54 Teaching Tolerance Class Outing LGBT educators enjoy more openness and acceptance than ever before. But their gains have been fragile and uneven. And many still feel it’s safest to teach from the closet.

By Warren HYNES illustrations by scott bakal

s an activist, you know will ask you what you did on the week- you’re getting somewhere end, and did you see this movie or that when Barack Obama wants movie. People are far more aware that to see you in his office. these relationships are just as normal as AIn March 2011, Jaim Foster was anyone else’s.” sitting on a sofa in the White House, watching the president lean forward in Setting Aside Stereotypes his chair, listening intently. Foster was Those teachers who speak of greater part of a small group the president and acceptance within their schools first lady Michelle Obama had invited. emphasize a culture in which students The Arlington, Va., teacher was there and colleagues focus more on the indi- with a parent and three students to talk vidual than on any label or stereotype. about bullying. “A lot more families that I come in “I said that as a gay male, I had been contact with know someone who’s gay, bullied and gone through some trau- whether it’s a sibling or whatever,” says matic times myself,” says Foster, who Felix Gil, an elementary school princi- is secretary of the National Education pal in Summit, N.J. “It’s not like you’re Association’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual the only gay person they know. They and Transgender Caucus. “And that has have a reference or a contact for that led me to become an advocate.” experience.” Gil says this allows him And, anecdotally at least, more and his school community to “focus LGBT teachers are becoming leaders on the work.” like Foster. But the comfort levels of This cultural shift has also turned these educators can vary sharply from some LGBT educators into resources region to region and even from school and sounding boards. Administrators, to school. In conversations with LGBT teachers and parents alike come to educators across the nation, it is clear LGBT teachers with questions regard- that many still face bigotry and diffi- ing the sexual orientation of stu- culty. But there are also many heart- dents or family members. Miller, ening stories of acceptance, respect for instance, has a colleague whose and leadership. daughter recently came out to her. “I think over the last 20 years, there’s “She said, ‘Because I know you, it was been so much more of an understanding easier for me to talk to my daughter,’” that gay people are not these monsters,” Miller recalls. says C. Scott Miller, a second-grade Of course, LGBT teachers also teacher in Santa Ana, Calif. “People can provide increased awareness

spring 2012 55 Office, there is still no federal anti- discrimination law covering sexual orientation or gender identity. On the state and local levels, the kind of protection afforded to LGBT workers depends on where a person lives and how the laws are written. There are 19 states with no anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBT workers. Sixteen others offer partial protection, meaning that only public workers or sexual orientation are covered. Bridget Valenzuela teaches science at Salt River High School on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Reservation out- side Phoenix. While Arizona law does prohibit discrimination based on sex- ual orientation in public employment, Valenzuela says it’s much different teaching there than in areas such as San Francisco or Chicago. “It’s kind of like you’re under cloak- and-dagger,” says Valenzuela, who has been teaching for seven years. “It takes a lot longer for things to progress and make strides. It feels like things are moving at a snail’s pace. When I first started teaching, I said, ‘There’s no way I’m ever going to be out.’ Coming from and support for the primary focus of them,” Burger says. “And they feel safer a job where I was out, it was like being their work: the students. “I think it’s and more supported in the classroom.” in the closet all over again.” important for all kids to have LGBT So does that mean every LGBT Rep. Patricia Todd is a state legis- teachers,” says Erika Sass, an elementary teacher should be out at this point? lator in Alabama, one of those states school technology and literacy teacher Despite Foster’s invitation to the Oval without any protection for LGBT in Minneapolis. “For straight kids to workers. She introduced a bill in May see that Miss Erika is not creepy and 2011 designed to protect LGBT teach- scary and mean, maybe they won’t Pop Quiz ers from being fired because of sex- think that being gay is weird. And it’s What is heterosexism? ual orientation or gender identity. No especially important for queer kids to a. The assumption that action was taken on the bill, but Todd, have a positive queer adult. When I was everyone is attracted who has been out as a lesbian for three a youth, I was desperately looking for a to the opposite sex. decades, says she plans to introduce the queer adult who was healthy and living bill again this year and, if necessary, in a normal life, to verify that I can live a b. T he idea that male- 2013 as well. She describes the attitude normal life and be OK.” female attraction toward LGBT teachers in her state as is superior to same- “hostile” and says she would not come Coming Out? sex attraction. out if she were a teacher. Frank Burger, a high school biology c. T he belief that being “I have a friend who was fired from teacher in Flint, Mich., has worked heterosexual is better her school specifically because she with LGBT students as co-adviser of than being lesbian, gay came out,” says Todd, a Democrat his school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. “If a or bisexual. from Birmingham. “I just think this is gay student sees a gay teacher, they see absurd that we would fire a teacher not someone who looks like them or acts like d. All of the above. on merit, but based on stereotype and

56 Teaching Tolerance misperception. We should encourage Diversity (SEED) Project on Inclusive who are grappling with LGBT issues and teachers to live their lives openly.” Curriculum, an international staff- confide in me, even though I never have Burger, who serves as male co-chair development project designed to bring put myself forward as someone to confide of the NEA’s GLBT Caucus, says he wor- teachers together to discuss fairness in,” the teacher says. “I think that there ries that as tenure laws are relaxed in and equity in school climates and cur- are families over my career who have put some states, LGBT teachers could ricula. In her years as an LGBT educa- their children in my program because they be targeted further. Burger wears an tor in her home state of Massachusetts wanted them to have me—not because of “Out and Proud” bracelet to his school and throughout the nation, Howe has the language I teach. They might have in Flint, Mich., every day, and believes noticed that opposition to LGBT teach- noticed in their children some confusion that every teacher has the right to live ers tends to increase just as gains in about identity and thought that this would openly and honestly. But he is con- acceptance are experienced elsewhere. be a safe place for them.” cerned for the LGBT teacher who is This happened in Massachusetts, she thinking about coming out now. says, after same-sex marriage was legal- ‘A Long Way to Go’ “I think you just need to be careful ized in 2003. Sass, whose home state of Minnesota about how you do it,” Burger says. “You “Once a group gets a little power, peo- has seen very public debates over sex- need to know the laws of your state. It’s ple maybe become a little more afraid,” ual orientation in recent months, works not one of those things where in a charter school that offers her a lot of you just go into a class and say, Homosexuality should be … support. She is grateful for her situation ‘I’m gay.’ You don’t do that. I’m yet saddened to know that some teachers Accepted by not saying you’ve got to hide in feel the need to play it safe by not coming society 58% the closet, but you do need to out. This, Sass says, is a societal challenge. watch what you do.” Discouraged “What are we doing to (a) make sure by society 33% that we’re hiring diverse teachers and Causing Controversy (b) support diverse teachers to keep Watching what you do is a them retained?” she asks. A more vis- common theme in conversa- ible LGBT community would make it tions among LGBT teachers, Don’t know 8% easier to hire and support more diverse even those whose states offer — Pew Research Center Poll, 2011 teachers, she says. anti-discrimination protec- Does not add up to 100 percent due to rounding Even those LGBT educators who’ve tion. After all, it doesn’t take had a seat with the president know it’s much to stir up controversy not easy for everyone. “If they don’t feel if certain elements come together. A Howe says. “The fact that marriage was safe, they should not come out,” Foster few years ago, a parent complained legitimate made the people who were says of his colleagues. “I do believe in about the photo on Burger’s desk of him politically against having out teachers the saying ‘Be the change that you want and the man who is now his husband. become more adamant and active.” to see in the world.’ But it’s tough. It’s The parent alleged that the photo was The impact of these political actions tough. We still have a long way to go.” intended to elicit conversation with and reactions can send ripples through- Gil applied for a principal position students and promote homosexuality. out the country. A New Jersey high in his current district because he knew Complaints such as these can lead school world languages teacher, who the administration there valued diver- LGBT teachers to fret over their cur- has taught for more than 20 years, con- sity. In thinking carefully about where ricula as well. When Sass was teach- sidered coming out for this story. But he works, Gil has allowed himself to ing at a Los Angeles high school before in the end, he felt that too much was at lead others while also being honest, moving to Minnesota, she found herself stake. “Politically, under this climate— open and comfortable with his identity. feeling anxious over a PowerPoint slide it’s so toxic—I think everybody is oper- As the messy path toward progress con- she had prepared about Bayard Rustin, ating from fear,” the teacher says. tinues, perhaps this is the final goal of the civil rights leader who also hap- Yet even without ever coming out, the LGBT teacher. pened to be gay. “That’s one of the chal- that same teacher has encountered “Ultimately, you will find a place that lenges of being an LGBT teacher—mak- students and parents in his district who appreciates you,” Gil says. “And that ing sure you’re not being seen as push- view him as a valuable resource beyond will be the place where you can have the ing your personal agenda,” she says. his teaching expertise. greatest impact. You may not be there Emmy Howe co-directs the National “I have noticed increasingly over now, but if you look for that place, you Seeking Educational Equity and my career that I attract students to me will find it.”

In the Portfolio Teacher-focused reflection questions on LGBT educators plus additional links and resources on inclusiveness Tips on creating an inclusive environment at school for LGBT educators and students tolerance.org/class-outing spring 2012 57