Breaking the Silence: Learning from the Experiences of Queer Educators in the Predominantly Heteronormative Space of K-12 Institutions

The decision of queer teachers to come out at work is a complex one that is guided by both personal fears and principles and shadowed by common negative societal beliefs about queer persons in general. The primary purpose of this study was to describe and increase the understanding of the experiences of K-12 educators, who identify as queer while working in predominantly heteronormative institutions. In fulfilling the purpose of this study, I sought answers the following questions: What decisions do queer teachers make, or feel they are forced to make, regarding their decision to disclose or not to disclose information about their sexuality in the workplace? How do they understand their decisions regarding disclosure as affecting them personally and professionally? How do those decisions affect the ways in which they interact with students and colleagues? I conducted a multiple case study using semi-structured interviews which I audio recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Six participants were identified through a snowball recruitment method and included teachers of grades K-12 in Alabama. Analysis revealed five themes which included decisions regarding coming out at work; difficulty of not being oneself; concerns about homophobia and heteronormativity; the effects on interactions with students; and the lack of legal protection for queer teachers. Although society is changing, this study indicated that negative views and discrimination of queer persons (particularly teachers) still exist and provided a glimpse of the effect of such issues on the professional and personal lives of queer teachers.