“Their Own Personal Unicorn”: The Workplace Experiences of Transgender Teachers

Abstract

Multiple studies have shown that transgender individuals routinely face increased levels of hostility and discrimination in the workplace compared to their cisgender peers; this is also true for transgender educators, who are often marginalized or silenced for expressing their gender diversity. Exploring the experiences of transgender teachers can provide much-needed information for school and district leaders seeking to support and affirm transgender individuals as valued members of the school community. The workplace experiences of six transgender educators in various teaching roles were examined in this qualitative study. The researchers utilized semistructured interviews to explore participants’ professional lives, focusing on factors that affected decisions to reveal or conceal their gender identities, the climate of the schools in which they worked, and their support for LGBTQ students. Findings suggest that while support for LGBTQ teachers is growing, heteronormativity persists in troubling ways, particularly for transgender educators. Implications of these findings for school and district leaders are discussed.

Navigating Cisgenderism: The Experiences of Three Gender-Expansive Music Educators

“…4). Teachers of TGX experience fear backlash and unwanted attention as they navigate employment in public schools (Hart & Hart, 2022). While Priscilla chose to publicly disclose her TGX identity to all her high school students, Marty navigated disclosure after having taught at the same school for a decade.…”

“…When considering a career in teaching, LGBTQA people may face difficult decisions about where to live and work. Especially in a political climate in which topics of gender and sexuality are considered “hot button” issues, teachers may consider district, county, and state laws that could affect their careers (Bartolome & Stanford, 2017; Hart & Hart, 2022; Taylor, 2022). This construct is most apparent in Steve’s story as he experienced vastly different feelings of support in a large urban district in the Western United States and a small rural district in the Eastern United States.…”

“…The researchers also found that some administrators and school HR officials were concerned about community backlash if they hired a TGX teacher (Hart & Hart, 2018). Similarly, Hart and Hart (2022) investigated the experiences of six trans teachers in the United States. Five of the six had a mixture of supportive and negative experiences with colleagues and students.…”

“…Five of the six had a mixture of supportive and negative experiences with colleagues and students. The participants discussed fears of job loss, backlash from parents, and the influence of the administrators: “principals played the most pivotal role regarding their workplace experiences” (Hart and Hart, 2022, p. 18). These researchers in both the United States and Australia revealed ubiquitous fears of TGX teachers on two continents and highlight the need for further research about TGX educators.…”

“…Rowland (2022) utilized performance autoethnography to explore their journey from “Ms.” To “Professor” to “they” and includes several instances of cooperating teachers and administrators not supporting them when challenged by students and parents about being LGBTQA. Rowland was threatened with being fired by a school district in the Midwest, illuminating the importance of employment nondiscrimination policies (Bartolome & Stanford, 2017; Hart & Hart, 2022). Music teacher educators can help TGX preservice teachers as they navigate the intersections (or lack thereof) between their gender and teacher identities (Bartolome, Prichard, & Palkki, 2017).…”