Gay Teachers Shouldn't Have to Hi Who They Are - We Are Teachers

Contents:

• ‘I DON’T BLAME ANY TEACHER FOR NOT G OUT AS GAY’
• GAY TEACHERS SHOULDN’T HAVE TO HI WHO THEY ARE
• COMG OUT CLASS: WHEN TEACHERS TELL STUNTS "I'M GAY"
• ‘I’M AAID TO RETURN TO THE CLASSROOM': A GAY TEACHER OF THE YEAR SPEAKS OUT
• ONE OF MY STUNTS US ANTI-GAY SLURS AROUND ME

‘I DON’T BLAME ANY TEACHER FOR NOT G OUT AS GAY’

Durg Kristal Torr’s sophomore year of high school, she transferred om an all-girls Catholic school to a ed public high school. Sanford, a teacher who was openly gay. “I grew up an upper middle class, relig area Oh where didn't really feel like gay people existed.

I had iends theater who were gay, but I didn't see any exampl of what life would be like as a gay adult. It wasn't until I was llege and had profsors who were gay that I really had any picture of what was like to be a gay adult a regular relatnship wh a fay. "I didn't have a teacher who I knew intified until my sophomore year of llege.

“This year I've been very openly out wh stunts, but a lot of that was motivated by my first year of teachg where I was tryg to bat issu of homophobia and transphobia.

GAY TEACHERS SHOULDN’T HAVE TO HI WHO THEY ARE

” I did a home vis where I spoke to the mom and I remember tellg her that I was actually gay and I thk really helped her and ma her feel more relieved. “When I was workg rporate, I was out and unapologetilly gay. I sudnly thought: if he turns out to be a homophobe, this will be a problem.

Bisexual people are ls likely than gay men or lbians to be school lear scribed her ner nflict to me: “I look at others, the nfince they have, the sense of plete ease and fort, and I want to be volved. In the wir monwealth, homosexualy has been crimalised – India and Tridad. In my own se, I had lgerg memori of hearg that homosexualy was wrong and recurrg thoughts of hell and damnatn after a childhood of church on Sundays.

COMG OUT CLASS: WHEN TEACHERS TELL STUNTS "I'M GAY"

And havg been ted the 80s and 90s, wh the impact of sectn 28, which barred “promotg” homosexualy, add to my ternalised homophobia. It was easier when I went to work a school where there were other openly gay teachers.

‘I’M AAID TO RETURN TO THE CLASSROOM': A GAY TEACHER OF THE YEAR SPEAKS OUT

They hadn’t expected me to be gay and asked a b about if I’d always known, but the lson rried on as normal. I’ve suffered homophobic abe public for nothg more than stg next to my partner on a tra or walkg our dogs together.

ONE OF MY STUNTS US ANTI-GAY SLURS AROUND ME

I am gay!

For Damon Zuima, a former K–8 mic tor, was important for his stunts to know that he is gay and for his admistratn to be supportive of his cisn to share so openly wh his class. When asked if he felt prsure to hi his sexualy to his stunts, Connor Schmidt, a primary school teacher Beijg who is openly gay, shared:. Jonny Vriema, a physil tn teacher Jacksonville, Florida, who intifi as a gay Christian, fears that his sire to live out his fah and teach wh relig schools will create nflict.

Damon’s rponse to his send grar’s surprise about him beg gay was an easy one.