The Gay Teachers Association of NYC and LGB Students: 1974–1985

Background/Context This study deals with an intersection of educational history, queer history, and labor history involving the activities of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teachers. The history of LGBT teachers, particularly before the 1990s, has been addressed by only a handful of historians. The prior research most relevant to this study is Jackie Blount's Fit to Teach: Same-Sex Desire, Gender, and School Work in the Twentieth Century (2006) and Karen Graves's And They Were Wonderful Teachers (2009). Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study This study focuses on the activities of the Gay Teachers Association of New York City (GTA) between 1974 and 1985 as they related to teachers’ job security and the safety of LGB students in NYC public schools. It aims to illustrate the sense of responsibility toward LGB students developed by members of the GTA and how they acted on that responsibility. Research Design This is a historical study, relying primarily on archival research and secondarily on interviews conducted by the author. Conclusions/Recommendations The teachers of the GTA developed a comprehensive concept of their responsibility as LGB educators. They came to believe that they had a particular responsibility to LGB students. Finally, GTA members actively pursued equity for LGB students in New York City's public schools through counseling, community outreach, political lobbying, and public debate.

‘Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey’ LGBT histories: community archives as boundary objects

This chapter offers a ‘wibbly-wobbly’ account of a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual (LGBT) community history and archiving project, How We Got Here. The project was initiated by The Proud Trust (TPT), ‘home of LGBT+ youth’, a regional network of LGBT youth groups across Manchester and North West England, who partnered with a number of organisations, including Schools OUT UK. The project traced three interrelated threads of LGBT activism that were particularly focused on Manchester and the north-west of England, but both the project and the original activism also paid attention to how the city and region are inevitably enmeshed in national and global politics. The three strands of activism are centred on: the establishment of the first purpose-built gay centre in Europe, in Manchester in 1988, now managed by TPT; work in schools, supporting teachers and pupils, including the setting up and campaigning of Schools OUT UK (formerly called the Gay Teachers' Group); and histories of LGBT youth work in Manchester. Thus, the project also centred on histories of LGBT activism that rarely receive attention — including the campaigning of teachers and youth workers in schools and youth clubs and beyond.

Understanding Identity and Context in the Development of Gay Teacher Identity: Perceptions and Realities in Teacher Education and Teaching

The way a teacher perceives relational justice—the feeling of being treated equitably and being included—in their work context is central to understanding the negotiation and enactment of teacher identity. For LGBTQ teachers, the degree to which they are out of the closet with their students and colleagues leads to many possible outcomes. These outcomes, ranging from feeling like they need to live duplicitous lives to being activist teachers that subvert the heteronormative assumptions in schools and curricula, are studied here by examining the identity development of a group of gay teachers and their perceptions of the schools in which they work. This article is based on a dissertation study that theorized that the heteronormative nature of teacher education is a limiting factor for gay teachers’ abilities to work and thrive in school contexts. The study included in depth case studies of four gay teachers and their journeys as gay men and teachers. The goal of the study was to answer the question: Does the enactment of gay teacher identity interrupt heteronormativity in schools? The study also sought to answer two ancillary questions: (1) How do gay teachers negotiate gay teacher identity in schools? and, (2) How do school contexts impact gay teachers’ perceptions of identity-based motivation and relational justice? This article will focus on Peter Ryan’s (pseudonym) case study, specifically because of its emblematic nature in summarizing the intent and implications of the overall study.

Big Bob, Little Bob by J. Howe

Howe, James. Big Bob, Little Bob, illustrated by Lauren Ellen Anderson. Candlewick Press, 2016.Who needs binaries when we can have diversity? That’s what Bob, Bob, and Blossom might ask in Big Bob, Little Bob written by James Howe and illustrated by Lauren Ellen Anderson. This children’s picture book asks readers to question their perception of what is masculine, what is feminine, and more importantly, why we persist in imposing gender roles on children and in society. Some boys like cats, some boys like dogs, and some boys like to wear dresses. Do not make the mistake of placing stereotypes on the characters in this story! This book tackles the subject of gender roles and gender identity in a captivating, entertaining, and non-intrusive manner. Gender bending non-conforming individuals, and those who prefer to live in a gender-neutral world, will love this story. For those continuing to live in a binary-driven, gender-rigid reality this story will ask the reader to question why categorize gender, encourage embracing fluidity, and to start viewing life on a spectrum.Clean, clear fonts and simple, easy language, appropriate for all ages, permit readers the freedom to be expressive while flipping through the pages of this book. Beautifully drawn and coloured illustrations wonderfully complement the text. The illustrator makes smart colour choices and the art is stylized with thoughtfully detailed layers of images that provide deeper inferences for the viewer. Characters’ facial expressions provide insights into their thoughts, feeling, and emotions. Readers are provided the opportunity to analyse the illustrations that add clarity and detail to the author’s key message. In this book there is more than meets the eye and young readers will enjoy making connections between word and image while exploring various themes including friendship, acceptance, and inclusion - to name a few.Recommendation: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Craig MichaudCraig Michaud, B.Ed., M.Ed, is a graduate of the Masters of Education Studies Program at the University of Alberta, and an elementary school teacher for Edmonton Public School Board. His graduate research focused on the perspectives of gay teachers in Alberta, Canada. Contact: [email protected]