Between the Chalkboard and the Closet: Navigating Surveillance, Expectations, and Resistance in K-12 Public Schools

Abstract

For decades, queer teachers have been fearful to advocate for themselves and queer youth, stemming from a precedent of discrimination. This fear is even more prevalent among Black queer teachers who are challenged by the need to balance authenticity and wearing a mask for survival in the face of restrictive antigay and anti-WOKE legislation. As authorities across the United States are changing the landscape of education for queer teachers through President Trump’s executive orders and other local policies, it is even more important to determine how intersecting cultural identities can marginalize people within society and facilitate chances to oppose other forms of oppression. The experiences of Black queer teachers is a field left unacknowledged. Filling this gap was the present study’s aim. There were two research questions in this qualitative narrative study: What are the lived experiences of self-identified Black queer teachers in K-12 public schools? and What are the differences in experiences as a Black heterosexual teacher in comparison to being a Black queer teacher in K-12 public schools? Queer theory and performative theory were the theoretical lenses used to examine heteronormative systems in school settings and the overall impact on Black queer teacher lived experiences. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews with 16 study participants (eight queer, eight cisgender heterosexual), journal entries, and artifacts. Thematic analysis revealed that Black queer teachers carry a burden as a double or triple minority in K-12 public schools and desire to have their existence normalized in society. The Black identity management on the racial closet spectrum conceptual framework was developed, which unpacks how Black teachers negotiate their identities in K-12 public schools and provides an updated, more inclusive definition for the term “closet.” Implications include additional support resources, decolonizing heteronormative school cultures, and introducing less-restrictive legislation to combat current laws erasing Black queer identities and whitewashing curriculum in schools. This study fills a gap in the literature pertaining to Black queer teacher experiences. It also provides context for the lived experiences of Black queer teachers in juxtaposition to Black cisgender heterosexual teachers in K-12 public schools in the United States.