LGBT Educators Speak Out About What's Gotten Better . . . and What Hasn't
July 1, 2015
This book is the third in a series showcasing the stories and struggles of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) educators. Culturally speaking, much has changed since editor Jennings (founder, Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network; executive director, Arcus Fdn.) published the first edition in 1994. But, as more than one of the contributors to the current volume note, the LGBT educator remains a subject of discrimination on the job. (As of 2014 it was legal in 29 states to hire and fire someone based on their sexual orientation.) Here readers will find a range of viewpoints from teachers--both early career and wizened veterans and everything in between--who relate their experiences at private schools and public, in rural settings and big cities, in the United States and abroad. This isn't to say there are no common threads, however. Many decided to risk their careers by coming out, not only because they wished to live more authentic lives, but because they wanted to be positive role models to their students. A number of educators write poignantly of the impact they have had on youngsters, of parents who thank them for "being there" for their child. The most compelling chapters describe spirited campaigns to force change on intolerant school cultures. VERDICT Recommended for academic libraries serving teachers-in-training and for public libraries of all sizes.--Seth Kershner, Northwestern Connecticut Community Coll. Lib., Winsted
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 1, 2015
In 1988, Jennings came out as gay at the school where he taught and went on to help establish the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). In this third collection of essays written by LGBTQ teachers, Jennings offers an update on the progress in the sexual revolution and the still-long way ahead in achieving equality since the first collection appeared in 1994. Contributors have gone from writing primarily under pseudonyms to openly declaring their status. They include both veteran and beginning teachers. They recall how teaching has helped them achieve self-acceptance, how fear of the reaction of their students has been shaped by their own adolescence, and how the need to carefully tread the boundaries between teacher and student has shaped the impulse to mentor students struggling with their own sexual identities. Contributors across the U.S. and the globe, from a wide spectrum of race, class, and sexual orientation among the LGBTQ community, offer 24 essays providing a fascinating look at the current state of acceptance of LGBTQ educators in the twenty-first century.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)