewer: Being that it's a negative connotation …

MB: Of my lifestyle.

Interviewer: Yeah.

MB: I feel like it's my responsibility to address it.

Interviewer: Okay.

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MB: Before, I used to just not say anything when I heard it. I think now it's my responsibility that I can't let them just keep saying it without at least knowing that I'm going to call you on it. Even if I just call you on it in a humorous way you're still not going to get away with saying, “That's gay.” I do feel like I have to address it with something. Whether it's humor, or sarcasm, or whatever. It depends on the way they say it, is the way that I would react to it.

Interviewer: Then when those remarks are made, does anybody else intervene beyond you, ever? Students, staff?

MB: No other staff would do that. I think that if there was an administrator there, they would take it differently. They would be like, "Who said that?" They would like go overboard I think, but when I address it, then a bunch of kids are like, they just kind of like, "Oh, we knew this was coming, why'd you say that?" Almost like they don't want to say it when I'm around, because they know that I'm going to have that.

Interviewer: Would you agree that it might be, some people say, it's comparable to how using the N word used to be a slang word that was acceptable to say in society until people started really putting meaning toward it, and the word changed?

MB: I always felt that the N word was something that if you were black it was acceptable, but I didn't think it was ever acceptable for everybody to use it. Whereas saying someone is gay, I think that is acceptable that everybody is going to use it. I wouldn't compare the two, because it's not only gay people who could say “that's gay” and get away with it, everybody says it.

Interviewer: Okay. Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding verbal harassment. You gave a couple of other examples before, do you have any other ones? It could be like threats, rumors, anything beyond the other incidences that you referenced before.

MB: A couple of times I had one boy, probably about 3 years ago now, he said he was going to pop my gay ass in a parking lot, and he was suspended for it. Because it meant that he was going to take a gun and shoot me.

Interviewer: Yeah.

MB: But because he threw the word gay in, then it wasn't just a violent threat, it was a violent hate threat.

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Interviewer: That's the direction, the path that the administration took?

MB: There was like a bully expert at CHS, and they took it that way. But when they spoke to him, they said that they didn't find it to be a hate crime, but because he told a teacher that he was going to shoot me in a parking lot, he was suspended for it anyway. I don't think he meant that it was like a gay hate thing either.

Interviewer: Was anybody else present when he said that?

MB: The whole class.

Interviewer: Did anybody else intervene or say anything?

MB: No, they thought it was funny.

Interviewer: They laughed?

MB: Yeah. Yes.

Interviewer: Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding physical harassment. Pushing, kicking, pushing of LGB teachers. It could be something that you're aware of that happened to you, or something that you're aware of that happened to a colleague. You've referenced before your arm.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: Pushing, shoving, anything of that nature.

MB: I broke up a lot of fights, but I don't think any of them had to do with being gay.

Interviewer: Okay. Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher regarding harassment of LGB teachers on social media. Now the world's changed. Let's just say for students even when we worry about harassment, intimidation, and bullying, we don't just worry about what happens during the school day, now you have to worry about what happens on the computer, or on Twitter, or Facebook, emails even.

MB: Right.

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Interviewer: Anything like that ever happen with you, or a colleague?

MB: Not that I know of. Only because we just know that all of our stuff is not for kids to see, you know. Probably even more so than straight teachers, so a lot of times if a straight teacher would say, "One of those kids are on my Facebook," we would look at each other like that wouldn't happen with us. Like we're more careful than the regular teacher.

Interviewer: Why is that?

MB: Probably because there would be more stuff on there. Something that a parent would be upset with.

Interviewer: Like what?

MB: If they saw me kissing my wife that would…

Interviewer: A picture of you two kissing?

MB: Yeah, right. Yeah, that would be even just two women with their arm around each other, or holding hands that could be taken the wrong way.

Interviewer: Do you think that a heterosexual teacher would have a problem if a similar picture were posted of them and their spouse?

MB: No, I don't think that they would have a problem with that.

Interviewer: Okay. Describe a personal experience in which your sexual orientation conflicted with social norms in your school.

MB: Say that again.

Interviewer: I know it's a long question. A personal experience in which your sexual orientation conflicted with social norms in your school.

MB: The one thing that I'd have to say with this school is for a small school there's a lot of couples, straight couples. Like kids; 15, 16 years old. The girls will sit on the boy's lap. I personally feel that there's a time and place for everything, and in the classroom it's not the time or the place, so get off the boy's lap. They're like, "Oh, but if it was two girls you wouldn't say anything." I'm like, "Absolutely...".

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Interviewer: They say that in class?

MB: Right. Absolutely not if it's girl on girl, boy on boy, girl on boy, whatever you have, I don't want it. I say no PDAs. No public display of affection. I don't want you sitting on each other's laps. Every time that I pull a girl off of a boy whether they're kissing, or their arms’ around each other, or sitting on each other's lap, I will get that. They'll be like, "Oh, because it's not girl on girl."

Interviewer: Really?

MB: It's totally ridiculous, but that's when I get a negative about my sexual orientation.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: Is when I'm splitting them up, then they're mad.

Interviewer: Okay. Any time between your colleagues that being a lesbian just didn't fit into social norms within your colleagues? It could be this school, or it could be one of your previous schools.

MB: No, I don't think so.

Interviewer: Okay. Have you ever been fearful of losing your job due to your sexual orientation?

MB: In the beginning I was.

Interviewer: Like the first 2 years, 5 years?

MB: Let's see. Until I went to CHS. Probably until 2000, so the first 10 years of teaching I would say I was fearful that if anybody found out that I was gay, I thought I would lose my job. I started in a Catholic school, so that was if anybody found out, I knew I would be fired for that. Then when I was in EHS as a middle school teacher, I felt that if I was found out that I would probably lose my job.

Interviewer: Then when you went on to…

MB: SHS, I would've felt like I would've lost my job.

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Interviewer: It was only until you got to CHS…

MB: CHS that I felt comfortable.

Interviewer: Did tenure, or lack of tenure have anything to do with feeling comfortable with your security?

MB: Yeah, I would say that when I got tenure in CHS that's when I felt more comfortable, and even took a chance of putting a picture of my girlfriend on my desk. I probably didn't even do that until up to like maybe 7 years ago.

Interviewer: Really?

MB: Yeah.

Interviewer: Do you have any concerns for losing your job now due to your sexual orientation?

MB: No.

Interviewer: Ever?

MB: No.

Interviewer: Okay. What concerns related to sexual orientation did you have prior to becoming a teacher? When you were doing your undergrad work to get certified to become a teacher, did you have any concerns related to your sexual orientation?

MB: It's kind of weird, I have a degree in mathematics, so when I went to college I wasn't going to be a teacher, I was going for programming, and AT&T had a layoff, so I just went to this Catholic school just as a fill in to get a job.

Interviewer: You didn't do the traditional teacher route.

MB: Then I got a job teaching, and then did the alternative school.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: I don't think I really could answer that.

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Interviewer: Within those classes for the alternative route, did you have any concerns then? Like did it ever occur to you that, “It might not be well received for me to be a lesbian and be a school teacher?”

MB: I don't think so. The class for alternative school teaching, there was no class. Everybody just sat around and told stories about what they did all day long, so there wasn't a book, there wasn't a test. There wasn't anything.

Interviewer: Do you feel like if you did the traditional route for teaching that ...?

MB: I think that if I went to the traditional way I probably wouldn't have been a teacher.

Interviewer: Why?

MB: I think that, like you said, that I would've felt like, “How's this going to work being gay, and being a teacher?” But I kind of like just fell into it being gay and then, “Oh, yeah well now I'm a teacher.” I also think that I wanted to coach so bad that I was like, “If I teach, then I could get paid for coaching.” I kind of like just became a teacher just so I could get paid for coaching.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: I was kind of like backed into it.

Interviewer: That happens.

MB: Yeah.

Interviewer: Have you ever lied, or avoided a topic, in order to cover up your sexual orientation with a colleague?

MB: Thousands of times.

Interviewer: Okay. Can you give me an example? It could be current, or it could be previous.

MB: A long time ago, everything I did I always had to say that it was with a “friend,” or I always had to leave names out and pronouns out.

Interviewer: Or change the pronouns.

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MB: Right.

Interviewer: Okay. But you don't do that currently.

MB: No.

Interviewer: Ever have to lie or avoid a topic with an administrator?

MB: Same thing. Yeah.

Interviewer: But not currently.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: Previously. With a student?

MB: Same thing.

Interviewer: Same thing. Currently as well?

MB: I don't think I ever feel like I have to lie with the kids.

Interviewer: Okay. If you're teaching a lesson currently, and some teachers tie in a little personal note to connect with the kids, and make it a little bit more interesting, do you feel comfortable doing that?

MB: I talk about my wife, and my kids, and I kind of feel like they're one, because I think it's just being gay today you have a family it's all the same. There's times when I still avoid too much information, because I don't want the kids’ parents to feel like I'm sharing too much. I still think that there's…

Interviewer: Like what?

MB: Just too much about maybe the closeness that I have with my wife. Like I wouldn't talk about that as if I was married to a man, I probably would talk about it. I have a special ed teacher in the room, she'll talk more about her stories about her and her husband on vacation, and they were walking on the beach and he got stung by a stingray. I wouldn't say, “Me and my wife were walking on the beach

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together.” I just feel like I'm painting too much of a picture, and it might be because of my age.

Interviewer: Yeah, it might be.

MB: That I feel like these kids parents may see that as, "What is she talking about her walking on the beach with her wife for?" I still feel like I can't share those things, and maybe it's just not appropriate to be sharing that. But the special ed teacher finds there not to be a problem sharing about it about her husband, but I wouldn't do that. It is because I'm gay, because I don't want the kids' parents to feel a certain way.

Interviewer: That kind of tied into my next question with the parents. If a parent were to take issue with like, let's [say], a story that you told.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: Which might indicate that you are gay. Why do you think they would have an issue with that?

MB: I think that there's been things, especially in CHS, and not necessarily with me but with other female teachers that are maybe a little more in the kids’ face about their lifestyle where the parents feel like they're trying to convince them of being gay.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: That's in the back of my mind that a lot of the parents feel that way, and they came in yelling and screaming at the principal that "this teacher is trying to make my kid gay." I think we're really careful about how much we say, because we don't want somebody who might be questioning to say like, "Hey, it is kind of cool. Maybe I'm going to try that." I try not to make sure that religion, or my sexuality, doesn't influence a kid either one way or another.

Interviewer: Okay. In what way, or to what degree, are you open about your sexuality in your professional life? Some colleagues, all colleagues, some administrators, all administrators, some parents of students, all, some students, all students, what's your degree of openness?

MB: I don't talk to parents about my lifestyle. If they asked me, I would tell them.

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Interviewer: Have you ever had a parent bring up a conversation which makes it known that they know your sexual orientation?

MB: I'm sure I have. Especially like since I coach softball, and baseball parents would come to me, and they would see like my family would come to a game, so they would say, "Your wife brought cookies for everybody, that was nice." Or something like that, so they know that she's my wife. Not that I would ever say, "Everybody, this is my wife."

Interviewer: You didn't initiate the conversation.

MB: No. They figured it out.

Interviewer: Okay. Are you out to all colleagues in your current school district?

MB: Yeah, I don't say that I'm out. People who know me know that I'm gay, but like if there's a new teacher, "Hey, I'm gay."

Interviewer: Yeah. It's not the first thing that comes up.

MB: Right. It doesn't come up, but if we're all talking just as teachers and we're talking about different things, I'll refer to my wife as my wife.

Interviewer: Okay. To administration as well, all administration?

MB: Yeah.

Interviewer: We talked about parents, students we've kind of touched upon.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: If the topic came up with a student, would you then be more open?

MB: If they said something like about “that's being gay” I'll say, "You know I'm gay, right?" That'll be... if it was our first interaction with somebody who said something like that, that would be how I would say it.

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Interviewer: If a student was questioning their sexuality right now, and brought up a conversation to you, would you feel comfortable having a conversation with that student, or what would you do?

MB: I don't know if somebody would ever come up to me and say, "Hey, I think I'm gay, what do you think I should do?" I would be the first person to say, "Don't ask me." Because I wouldn't want the responsibility of talking to them. But if somebody, I fool around with some of the kids, like there might be a girl who has like game. She's walking this girl to class, and then she's walking that girl to class. I might say, "Man, you really got some game here." We might kid around that she's gay, because she's got like a lot of girlfriends in the school, so it would be like that, but for a serious conversation about being gay, I've never had that conversation with a kid. If they really came to me because they needed some advice, I would try to give them as little advice as possible and to just let them feel comfortable being who they are, but I wouldn't try to gear them one way or another.

Interviewer: Okay. What experiences as a teacher have led you to be either closeted or open? Where you are now you're pretty open, so what has happened to, which is really different from 15 years ago, what has happened to make you be more open?

MB: CHS. I thought it was like an incredible place. Not just as a school, but as the whole just where people live. There's so many two-sex marriages there. Different cultures, black and white couples, two moms, two dads. It's like a whole different little world in that town over there, and it was so weird for me to be there from the places that I've been before.

Interviewer: Is it fair to say that being exposed to all those sorts of differences, and like you said you went to that meeting and you kind of took the next step, is it fair to say that that kind of gave you the strength to be a little bit more authentic?

MB: Yeah, definitely. Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay. In your opinion, what professional risks could be associated with a teacher who is out?

MB: Just probably lawsuits, you know. I think you could get sued for saying the wrong thing.

Interviewer: By a parent, or by a school district?

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MB: By a parent. I would think that the parent initiating it. Even just a couple years ago, they claimed that a girl was let go as a teacher because she's gay at CHS, which doesn't make sense to me, but they claim that, because she wasn't tenured. I've seen a lot of other things from gay teachers where, like I said, there are parents said that she was trying to make them gay. Stupid things like that, but just by giving too much information, you're armoring people who want to find a problem, you're giving them ammo.

Interviewer: Okay. Have you ever modified your interactions with students because you are a lesbian?

MB: I think on an ongoing basis.

Interviewer: How so?

MB: I think I'm just extra careful of what I say, and what I share.

Interviewer: Okay.

MB: Like I said before, I don't share as much as someone who would be heterosexual what they would. From what I see, anyway.

Interviewer: What about something like after-school help, do you have students in your classroom?

MB: All the time everything is different.

Interviewer: How so?

MB: I don't like to be in a room with just one or two kids, so if I have one kid after school for detention I might just say, “Why don't we wait until Friday?” knowing that I'll have more kids there. Even if it was a boy I still I don't... I just think because you're gay there's still that, and it might be my own fear, I still think there's that extra if there was an allegation that you have to be more careful.

Interviewer: Why?

MB: I don't know. Maybe, like I said, maybe because it's just from the fear that I've had for teaching for almost 30 years that [I] still feel that way, but I just do. Like

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I'm coaching and I said, "How are we going to get the kids from our school to the fields?" My boss said, "We just bring the kids over in our cars." Because it's a charter school, so it's different. Then I'm thinking to myself, “Oh Jesus Christ.” That immediately…

Interviewer: Something like that it could be argued that at any teacher maybe it's not a good practice to be alone with a student, but do you feel that it's different for lesbian, gay, or bisexual teachers?

MB: I think so, because I think that there's a stereotype. Especially if I was a male, it would be even worse. Male teachers that are gay it just seems like, "Oh, he's a pedophile." There's a gay male teacher in our school right now, and I hear the kids saying that, "Oh, he's probably a pedophile." I'm like, “That's so ridiculous. He's married, and he's a grown man, what makes you think he'd be interested in you as a child?” But it is just a stereotype.

Interviewer: It just keeps going.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: To what extent have LGB topics been discussed during your professional career? Workshops, PLC discussions, webinars, anything, any sort of training or professional discussion.

MB: Hardly ever.

Interviewer: Would it be zero?

MB: I wouldn't say zero only because there's one woman in the other school that was like a real fighter, and she would constantly say that we need something. I think that there might've been one or two in the 30 years that I've been teaching.

Interviewer: How long ago was that?

MB: Probably about 4 years ago they started, and it was just about what pronouns to use for transgender. Not really gay. Just pronouns for transgender. It was more about that. About like how fluid a kid's sexuality might be, and it was about the kids, not about the teachers.

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Interviewer: Okay. All right. Would you say that your sexual orientation ever impacts your ability to be an exemplary teacher?

MB: No, I don't think so.

Interviewer: Okay. What recommendations would you suggest for an improved school climate for LGB teachers in the state of New Jersey for like pre-service training programs? In a perfect world, if you could make like an undergrad program that would assist in when those teachers become teachers, and improving school climates for public schools, what would you suggest?

MB: It's funny because there is a young teacher who's just starting teaching, and she's gay, and when you sent me the email I was talking to her, and I said, "You have no idea how lucky you are to be a teacher today than when I started being a teacher."

Interviewer: Yeah.

MB: I don't really know if, she's so confident, and she just looks at me like, "Why?"

Interviewer: Like it's not going to be an issue.

MB: Yeah, like it wouldn't be an issue. I don't even know if she needs something to make her feel comfortable. Which is amazing for me to say that.

Interviewer: Is it ignorance on her part?

MB: I feel like it's ignorance, because I feel like she doesn't know what we all went through to get here.

Interviewer: Is it the total opposite? Is it like ignorance of what could happen, or historically what has happened, or is it the total opposite, that she's really well educated and aware of her rights?

MB: She is really well educated. She's aware of her rights, but her mother is also the principal of the school, so she could also feel invisible because she doesn't know what it's like about “what if people don't like me? What if people take me the wrong way?” Because she dresses like a boy, and she has a haircut like a boy. If she was in a different school setting, she may not get tenure just for that, because she's comfortable with who she is, but I could see other people saying she's

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overboard. She's not overboard ,it's who she is, and she has the right to dress and feel however she wants to feel. She doesn't want to be a boy, so it's not the transgender thing.

Interviewer: Yeah.

MB: She's just gay, but that's how she feels comfortable, but because it's her mother's school I don't think she even realizes that if she was a teacher somewhere else that she wouldn't get fired, but she may not get hired again.

Interviewer: Yeah, or socially it might be a little bit different for her.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: Or perhaps since she's a younger teacher she hasn't, and good for her, like encountered any sort of like student push back, you know.

MB: Yeah, and kids do talk about her. Even more so than me only because of her haircut and the way she dresses.

Interviewer: Okay. Any suggestions for public school districts, what they could do to make public schools more inclusive for LGB teachers?

MB: I just think that it's still the kids that need more sensitivity training, so that that's not happening.

Interviewer: Okay. Any suggestions for laws or policies, so they can be like school board policies, they could be like local ordinances, or state law that would improve the climate for LGB teachers in public school?

MB: It would be kind of hard to say that you can't fire somebody just because of the way that they identify themselves, but that somehow has to become a law for it to be fear, right. Because if I wanted to come in and get all dressed up feminine, and professional rather than masculine and professional, I know that I would get a lot further one way than the other.

Interviewer: Yeah.

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MB: Starting all over again going down here instead of just retiring, I thought that if I went even further south that I have to dress not how I want to, and act not how I want to, and all that, and it's not an option for me, right.

Interviewer: Any suggestions for teacher unions, what they can do to assist their LGB teachers?

MB: Just, I guess it would have to be sensitivity training for the principals, but also doesn't it have to somehow reach to the parents, and I don't know how to get the parents to do that. Because usually if there's a problem, it's always initiated from the parents coming in saying, "I don't like the way that teacher looks, I don't like the way that teacher is talking to my kid."

Interviewer: Wouldn't you then agree that that comes down to how administration handles it, sets the tone?

MB: Handles when the parents complain?

Interviewer: Yeah.

MB: Right.

Interviewer: Okay. We just talked about administration. Any suggestions for current LGB teachers on how to make their school climate positive, or more positive?

MB: I just think they need to do what I do, even if you feel uncomfortable about it address it when the kids say things about other people who are gay, and just the slang words that they're using. Even though it's a lot easier to ignore it to not ignore it.

Interviewer: Do you think visibility has anything to do with it? Like if more teachers are out the environment might change.

MB: Yeah, I definitely think so. That's why we've come so far in the last couple of years, because of the visibility that movie stars are giving us. If it wasn't for Ellen, and Melissa Etheridge, and all those other people, would we be where we are now?

Interviewer: Last question, is there anything else that I didn't touch upon that you want to talk about, or anything that you want to elaborate on?

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MB: Not that I could think of.

Interviewer: Oh, then we are all done.

MB: All right.

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Appendix L JG Interview

Interviewer: The first question is, the National Education Association, the NEA, defines school climate as norms, values, and expectations that support people feeling socially, emotionally, and physically safe. Can you describe positive school climate indicators for your current school for non-LGBT teachers?

JG: Typically, I truly feel that it's not really an issue, it's not typically an issue. One of the things I can definitely say about LHS is the acceptance among the staff and the camaraderie among the staff. I can say, genuinely, we're a very friendly, cooperative, very accepting, wonderful staff and everybody seems to get along. You're saying what about the…

Interviewer: Let's just be general then for all teachers, positive indicators. If I said to you, give me examples of what makes your school positive?

JG: Okay. For instance, we have the LGBT clubs and the signs up. Regardless of whatever orientation a teacher is, we want to support all the different clubs, all the different advisors. No one really asks or feels the need to discuss those things. However, it's always open that, you know we have plenty of teachers that actually have, you know whether it's like charms or whatever that acknowledges them as LGBT orientation or person.

Interviewer: In the classroom?

JG: Usually on their personal items.

Interviewer: A tee shirt or?

JG: No, like one of our ladies has a little rainbow flag on her bag and stuff like that. It's not shunned, I guess, and no one ever says anything about it, no one has any concerns with it, but it's also not broadcasted. But among the staff members, at least within the English Department and the Special Ed Department, that's our little cluster. I know that there have been conversations and there's been issues, no different than in the lunchroom if I come in and I'm like, “Oh my goodness, this happened with my husband, I'm really upset.” Just talking to friends, it's very open and no one blinks. It's just okay, this is your life, I'm your friend, I'm here to support you. That, I think, is incredible. Our administration is very supportive of

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all of our LGBT students and the staff members as well. It's a very open environment where between our PBSIS group and…

Interviewer: What's PBSIS?

JG: Positive behavioral support.

Interviewer: Positive behavioral support.

JG: I forgot the two middle ones. More or less, with all of our groups, with all the things that are available in the school, it's just part of our culture. We are very open to every ethnicity, every religion, every type of diversity including the LGBT.

Interviewer: You mentioned like teachers in the staff room just talk openly, all different types of families, all different types of people. People might have identifying things on their bags or their clothes or a little key chain or something. Then you mentioned that administration is very supportive of LGBT students. How, though?

JG: I know that there are some districts that they don't really push LGBT clubs or anything like that. We do a video announcement every day. When the club is doing something, they make sure that they announce it. If a student is having issues and they've shared with us what their orientation is, the administration and the guidance department, they're very quick to make sure that they're supportive in whatever is necessary to help us support the students, whether school base is involved. If there's ever a case of bullying, it's taken care of immediately. I know it has in the past, I don't within the past 2 years that I've been here, I personally haven't seen anything or heard anything. Because I know that everyone is very proactive about it. We do have trainings in the beginning of the year on how to support our LGBT students that may be questioning, they're not sure yet so they may be just coming out or whatever the case may be. Or students that have already come out and are comfortable in their orientation but their classmates may not be. We do have a lot of those trainings to help support us to support the kids. Personally, it's one of the best districts I've ever worked in because it's so inclusive and so proactive in everything. I've never ever seen anything negative in terms of not [having] something to support our kids or the staff.

Interviewer: You had mentioned there's support for LGBT students through guidance or the teachers or administration. Can you give an example of what they do to provide support?

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JG: I know personally I've had two students that actually came out to me and that was just a very good conversation, like a supportive conversation. Them telling me what their fears are and I've given them stories about my best friend. She's a lesbian. She came out when she was, I want to say 17 years old, 16 years old, and this was in the '90s so for her at that point that was a big deal. A lot of my high school wasn't very accepting of it. Then we had another young man that we're very close with still, he said he knew he was gay since he was in third grade. It was almost like he was more accepted because he knew for so long and that was just who he was and the kids grew up with him. But I noticed that when kids came out in my high school at the high school age, there was always some type of issue going on. I saw a lot of bullying, I saw a lot of negativity, I saw a lot of people being ostracized. Since then, my friend that teaches there now, a million times better. I saw a lot of the anti-LGBT behaviors and I can honestly say, I've never really seen it here. I know that our school base program and our guidance counselors tend to a little more in depth in the emotional aspect of it, I'm assuming because I don't know directly. I believe they do some type of mentoring and I know that our guidance and school base is very good with doing mediation with the home, any type of therapy that way.

Interviewer: Do they actually go to the home?

JG: That I don't know, I'm not sure.

Interviewer: But either way, they pull the parent and/or guardian to have conversations. With the student present?

JG: To my knowledge, yes. Like I said, I don't know directly. This is the stuff that I hear from the students and such.

Interviewer: You had mentioned some trainings as well that staff members do get regarding LGBT topics. Can you tell me what they covered or what they were like?

JG: It was predominately like awareness and the bullying awareness, the sexual harassment, the general ones that we have to go through and it always does contain an LGBT component to it. “Okay, we need to be careful about this because this is our most sensitive, could be our most sensitive and vulnerable population of students.” I know there is focus on it and that's great.

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Interviewer: They may not always make it specific to LGBT students but all the trainings that you typically have to do yearly anyway, they weave it in there somehow.

JG: Exactly. It is mentioned and it's mentioned in a way that it's very comfortable.

Interviewer: I'm assuming they mention terminology.

JG: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Interviewer: Do they mention things to be aware of, things to...

JG: They start talking about markers, about depression and they start talking about those types of things. Be aware of depression, be aware of changes in behavior, changes in friends. Do they seem withdrawn? Stuff like that so that we can be proactive in referring the kids. In the event that, god forbid, something happens or there's some type of.... We've even done something, the prosecutor came last week, 2 weeks [ago] to talk about cyber bullying and those types of things. At one point, that was even mentioned because, you know...

Interviewer: You were given assemblies?

JG: Exactly. I don't know if it's purposely done but I have noticed that it does happen, it is provided, and it's always in a very positive proactive way. I have worked in mostly inner cities. I never really saw that. I've always had a very [good] relationship.... I also worked, I headed a CST, a million years ago but I have noticed that a lot of schools will shy away from it because they don't want to deal with it and I know that there's a lot of legal things and what if the parents get upset? There was always this back and forth of, you know, should we even bother? Here, it's kind of like, “Alright let's bring it to the table, let's figure what we've got to do and we're going to do the best we can to help and get you what you need and get you through everything.” It's very refreshing, it really is.

Interviewer: That goes in with my next question, you had mentioned that some students have actually come out to you one-on-one. Have you ever been concerned that having a conversation like that would prompt a negative feedback from parents or administration?

JG: I have, I really have. I tend to have the older students. By the time they come to me, they're like 17-18 years old already. I'm like, okay we've got a little wiggle room here. I also do my best to not be alone with a student if I can help it. I'm

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very, very blessed in this school that between that our three classrooms, like myself, the LLD English teacher, and the LLD math teacher, we all share students and they are equally comfortable with all of us. We can usually pull one another in, in this difficult conversation. I've had one student here that has come out to me quietly on the side and I was able to refer them to guidance. Like I had a little conversation with them. It's a student that I'm very close with, I also know the parents. The parents are very understanding. We had that discussion and it felt very natural, it wasn't an extensive conversation. It was kind of like letting them vent. Then from there I'm like, “Okay you know what, if you're concerned,” blah, blah, blah. “I can always sit in or you can call me or whatever, have your mom call me, and we can have the conversation if you feel more comfortable that way.” I don't know if that's right. I'm trying to think within all the legal implications of this. Typically, they'll get referred to guidance or school base because I know that they're trained to handle those things so I usually say, “Okay, you can come talk to me whenever you want.” I don't give advice, I don't anything. If they're upset, I'll try to give them a little positive story to boost them up a little bit, but I typically refer to another group just for my protection.

Interviewer: Going back to teachers, is it fair to say that non-LGBT teachers and LGBT teachers, there's really no difference regarding climate?

JG: I don't think so, I don't think there is. Not that I've ever noticed. Like I said, it's always been very accepting and very even keel. It's very nice. One student I did have come out to me actually before I came here. She was very afraid because her mother was extremely fundamental Christian. That student I actually had in a previous alternative school so I had a very, very long relationship with her from the time she was like seven and she was a senior when I had her and she came out. She was very upset. She didn't know how I was going to react because her parents had made so many comments about it but she hadn't told them directly. I've seen the other side of it where you have the religion coming in or you have the whatever it is. The background, the ethnicity, there's a lot of different things that can come in, it's that old world thinking of non-acceptance. I've seen how it can destroy a kid.

Interviewer: What happened with that student?

JG: She actually wound up moving out with her aunt because her house became so volatile that it became dangerous for her because the stepfather was, you know, he's an alcoholic. It's almost hypocritical looking back and saying, “You know what, you're so fundamental in these areas and you're going to say that your

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daughter is evil and going to hell but yet you're an alcoholic that's been in and of jail and you beat your children.” It's kind of like, okay whatever, can't take you seriously. We helped facilitate the whole process of getting her in with the aunt, like the school did that. One of my very close friends who was a social worker at the time and the school psychologist, the three of us worked together to help with the court paperwork and get mom in and get aunt in and have a mediation. One of my schools did do something like that but that was a very isolated incident and essentially afterwards, the head of school was like, “We don't want to deal with this, this is not something we have to deal with.” We were like, “But our kids are getting hurt.” I've seen when the school turns a blind eye and they don't participate. It's not even, “We don't want to support them.” It's, “Let's support them but as little as we absolutely have to. That I've seen, and it's heartbreaking especially when the whole premise of the climate and culture and all the different trends in school and what we're supposed to be doing and the diversity and inclusivity is supposed to be, let's make the relationships. Let's use all six pillars. Let's really get everything going and make this is a community so that we can prepare the kids for when they leave us. To see a school kind of say, “No, no, let's not. Glad we did this but let's not again.” It's kind of like, “Okay well then you're failing your kids because this is a very real thing that's going on and it's a very real and emotional issue for them and that's what we're supposed to be dealing with, with them.” I also have all special ed kids. Most of them have emotional issues and classifications on top of their SLD or whatever else. That emotional classification in my eyes was always, “Well, we remediate them and we support them emotionally in every other capacity except this one, which is going to be the hardest for them at an adolescent age.” That just always blew my mind but here everything I've experienced has been awesome.

Interviewer: Can you describe any experiences that occurred while you were teacher regarding homophobic remarks? It could be in the classroom, hallway, gym, parking lot.

JG: On occasion, the kids will say things back and forth to each other.

Interviewer: Like what?

JG: Just calling each other like, faggot, homo, stuff like that. It's usually the boys calling the boys. I've never seen it happen or heard it happen from a straight or gay child to another gay child. It's always been the two friends that have known each other forever and I think that's part of the issue is that they still think those terms, it can just fly out and it doesn't mean anything, it's not going to hurt anybody. I know that's something that we definitely try to curtail immediately.

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Interviewer: I was just going to say, does anybody intervene?

JG: As far as I know, and I know at this classroom at least and in my colleague's, that is immediately addressed. It's like, “Look, you don't use those.... In the same word that we wouldn't use the N word or we wouldn't use a lot of other things, that's not used.” That's a derogatory word, it's got a horrible connotation to it, there's no need to call anybody or label anybody like that so it is addressed. Especially if it's being said, whether it's joking or not, but in a negative way and like really throwing that out there and it doesn't matter the orientation of the kid. From either side, not allowed. “You need to cut that out, you need to be appropriate.”

Interviewer: Could you describe an experience while you were a teacher here regarding any verbal harassment of an LGBT teacher here?

JG: No, none.

Interviewer: Can you describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher here regarding physical harassment of an LGBT teacher?

JG: Not at all.

Interviewer: Describe an experience that occurred while you were a teacher here regarding harassment of LGBT teachers on social media.

JG: I don't think there's ever been any. The majority of us are very quick to friend each other on Facebook and stuff and never have I heard anything negative. Even the teachers that I know to be either Christian or Muslim or a religious affiliation that stereotypically doesn't agree with it, I've never seen or heard of anything negative.

Interviewer: You identify as a heterosexual female. Can you describe personal experiences in which your sexual orientation conflicted with social norms in your school?

JG: Not that they've ever conflicted with it, in the political climate that we're currently in and the awful, awful election that we just had, I tend to vote conservative because of my family's background. We're Cuban, my family were refugees. The thought of socialism is very, very scary to me. I think it's kind of ingrained in me that the ultra-liberalism and the ultra-progressiveness is, not that it's a bad thing

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but that it's not thought through all the way because in a country our size, it can't really sustain itself. My abuelo, my grandfather, when they were in Cuba and he was jailed for 5 years. It's basically called the mortuary prison. You're not allowed to stand up or sit down, it's a 23-hour or 22-hour confinement. They went through such horrible things and he was jailed strictly for being in the Masons because it's a Christian-affiliated men's group. Another uncle of mine, he was also jailed as a political prisoner because he went to a Catholic University and he was treasurer of some club and because of the Catholic affiliation, he was jailed. I'm very, I wouldn't say hypersensitive but I'm very aware of fundamental religion. The thought of extremism on any side worries me. I know that that feeds into a lot of the heavy duty Republican groups. Again, because of the horrific things that happened in Cuba and the socialism aspect of it, I tend to still... I'm like middle ground, I guess I would be libertarian actually. Definitely middle ground, don't like a big government but I don't really judge anybody. You do what you do. I judge you as individuals.

Interviewer: Have you ever felt socially different based on your orientation as a heterosexual female?

JG: Only this past season there's been a couple of times, not necessarily from staff in school but comments made in the parking lot. Oh, well you're against LGBT then if you're conservative.

Interviewer: From who?

JG: One was from an LGBT staff member, one was not. I had to sit and explain myself. I'm like, “No, it has nothing to do with that.” I'm sorry, that's why I went crazy on the socialism aspect. I had to explain that any conservative views that I have it's because of government, not because of religious fundamentalism or anti anybody or non-acceptance or anything like that. I was like, “My family endured a lot of trauma at the hands of a socialist government. We tend to stay on the conservative end of the middle.” A couple of times it came up like, well you know that he's anti-LGBT and I'm like, not really. Yeah, he's got issues with the transgender bathrooms and that kind of stuff but I don't. That was one thing that did happen with those incidents or those two people at least. It was almost like because I was a heterosexual, I don't understand so I just got boiled down to the lowest common denominator of like, “Well, I'm labeling you as Republican so obviously you don't like our people.” I'm like, “What are you talking about? “Okay, whatever.” I felt the need to explain myself just because I got very uncomfortable. I'm like, “I know all the things I've done for my friends, my best

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friend.” She came out in high school and I was her support, I was her rock. My friend S, he got kicked out of his house. They were Colombian immigrants and his father was dead set against, “Nope you are not my son if you're gay,” and he came out and he bounced back and forth between my friend A’s and my, like our houses. We lived with him back and forth our senior year because he had no home. I'm thinking about all this and I'm like, I have three uncles. I've been around this all my life. I have two transgender friends. That's actually a very high percentage. My family has always been very accepting. As they were saying these things and as I was explaining myself, I just kept getting more and more uncomfortable because I'm like, I can't believe that.... People know me, they see me, they see how I am with our kids.

Interviewer: You were being labeled.

JG: I'm like, what is this?

Interviewer: And when you explained yourself, how was that received?

JG: It was kind of like, “Oh okay, you're a minority so I can't say anything. I'm Cuban, I'm Spanish, this came out,” and blah, blah, blah. “My best friend, she's a lesbian.” I had to bring all those labels, I guess to validate myself. I guess I had enough that it didn't...

Interviewer: Fit the quota.

JG: Yeah. I'm like, okay this is so weird. I've never had to do this in my life. It ended relatively quickly and thank god it hasn't happened again but it was funny because it was right when I was answering your survey and I'm like, huh.

Interviewer: Like I'm going to mark that down.

JG: I'm like, yeah this just happened but I don't know how I'm going to explain this.

Interviewer: Have you personally ever been fearful of losing your job due to your sexual orientation?

JG: No.

Interviewer: What concerns related to sexual orientation do you have or did you have prior to securing your teaching career? When you were in your pre-service,

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undergraduate program, did you have any concerns that as a heterosexual woman that you might have issues becoming a public school teacher?

JG: No, not really.

Interviewer: Have you ever lied to avoid a topic in order to cover up your sexual orientation with a colleague?

JG: I haven't lied, I've avoided conversations like those two times. The colleagues actually weren't here so that's a good thing. It's funny because I kind of just avoided a conversation and my best friend jumped in and was like, “Do you know that I'm a lesbian?” She defended me. It was just a comment that was like, oh well, if you think this way, then obviously you hate us and you don't support us and I'm like...

Interviewer: Different conversations.

JG: Yes.

Interviewer: Really?

JG: Yeah.

Interviewer: Was it with other staff members here?

JG: Not here, not here. This was at a previous school. My best friend, she was my aide. One of the staff members who was gay, they were having a gay rally. They were doing an all-inclusive LGBT activity, after-school activity, and they were going to plan to do a parade and all this stuff. I had been asked to go and was like, I can't. The comment was made, it's like, “Why, because you're straight?” It was a very inappropriate, out of place nastiness. I was like, “No.” They were like, “Are you sure?”

Interviewer: Why couldn't you go?

JG: I don't remember. It just wasn't working with the schedule. I had to do something else. I think actually, no, no. I was actually in school at that point. I was going for my reading specialist certification. I had a paper due on Monday and I'm like, I'm not going out this weekend. I'm not leaving my house.

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Interviewer: You just couldn't go because it just didn't work for your schedule.

JG: I think it didn't even come out of my mouth because I was so taken aback that that was even said. Then C turned around and she ripped into them. She was like, “What, are you kidding me?” She kind of fought my battle for me. I was just like, “I'm not even doing this. I'm not even having this conversation. I can't go.” I guess other than avoidance, I never lied.

Interviewer: Avoidance could be similar to a lie. Have you ever had to avoid a topic with an administrator due to your sexual orientation?

JG: No.

Interviewer: What about a student?

JG: No.

Interviewer: Parent or guardian of a student?

JG: No.

Interviewer: Okay. In what ways or to what degree are you open about your sexuality in your professional life? Meaning, do your students know you're heterosexual? Do your colleagues know you're heterosexual? Administration, parents?

JG: I assume yes just because I've made reference to my husband when I talk to my students.

Interviewer: In lessons?

JG: Yeah, or we'll get off on a topic or we're doing the rewind club or stuff like that. It'll come up and I'll be like, “Oh my husband did” blah, blah, blah. I guess inadvertently that way but it's not like, “I'm straight and I have a husband.” It's never like that. I guess they would know just through...

Interviewer: You don't feel that you need to clarify to people that you are a heterosexual woman?

JG: No. I will say, it's funny because I tend to say my female friends, I'll refer to them as my girlfriends. I'm like, “Oh yeah my girlfriend, C” and blah, blah, blah. I

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don't know, my grandmother and my mother always said it that way so that's just what comes out. I've had kids that have asked, like, “Miss, do you go that way?” I'm like, “No, you know that I'm married to R but she's my girlfriend, she's my female friend.”

Interviewer: Just happens to be a girl.

JG: Yeah. They're like, oh okay. Then it just so happens that C is gay.

Interviewer: That's so funny.

JG: That I think with maybe a handful of kids, that's been a funny conversation. They're like, “Okay.” But it's never been a negative thing. They just ask out of interest. Very open and I don't think they would care. A couple of kids know of at least one of the LGBT teachers in the school and they could care less. They adore her. Do you know what I mean? Our kids are great too. That's the other thing is it's not only staff is extremely accepting and just like, whatever, but it's the kids also as far as my groups go because they're the ones I have the interaction with. I've never seen them get nasty like that. It's wonderful.

Interviewer: You kind of answered this but I'm going to ask it just so I can say I did. What professional risks could be associated with being out as a heterosexual teacher?

JG: Honestly, the issue that I ran into where it was kind of like, “Well, you're heterosexual and conservative so you must think like this.” It's almost like a label is put on me because I'm straight. Maybe if I was gay and conservative, it kind of shields me a little bit. [crosstalk 00:30:32]. Yeah, I think it would have shielded me. I would've been like, no, but I'm gay. There would have been no argument, there is nothing that you could say, but if I'm heterosexual and conservative and I also happen to be Christian, that's the trifecta of “you are awful.” I know that that is out there also but I don't go into any conversation or any meeting with a person thinking, “I have to be careful for what I say.” You accept me for me and if you don't, I don't know what to tell you. I'm accepting you, I really don't care what you do.

Interviewer: Have you ever modified your interactions with students due to being a heterosexual woman?

JG: Not that I can recall.

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Interviewer: What experiences related to LGBT policies or laws that have come through have shaped your professional life as a teacher?

JG: A lot, actually. At least from the emotional and relationship perspective of it when working with my students. Like I said, my best friend, C, she came out when she was in high school and I remember how traumatic that was for her. As things became more normalized, she became a little more comfortable. Her dad, to this day, she's 37 years old, to this day her dad still does not know that she is a lesbian. Her mom does, her brothers do, everybody else does, she cannot bring herself to tell her father. He knows that she's had roommates and best friends that have been around for a very long time. He also knows that she saw her first best friend's kids as her own but it's never been said. To this day, her and I can have conversations and we'll laugh about it and she'll just get flustered and she's like, “I can't tell him.” I'm like, “Why? He loves you, you're his pride and joy, he won't care.” She's like, “I just can't.” I think it's more her hangup than his. I've known her parents since I was this big. If mom knows, dad already knows. C just will not verbalize it to him. She's like, “I just can't, I just can't.” It's just her nerves but anyway, getting back on track. I saw how difficult it was for her when she wanted to marry her first real long-term girlfriend, the one whose children she raised. Part of the reason that they broke up was because of all the turmoil that was going on in the politics of it. Should we go to Hawaii? Should we do this? Should we do that? Do we do a civil union? The insurance issues. What I watched her go through and how many times I sat and held her while she's crying.

Interviewer: It was just really difficult.

JG: Yes. It was just horrific watching her deal with it. While I didn't, obviously didn't have to go through it directly, I went through it with her. I think watching the pain she went through and watching the pain that Lisa went through and how it tore them apart basically, and then just going to parades with them or going to organized activities with them and pushing for those laws to come through just for basic rights. Being part of that, I think it definitely had an impact on how I receive students and I think the, I don't even like this term because I hate the word tolerance, I prefer acceptance. But even that, it's just like, “Yeah, I accept you.” It's that like, I guess receiving them and still making a relationship with them and caring about them and showing them that love and that support. Anytime that I've run up into that issue where a kid is very emotional or very distraught or anything like that, I flash back. Do you know what I mean? I think about the struggle that she had to go through and all the things that she went through in order to get to where we are today. I know that it wasn't her or me but it was a collective. I

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think that plays a very heavy part when I respond to students. I think that's partially the reason why I will be a little more open with kids.

Interviewer: That helps with your sensitivity to some students having issues.

JG: I believe so.

Interviewer: Then is it fair to say that having laws, even ordinances or policies like district policies, anything even smaller, give you a little bit more of a backup to then relay to those students, it's okay, the world is changing?

JG: Exactly. It's very easy to have the conversation whether it's with the individual student or if we're doing an awareness class because with our students we tend to do that a lot because we have a lot of social skills components that go into our classes on the daily. I think that tends to come up a little bit because I have that, like, “Listen, you guys have to be aware of this too and this is how accepting we are and this is what we do.”

Interviewer: These laws prove it. That things have changed.

JG: Exactly. I will tell them the stories of what C.... She tells me, “Share it, share it however you want,” the struggles that she went through and the pain that she went through. She goes, “If it helps somebody, I don't care, go for it.” There are times that that's come up. I try to be as real with my students as possible and like I said, I do have the other ones so I luck out because I try to stay away from anything inappropriate.

Interviewer: It could be the opposite like if you have older ones that may have even more prejudices because they are older and have had more time to gain those sorts of prejudices.

JG: True. I can honestly say, though, that I feel like we've started to hit a point where it has become so normalized at this age level at least where it's not really as bad as it used to be. I remember when certain kids came out in high school, they were getting the crap beat out of them and they were going to the hospital. We had one kid that wound up being home-schooled. He was a hot mess, that kid. I felt horrible for him but that was the fear that was there. If you come out, and you say these things, you're going to be bloodied up. I remember C even saying, “I didn't know if you were going to think differently of me.” I'm like, “I've known you since you were like five.” The same thing with my friend S, he never expected

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that reaction from his parents. His father went after him with a baseball bat as he ran out of the house and I drove home to go pick him up. It was a bad situation. From seeing those things first hand and then seeing the kids now, I personally feel like we've come to a point where it's like, “Okay this is normal.” It doesn't matter. Our kids are fully accepting of others and even if they're not, they know that it's going to be looked down upon if they react to it.

Interviewer: Can you see, though, where some teachers maybe in other districts or even in other states might still feel concerned about being open?

JG: Absolutely. I'm going through an administrative class right now, I'm going for my masters. We just had our legal class and we just had our ethics class and we talked a lot about diversity in both of them. Some of students, because I'm going on line, from the Midwest where it's very, very fundamental Christian or what have you, the anger that was coming through even in messaging. Even with us knowing what the etiquette is for responses and things like that, there was definitely an edge that still came through and that's not to label all...

Interviewer: Can you give an example of what was said?

JG: When we were discussing one of the, we have all different legal cases that we have to go through, all the landmark cases. One of the local ones that came up, I don't remember the name of it specifically, but it was a protection case. It was a student that was being harassed by a teacher and student. I want to say it was in Mississippi or something, one of those. The student won because we have the laws in place that protect our students. One of the, and what scares me is that this person is already acting in an administrative capacity, this man was so, he seemed like he really had to bite his tongue in what he was saying and how he was responding in regards to this landmark case. We had to discuss what our views of it were, what do we think about the outcome, what could have changed. We had to break the case apart. You could tell there was a constant undertone of “I don't agree with this” because everything was prefaced with a disclaimer of “even though I'm Christian, I guess I can tolerate this.”

Interviewer: “These are my personal feelings, but recognizing that this is the law and I have to do this.”

JG: Exactly. “Understanding that I can't be prejudiced against a student but this is my personal.” That was in every single response to the point where he was spoken to by the professor. Then she had to put out a disclaimer of “listen, this is what the

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law is.” She had to reestablish the climate in our online classroom with adults that are in charge of children. All I could think of the entire time that I was showing husband I'm like, “Read this. Am I reading this wrong? Am I putting a tone on this?” I'm all for, you know what, if you don't agree with it, that's your personal belief. Do not hurt anybody else. Do not yell at someone else. Do not get in their face and tell them that they're wrong. They are not wrong. You believe what you want to believe for your person and your immediate family and your home. I don't care. You don't have to even believe that homosexuality is a thing. You can think that it's a mental disorder. I know there was one Muslim teacher that I worked with about 4 years ago. Does not believe homosexuality is a thing. It's not a thing.

Interviewer: What is it?

JG: I don't know. As far as he's concerned, it just doesn't actually exist. It's something that's made up and it's an attention-seeking behavior. I don't know. It was the most bizarre interaction that I've ever had with a teacher.

Interviewer: It was just you two talking?

JG: No, it was a couple of us. It was like an after school, we had a meeting. Somehow we got onto this topic and the entire time he was like, once that topic was hit, he was like, “That's not real.” We're like, “What?” We had a vice principal in with us during this meeting, it was like a data meeting, and I think we just kind of looked at him like, “What?” He goes, “No. In the Muslim faith” and blah, blah, blah. He was reciting doctrine and all this other stuff. He was like, ‘It is not real.” He immigrated here maybe 10 years ago. I knew that he was newly here by the time I started working with him and that was at least 5 years ago. It was just very bizarre to actually see somebody say, “That's not real, it doesn't exist, it's made up.” I'm like, “We've got a lot of gay kids here. You can't say those things.” I remember we all got very, very quiet. I don't think anybody wanted to argue because some people were intimidated. It was very aggressively said and I think some people were intimidated or taken aback by it.

Interviewer: Did anyone interject?

JG: Our vice principal was like, “This is what we recognize here and these are the laws.” She got very clinical and very professional and very legal. I'm like, “Yes, go you.” She put it out there, “These are what our laws say and this is what this country believes” and blah, blah, blah. “I understand that those may be your

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personal and religious beliefs and that's fine but you are not to say those things to the students, ever. If you ever find yourself in a position where you feel compelled to say something, please refer the students to myself or to administration or to the counselors.”

Interviewer: This was in this school district?

JG: No, this wasn't this one. This was years ago. This was actually up in my previous school district, it was in a charter school in my previous school district. It was just bizarre. It was a really bizarre conversation. That's why I'm saying, here, and I don't know if it's just because I've had contact with so many odd people up north and then I come here and I'm like, this is glorious. We are fantastic here. I have seen it and it's a very, very bizarre thing. That was handled very quickly and I thought she did a great job. I'm like, “Okay, I can do that.”

Interviewer: You're taking your graduate classes currently but when you were becoming a teacher, through your undergraduate courses, did you get any trainings on LGBT topics at all?

JG: None. Nothing at all. That was in, I think 2002-2003. Nothing, nothing was brought up at all at that point even. Any information that I had it was either sought out because of C or I've gone through it with some of my friends or experienced it or just had a personal interest. My parents taught me to be very, very compassionate. One is a special ed social studies teacher, one is an art teacher and a special ed art teacher, like art therapist. I've always, I guess, worked with different populations like minority populations and high risk populations. I guess I kind of always because of that and because of my exposure to it from such a young age, it was that everybody is the same. People have different ways of living, people have different ways of being, and everyone is an individual but everyone is the same and you accept them all.

Interviewer: Being that your school is very inclusive, in your actual curriculum, whether it be literacy, social studies, art, anything, do you know is there an LGBT aspect in the curriculum and/or if it's not directly in there, are those topics discussed as part of a lesson to your knowledge?

JG: To my knowledge, no. I don't know directly.

Interviewer: For social studies, like the Stonewall Riots or Harvey Milk or even the Holocaust it wasn't just against the Jews, it was against...

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JG: That kind of stuff, yes. I know that even when we talk about those things like the civil rights and we talk about that in English. I know that that comes up and how the progression of...

Interviewer: The gay rights movement does come up.

JG: Yes. It's not anything to my knowledge that's directly in the curriculum. I know for me, it's just something that comes up. I know one of our social studies that I'm close with, like I said, I'm here 2 years so I'm still learning the names of certain departments. One social studies teacher that I started with, he does bring it up and he does talk about it.

Interviewer: The movement, maybe historical figures.

JG: Yeah, stuff like that. What the movement was, what the rights are, and how... I know he covers civil rights as a whole. I doesn't just do okay well, Martin Luther King civil rights or Rosa Parks civil right you know, just based off the book. He covers the breadth of it.

Interviewer: All minorities, all marginalized groups.

JG: Yes, he's just awesome. He's also a very young teacher, though. He's late 20s. He's a young teacher, this is his second year. I don't know if his training has made that possible. I don't know of him going to school and the topics that they bring up. I know that in my classes it comes up more frequently now than what it did when I was going for my undergrad. I don't know if that's part of the programs now. I know that him in particular, he's very open to discussing all of that with his kids.

Interviewer: In what ways if any, we're almost done, in what ways if any, does your sexual orientation impact your ability to be an exemplary teacher?

JG: I don't think any.

Interviewer: What recommendations do you suggest to improve school climate for LGBT teachers in the state of New Jersey, broad for pre-service programs? In order to have a more consistently positive climate for all public schools in New Jersey, what would you suggest for those who are going through teacher training programs?

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JG: I don't know if anybody actually does this but I would definitely suggest in- services where, you know, when you have more outspoken or motivationally oriented LGBT numbers come out and have that in-service where it's specifically geared towards that and sensitivity and understanding. I would love to see that conversation almost being forced. Obviously, if it's going to infringe on somebody else's rights, then you can't. But to at least provide the opportunity to have that conversation. I think that's part [of] it especially with fundamental religions or with, it's predominantly that. Sometimes with like older staff members because of their upbringing, their background. On one hand, you can't really blame them because that's what they grew up knowing and their norm is much different than the current norm. Do you know what I mean? I feel like I'm very lucky that I'm kind of in between, like I see both sides. Younger teachers, it seems like they've only inclusivity and then the older teachers, it's like they find it difficult to change. They were brought up in a certain way, they were brought up with a certain mentality. One of my grandmothers, she had a Black nanny that basically was the housekeeper, the nanny, like everything, her parents were wealthy. She was definitely racist. When my mom was pregnant with me, she goes, what color is she going to come out? My mom is whiter than I am, she's lighter skinned than I am. My father's mother was very, that was just the mentality. She wasn't a hateful person, one of the nicest you'll ever meet.

Interviewer: But that was acceptable to say back then.

JG: Exactly. That's where she was brought up, she was born in 1919. Her experiences and her background and her life dictated something completely different. My dad was like an art hippie. He was all for the civil rights movement. He was just like, “Yeah whatever, we love everybody.” That's how he was. Then my sister and I and the generations that come after us, it's almost like, “No, this is just the norm, this is what it is. We need to get past all these labels and the colors and the this and the that. Stop boiling people down to something that they're not. People are way more complex than that.” There's all of that.

Interviewer: In-service trainings.

JG: Yeah, I would definitely say if there's people that want to start that and start that conversation, I think that would be very helpful. I know on the Internet there's a lot of videos on YouTube of kids that come out and the kids are speaking. I would love to see those shown in in-services, stuff like that so that the teachers see.

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Interviewer: Like the It Gets Better Project?

JG: Yes. Teachers, I hope, we tend to look at our kids and say, “They're children. What can we do with them? How can we mold them? How can we guide them? We want the best for them.” I think stuff like that, it normalizes it for them because you don't hate those kids. You know that they're not bad and I think that a lot of particularly older generations, and that's not to say all of them, I think it's more prevalent in the older generations because it's harder for them to change their perception. I think with their of love of teacher, because that's the other thing. I've seen a lot of older teachers that love teaching, love their kids but they don't like that whole day thing. They don't believe that that's really what should be. When you see it coming from a child that is explaining their struggle or their pain or what they had to go through and how wonderful it was to have the support. When you see those types of things, I think it becomes more emotional and more real. I think that helps change perception much more rapidly. Those types of things, I think that would be really helpful and I would like to see more of that.

Interviewer: Would that be the same sort of suggestions for school districts?

JG: Yeah, I don't see why not.

Interviewer: Or anything else additional for school districts?

JG: I don't know. I'm drawing a blank just because right now I really think that we're super awesome on this.

Interviewer: What about laws and policies. Think statewide or even down to board policies. What do you think should be implemented moving forward to make the climate more positive for LGBT teachers?

JG: For teachers?

Interviewer: Yes.

JG: There can't be any difference.

Interviewer: But what would you suggest to do to make that not be the case?

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JG: I guess it definitely has to be placed in writing and definitely impressed upon the other staff members that there's going to be consequences if there are any of these actions. I don't know. I don't even know how to answer that question. I'm sorry.

Interviewer: What about for unions? What do you think unions could do help make a more supportive climate for their LGBT teachers?

JG: I think that they need to communicate that they're there to support that as well. I'm personally not big fan of unions. I think they need to make sure that there are stipulations. I don't know, I haven't read any union bylaws or anything like that for a while. But I think there needs to be in writing union stipulations saying how they will actively go and support our LGBT teachers.

Interviewer: Could you specify that?

JG: Just really put it out there so that there's that security. Because that's the thing, I think when there is any issue with coming out or being open about it, I feel like putting in writing makes it more valid because it's almost a tangible thing. You can hold onto it and say, “Nope, look you can't do this. This protects me.” I remember with C, she knew that all of us accepted her but once it was in writing that she was protected, it was almost like you saw a calm, and even though there was possibly going to be more struggle afterwards, because that was tangible thing that she could carry around with her if she wanted to, not that she wanted to carry around the law in her book bag but the fact that it was there it made it more real. It became a stronger safety net to say, “You know what, you can't hurt me and now the law is backing me up.” I think making sure that everything is in writing is really important until we finally reach that stage where it is a normalized perception. I know that we're getting there. I know that it's a million times better than it used to be. That's basically it, just make sure everything is in writing. Make sure that everything is stipulated and that those protections are in place and it says it clearly. Don't mince words, don't try to find loopholes. Don't kind of like just put things out there like, “We're going to protect you.” How are you going to protect us? How are you going to make sure that this group is being protected and that any type of bullying or any type of harassment or any of those things are going to...

Interviewer: Are not acceptable.

JG: Exactly, You're not acceptable and something is going to happen.”

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Interviewer: What about administration? What can administrators do to make the climate of their school and/or school district more positive for LGBT teachers?

JG: I don't know. That actually didn't come up. I'm trying to think about what we were talking about in the class. That didn't come up in the diversity.

Interviewer: Administrators are very much in charge of, or they should be at least, cultivating that positive environment for everyone involved. What can administrators do? It could be simple things or it could be complicated things.

JG: I think here anytime that it's come up in in-services or it's been said, it's done in such an accepting way that it's almost like they're modeling. That's the thing. I think that administrators need to be open. I think they need to be accepting of all and they need non-judgmental and they just need to be there with the sole purpose of bettering everything in the school whether it's staff or student.

Interviewer: If you think like right here you have a good thing going regarding positive school climate for LGBT teachers. If we think of the things that your administrators do, they provide that?

JG: Yeah, it's providing the training and providing the opportunity.

Interviewer: When there's a student issue or if there were a staff issue, you seem to think that they would handle it appropriately so they don't turn a blind eye.

JG: No, it doesn't seem like that.

Interviewer: They communicate with people it seems very well.

JG: Yes. That's the thing. They model inclusiveness. There's no specific groups that it's targeting. It's just we're modeling inclusiveness because this is us. They really set that tone very well. I think a lot of it is when it does come up in professional developments and it's just a nonchalant thing. It's like, “Look, this is what we do, this is what we've got to be made aware of. When you take that approach to it...”. The fact that we have the LGBT clubs and the activities that they do and they're like, “Yeah sure, just hang them up anywhere.” There's not that, “Put them in certain rooms or put them in the cafeteria on this board.” It's never like that. It's like “yeah, put out whatever you want.” I think that really models for the rest of the staff what the expectations are and that it is expected that everyone is included. I think that's why I'm drawing a blank is because it's so

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natural here. It's really like breathing. It's just like, “Yeah whatever, okay move it on. Okay, how do you need support? Are you okay? Everything's great? All right, let's move on to Hamlet.” Actually, that came up too. This is not [a] question. But even in Hamlet, we were talking about the sexual undertones and I know in other classes we've talked about... in the 11th grade, they go through the rocking horse something, I don't remember the literature but they talk about the sexual undertones of it and the homosexuality component and how there's slut shaming and there's this and there's that. I know that we hit those very delicate...

Interviewer: In the lessons.

JG: Yeah, we hit those very delicate and very touchy subjects in a professional way to make the kids aware like, “Look, this goes on. You may not do it, you may not see it, but you might encounter it in the future. This stuff goes on. This is a good way and a positive way to react to it.” Constantly, in all the rooms, the tone is set, you stand up for people that don't have a voice. You defend people that are getting attacked. That's the tone that we get from our administrators and then we in turn impress upon the kids. It's definitely a great trickle-down effect that they've successfully implemented to the point where I don't even think that we see it as being a blatant thing. It's just “look, this is what it is, this is what we do, and this is what's expected.”

Interviewer: What about those teachers that do identify as LGB, I didn't focus on transgender for this project. What would you encourage them to do to make sure that their school is a positive school climate?

JG: Definitely encourage the clubs, encourage the staff to be accepting of the clubs and posting everything. Do the activities. Work with the kids. If we're talking about just the staff in general, invite other staff members. Just put it out there blanketly. “Hey, you know what, I'm doing this in support of” blah, blah, blah. I think we've had a couple of district wide emails that have gone out like, “We're supporting X, Y, and Z for the LGBT community” blah, blah, blah. “If you want to donate or if you want to do this or if you want to participate.” I believe, I could be wrong, I believe we've had something like that come out. That's the other thing, our administration and our superintendent, they don't stop those emails from going out to anybody. It's not like it's going out to a specific group. It's like, “Hey, this is what we do. Somebody in our community is looking for help or support or whatever. Let's do this.” I would suggest they don't be afraid of those things. Just put it out there. I know at least, and I can speak for C and S, there are times where they won't say things because they're afraid of how it might be

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received or sometimes they're just like, “It's not appropriate, I don't have to do that, I don't have to say that” but it also doesn't hurt. I could easily say, “I have lupus. I'm going to do a lupus walk, would you come or would you donate or would you do this? Anybody that's want to form a team, do you want to form a team?” It's a personal choice on whether or not you want to disclose that about yourself and that's your personal choice. But if you feel adamantly about something or you want to do something or you want to create a club or you want to do an activity in the school? Put it out there. I'm the person that's always like, “Okay I'm going to keep encouraging you. If you want, I'll do it with you, whatever is going to make you more comfortable.” I think the more it's out there, the more activities that are done, the more things that people see and the more they learn, they understand. I think that's the biggest issue, the understanding of it, the better it will be and the more normalized it'll be. One of my aunts, she's like very, very Catholic. She never understood my friendship with C. It's funny because she's like... I was like, “I was with C, she had an issue with her girlfriend” blah, blah, blah. My aunt will look at me and she'll be like, “Oh what, she's just telling you about her sex life.” I'm like, “No. The same way that you had an argument with Woody, she had an argument with Lisa.” It's not like, “Hey we didn't have sex today or we did have sex today.” That doesn't really come up. Are you going to work telling people that you had sex? Are you calling your friends up and telling them about your sex life? No.

Interviewer: That's the old thought process, that they go back to what they did in the bedroom.

JG: I'm like, “It has nothing to do that. She's still in a relationship. That's her life.” That's the thing. I guess my perception is that the older generation can't process that all time and they always go back to the bedroom. I'm like, “It has nothing to do with that.” I don't say what I do with my husband. But if I come into work and I'm like all upset and people are like, “What happened?” “I got into a fight with my husband over the kids.” No different. I think the more that it's out and the more, and it's sad to say it this way and it probably sounds weird, but the more the non-understanding groups are able to form a relationship in the same way we form a relationship with the kids. The more they form a relationship and see them as an actual person, the more the perspective I think will change because you see them as an individual. You don't immediately think about the bedroom. That was the other thing, I never understood how people could immediately go there. I don't look at people and be like, “What did they do last night?” Do you know what I mean? The concept of people having that initial reaction when it comes to someone that's gay, I'm like, “Why are you thinking like that? That's a little demented.”

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Interviewer: Last question.

JG: I keep rambling, I'm so sorry.

Interviewer: Is there anything that we haven't covered that you want to discuss pertaining to this topic for LGBT teachers, or anything that you want to elaborate on?

JG: No.

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Appendix M Human Rights Campaign State Equality Index

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Appendix N

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Appendix O

CONSENT FORM - MO

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Appendix P

INFORMED CONSENT - MB

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Appendix Q CONSENT FORM - JG

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Appendix R IRB APPROVAL

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