Should LGBT/queer teachers be open to their students?
This is a list of several topics I wanted to discuss that I feel people aren't really discussing in the queer/gay male community which are.
Is there racism/discrimination in the gay male community?
Is gay for pay porn damaging to the gay/queer male community?
Should LGBT/queer teachers be open to their students?
Is having a racial/body/personality preference preference okay?
Should queer people be open at their workplace?
Why is the gay community so promiscuous and sex crazed?
Just as an introduction as I know we all come from different backgrounds and situations and experiences, I am a gay African/Black American feminine man.
So in this topic, I'm asking should teachers that are LGBT/queer be open to their students.
This is not to be confused with, Should queer people be open in the workplace. Which is a more general discussion.)
So basically, I had this debate with a female friend of mine recently.
It's on the fact, as to whether or not teachers should be open about their sexuality or not, to the school staff or to their students etc.
Because correlating to this, I have a male acquaintance of mine, (he's not my friend) who is a school teacher. He teaches grade school children. He is proud to be a gay man, and is all into gay rights. However, he is not out to his class.
This is in California mind you. An open minded area.
I didn't challenge him on this. In fact, I haven't spoken to him in quite a while. I just know he's a gay schoolteacher that's closeted. I didn't try to challenge him.
I did bring it up with another friend of mine.
I then told my female friend, that me personally, I believe that he should set an example for the students in his class. As some of them could be LGBT themselves, and he should come out and be open.
Then my female friend said he's taking a risk doing that. Kids already bash and harass teachers period, so imagine a gay teacher being out.
Then I had to stop and think for a minute and flashback.
Now this was back in the 90s. But I do remember my 4th grade teacher, she got unexpectedly ill, and for a few weeks or so, we had this kinda fruity substitute geeky white guy as our teacher. It was obvious that he was gay, and he was very sassy and kinda rude and mean to us. So we did play pranks on him and call him the f word and throw oranges at the blackboard. We were black bay bay kids in an inner city elementary school so.
He eventually left, and he was replaced by this old white lady who was even stricter than he was. So I guess that's what we got. I'm digressing so badly I'm sorry.
We were black bay bay kids in an inner city elementary school so. I'm digressing so much. I'm sorry.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that she does have a point to where teachers are harassed, and I can imagine a gay teacher might face even more issues.
But I don't know. I still feel that teachers get harassed anyways, so I feel he should be open anyways.
She then says, his sexuality is none of his business, and that has nothing to do with being a teacher.
I refuted her by saying, children spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week with this teacher. I think if he is gay, that should be something they should know.
Of course this is just me.
I feel there just could be a queer kid in his class that might be struggling, and him coming out might make a difference somehow and someway.
I know being a gay black man, if I did have any gay teachers or mentors growing up (I didn't really have any), that would have been nice.
But I see the other side to where someone might not want to do that. I guess there might be homophobic reactions in many gateways.
Like I said, I live in California so, I don't know.
So what do you guys think?
