About the Research

The data included on this site comes from interviews with seven LGBTQ+ people who, at the time of the interview, were working as K-12 teachers in the United States. All names and other identifying information has been changed for the privacy of the participants. 

The interviews were semi-structured, meaning the researcher began with specific questions but allowed the conversation to flow naturally. The questions are below (edited during the research process):

I’d love to hear a little more about you. You can share any information that you’d like to share such as where you’re from, where you live, what you teach, or any identities that are important to you.

Now, we’re going to start by talking about student support for LGBTQ+ students. My first question is, how do you relate to your students who are LGBTQ+?

What do you see as your role in supporting LGBTQ+ students?

Can you talk more about interpersonal support you might offer to LGBTQ+ students and particularly if you have any specific stories that stick out to you?

From your perspective, how do you feel like your coworkers who aren't LGBTQ+ relate to LGBTQ students?

Are there any interactions between a peer who isn't LGBTQ+ and a LGBTQ+ student that stood out to you?

What forms of support do you think are most valuable to LGBTQ+ students?

What ways do you think support for LGBTQ+ students could be improved and what changes, whether social, institutional, or policy need to happen to achieve this?

Is there anything else we haven't talked about that you've noticed from your perspective about the experience of being a LGBTQ+ student in today's society?

Awesome, now we’re going to talk about LGBTQ+ topics in curriculum. How have you incorporated LGBTQ+ topics or themes into your curriculum?

Is there any aspect of incorporating an LGBTQ+ theme into your curriculum that stands out to you?

Is there anything you haven't been able to do that you'd like to do in regard to bringing LGBTQ+ topics into your classroom?

What are some of your biggest barriers to incorporating LGBTQ+ topics in your curriculum?

Can you talk more about how your identity ties into decisions you make around what to incorporate in your curriculum?

Do you feel well prepared to incorporate LGBTQ+ topics in curriculum, and if so, where does that preparation come from? 

Have you seen your peers incorporating LGBTQ+ themes into their curriculum or hosting these conversations in their classrooms?

To what extent do your non-LGBTQ+ peers rely on you as a resource in regard to LGBTQ+ topics?

Are there particular resources that you use to learn about LGBTQ+ topics or building LGBTQ+ curriculum?

Have you had opportunities to connect with other LGBTQ+ educators and if so, how has that affected you?

What is the effect of including LGBTQ+ topics in curriculum on LGBTQ+ students?

Overall, what are your thoughts about the state of LGBTQ+ topics in curriculum?

Are there any changes you can think of, whether social, institutional or policy that you think would help increase the level of representation in curriculum?

Is there anything else we didn’t talk about that you think is important to talk about?

Recruitment was done through social media and word of mouth. 

Participants were geographically diverse within the United States with several having taught in multiple states. Overall, participants had taught in the following states: New Jersey, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Oregon, Minnesota, California, Idaho, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Michigan in rural, urban, and suburban areas. Participants had taught in racially diverse environments. Five of the teachers currently teach middle school, one currently teaches high school, and one currently teaches elementary school. Years of teaching experience ranged from one to nineteen. 

All of the teachers interviews presented as white and did not discuss the intersections of these topic with non-white identity. The voices of BIPOC teachers are fundamental in building vibrant and safe educational and LGBTQ+ spaces. Targeted outreach was done for about two months after the initial round of interviews to attempt to highlight BIPOC voices including posting in relevant social media groups, reaching out through networks with specific calls for BIPOC teachers, and offering a thank you gift to participants. 

This research was supported by Dr. Nastasia Lawton Sticklor and the Hiatt Center for Urban Education at Clark University as well as my community of present and future educators and LGBTQ+ students based in Worcester, Massachusetts on unceded Nipmuc Land. The work was approved and overseen by Clark University's Institutional Review Board to ensure the privacy and safety of participants. 

The interviews were conducted and this website was created by Ellanora Lerner, an undergraduate student at Clark University. They are a queer, Jewish, white student from southern New England studying to become a history teacher. You can contact them at ellanora.lerner@gmail.com.

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