Gay/lesbian teachers?

Question

Should gay/lesbian teachers be honest about their sexuality of just stay in the closet? I am asking specifically about high school/secondary teachers.

Answer 1

Absolutely not! Why would you discuss your sex life in any capacity with your students? I am happily married, but I don't tell my students about what my husband and I do in bed!GROSS!!!
Like it or not, homosexuality is considered a deviant lifestyle and telling students something like that will not only get you fired, but will lose you your teaching certificate too.

Answer 2

I'm not a teacher but I am a parent with 2 girls in elementary school. I honestly think it is all going to depend on where it is that you teach. If it's a community that generally isn't tolerant then I would think you would have a problem there. If it's in a community that is tolerant then I would think you would have less of a problem there. I'm pretty sure that there are two teachers at my girls school that are gay, I say pretty sure because it's not advertised anywhere but they seem to get the same level of respect that all the other teachers there get. I have only heard a few parents make negative comments about the music teacher, but I have never heard that any of those comments were made to the school officials, just more to each other than anything else. I would say that you should approach this just like you would any other situation, try to find a more open and accepting community to get a teaching job in, go to work and be awesome at what you do. Don't bring your personal life into the classroom and you should be fine. L

Answer 3

There really is no need for honesty about sexuality in the classroom unless the teacher is doing a sex education class.

Outside of the classroom, I think they should be honest, but discreet -- just like hetero teachers!!!

That said, I think g/l teachers need to CtheirA a little. If a student asks about sexuality, s/he should direct the kid to a guidance counsellor, or have the discussion with a witness present. It's so not fair, but in many people's minds, homosexuality is one step away from pervert. So for their own safety, g/l teachers need to be a little more careful. However, it's not the dark ages, so they don't need to be totally stuffed in the closet either.

I have to say, I've found gay and lesbian friends to be very intelligent and witty people, and I've learned a lot from them.

Answer 4

Being a recent high school graduate, that is a lesbian, and going to school to be a teacher, I look at it this way. Even though a teacher's sex life should not EVER be a topic of discussion in the class room, I think that a teacher having to not be themselves and hide their lifestyle could inhibit their ability to teach. I had many gay teachers in high school, and none of them ever came out and said "hey, I'm gay," but we all knew anyways, and it was never a problem. I don't think that anyone should ever have to hide a part of their life from the world, it makes for a miserable life. Even in other parts of my life it's not like when I meet a person I say "Hey, I'm Toria and I'm a lesbian.."

Answer 5

I don't know if this question is for personal reasons, but I will answer it as such.

The only reason this question will come up is to divert the teacher's attention from the task at hand. A teacher's sex life and history are not the students' business.

I taught a Teen Living course in middle school. I told the students that my personal life was not part of the course. But, being teenagers, they would attempt to pull my attention away from the course. And, of course, some of the questions would be embarrassing or provocative.

My advice is to be prepared for the questions and have a rehearsed answer. Do not be manipulated into giving information about yourself that could be used to damage your reputation or undermine your authority.

Remember, they are not your friends, but your responsibility.

Answer 6

I personally think they should stay in the closet. It's still too taboo of a subject to be open about it in a school setting (with students and parents). I don't see anything wrong with being open about it with other faculty members though. Besides, most secondary school students assume a large portion of their teachers are gay anyway. Might as well make them keep guessing. :)

Answer 7

Pinklayni--who said anything about talking about one's sex life? If you mention to your students something like "My husband and I went hiking this weekend..." are you telling them about your sex life? No. Sure, by admitting that you're gay/lesbian you are admitting to the kind of sex that you have, but you are doing the same by mentioning that your are heterosexual. Personally, I think that the students need a positive role model, whether it be straight or gay. There will be straight students who can learn a lot by being in a classroom with a (responsible) gay person (can negate stereotypes, etc.), just as it is a good thing for a young gay person (trust me, there are many!!) to see a positive adult gay role model. But it's still a very tricky situation with some people's opinions. Be prepared for the reprecussions--parental complaints--before you admit to anything. And know the kind of administration you work under.

Answer 8

Students are very impressionable, and I find it highly unprofessional to talk about your intimate life with your students.

If we lived in a world where one could be gay and everyone look at the same way they look at heterosexuality I think it would be fine. As in, you could talk about your wife if you were a femal teacher and likewise for males.

However, since our society as a rule lumps homosexuality alongside "kink," "freak," "pervert," and "deviant" behaviors it is highly inappropriate to talk about it in class.

If you are asking because you are concerned for yourself or for a homosexual teacher I would tell them to keep it to themselves, or at least just to the the other teachers. I worked with a female coach who was known to be gay and it caused insurmountable problems in the locker room etc. etc.

Innocent actions are easily misconstrued when gay comes into the picture.

Answer 9

If the subject comes up I think they should be honest. But no teacher should ever really give students a reason to question their sexuality.

Answer 10

I think a persons sexuality should be kept to ones self! We need all the good teachers we can get! I think we should be more concerned about their wages and how safe they can be for even trying to do such a job as teach these days!