LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
BOOKED Solid |
Review by Rebecca James |
The Last Closet: The Real Lives of Lesbian and Gay Teachers Modern texts and articles that discuss diversity issues in education are beginning to address the topic of sexual orientation as a cultural difference. Many school districts have adopted anti-discrimination policies that reflect a more inclusive and tolerant society. For many teachers, though, this focus is not enough to dismantle the stigmas and stereotypes that surround gay and lesbian educators. As author Rita Kissen suggests in her book, The Last Closet: The Real Lives of Lesbian and Gay Teachers, despite this written acceptance, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (GLBT) teachers are very likely to continue to hide their affectional orientation, often at the expense of their emotional well being, to preserve their status or respect in their professional community or classroom. This perceived unwritten-and often unspoken-threat is more than enough to warrant their silence. To manage the dichotomy of this life, GLBT educators have established a continuum of "outness;" that is, gradable trust levels for students, parents, peers, administration, and state or union representation. Examining the differing definitions and degrees of outness and this continuum of trust best develops empathy and understanding of GLBT educators. Only a generation ago, there was never any question about being out to students and staff: no one who wanted to remain employed disclosed their identity. Many GLBT teachers constructed false heterosexual lives to satisfy their colleagues and avoid further questions. Kissen describes lesbian teachers who carried pictures of fake boyfriends, made up stories about lives and people that did not exist to protect their jobs. The 1960s and 70s, however, brought change with the equal rights movement, the Stonewall riots, and the women's movement. More GLBT people felt they had the right to be comfortable with being gay: slowly, that sentiment has seeped into the education system. This gradually changing perception of GLBT identity has created differences in the degree to which teachers share the details of their lives with people from their school. Kissen cites a study from 1992 where a University of Massachusetts professor labeled the "identity management strategies" of educators. Called "passing, covering, implicitly out, and explicitly out," these strategies cover the continuum from least out to most out. Different teachers have different reasons for choosing the strategy that works best for them. Passing is not an option for all GLBT teachers because it requires the submission to extremely traditional gender stereotypes that many teachers, even straight teachers, no longer find plausible. Covering, on the other hand, requires a calculated effort to switch gender-specific pronouns and names when discussing personal issues. In many modern districts, particularly those that include sexual orientation as a protected class in their anti-discrimination statement, GLBT teachers are examining the ideas of being implicitly and explicitly out. Implicit outness relies the most on that very personal continuum of trust. Teachers are more reluctant to explicitly lie about their identity; instead, they may choose different words to describe their same-sex partner, such as the ambiguous "friend." With most of their professional equals, they are open about with whom they spend time and may even include their "friend" at school-related social events. With administrators, GLBT teachers may avoid personal situations all together. Implicitly out teachers are aware of their rights, however, and would most likely be vocal at the state level if they felt their district's anti-discrimination policy had been violated. Explicitly out teachers are most likely the only teachers that would ever discuss their identity with students. While both implicitly and explicitly out teachers may be involved with Safe-school programs for GLBT students, explicitly out teachers would be the group to share their personal experiences with discrimination or crises with their students. Each strategy has its positive and negative aspects; choosing a strategy is a very personal decision. It is my belief that currently, most GLBT teachers under the age of forty who accept their gay identity are most comfortable with being implicitly out. Implicitly out teachers can use many tactics to create a community within their classrooms where they and their students, gay and straight, feel safe and comfortable. Kissen states "One of the most effective ways to create a safe classroom environment is to establish rules early in the year and enforce them consistently. Rules prohibiting homophobic language and behavior are a way for lesbian and gay teachers to demand respect for themselves and their gay students without drawing attention to themselves." This is easiest in a school that has established a universal policy regarding hate-speech that includes words based on sexual orientation. Many schools also have GLBT student alliances or diversity programs. A school I worked for in St. Paul, Minnesota had a support team of teachers educated about diversity issues including sexual orientation. These teachers posted small signs on their doors with a "safety pledge" that identified their willingness to talk about diversity issues. The sign also explicitly listed many issues such as race, religion, and sexual orientation, leaving no doubt as to what their tolerance levels included. This type of program, organized by an implicitly out teacher, modeled tolerance and the celebration of diversity for all students. Throughout any teaching career, gay and straight educators are very likely to cross paths with each other, gay students, and homophobia. By developing empathy for the GLBT educators' experiences, students and teachers alike can hone their skills for approaching diversity issues in the classroom and in society. Respecting and understanding the levels of outness, and making your own acceptance clear, may be the first steps towards full inclusion of GLBT teachers in the teaching community. Works Cited: Kissen, Rita M. The Last Closet: The Real Lives of Lesbian and Gay Teachers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1996. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 12, No. 08, June 28, 2002. |