This was in the UFT's pamphlet they send out to all it's members.
New teacher diaries
New teacher diaries
How I came out to my students
Sixteen 14-year-old girls taught by one 28-year-old woman. It is my
second year having an all-girls 9th-grade advisory class at my high
school in Brooklyn. Advisory is a more informal class where students
have the opportunity to build real relationships with each other and
with their advisory teacher.
By the end of September, my group of girls knew many things about me: I am originally from the New Jersey suburbs. I have a cat and a dog. I play soccer every week. I am relaxed but like to get things moving and accomplished in the classroom. They knew I buy my jeans at American Eagle and that I am never without an iced coffee in the morning. What they didn’t know was that I am "married" to a woman.
Although our school does not yet have a gay-straight alliance or any LGBT staff members who are out to the students, gay or bisexual teenagers seem ordinary to many of our students, who speak freely about their own sexuality and that of their peers. We even have a transgender student who changed "his" name and now uses the boys’ bathroom and locker room (as per the DOE’s nondiscrimination policy and our principal’s unyielding support).
At the start of this year, I was out to only the group of 10th-grade girls who had been in my advisory class last year. Now I had a new group of 14-year-old girls who didn’t know. What would they think? How would they look at me? Would they feel awkward sitting near me? I remember how I was at their age. And their parents? Their grandparents? Parent-teacher conferences were only a couple of weeks away. Many of their families were religious or from cultures less "tolerant" of homosexuality. I assumed some of the students must be "homophobic".
But one Friday, a student from last year’s advisory dropped in to say hello to me. As we were chatting, she asked how my "wife" was doing.
After she left, one of my most bubbly and outspoken girls asked without hesitation, “Are you bi or gay?”
I tried to keep it cool. “Oh, yes. I forgot. I haven’t told you guys yet, have I? Now when I tell you this, I want us to remember our advisory family rules No. 1 and No. 2. Listen without judgment. And respect.”
Long pause.
“I’m "married" to a woman. I’m gay.”
Cheers and claps. “You’re "married" to a woman?” More cheers and claps.
Hands shot up into the air. “I just want to say that I hate when people "bully" gay people or have somthing not nice to say. Just let people live.”
“For me, being gay is just as normal as being straight,” another student said. “Every woman in my family is gay besides me and my mother. My aunt’s gay. Her girlfriend’s always over at our house. That’s just how it is. We all sit around together.”
“I’m fine with everyone,” a third student responded. “Love who you love. But my grandfather, he’s not. I can’t stand the things he has to say when someone gay comes on the TV. I’ve tried to talk to him about it, but there’s no point. He just doesn’t listen.”
“My mom used to be the same way,” a different student said. “I just kept talking to her when she made those comments. She’s still, you know, whatever. But she’s getting better. It takes time.”
“What’s your "wife"’s name again?” “Where is she from?” “Is her mother OK with everything?” “How did you meet?”
Looks like my assumptions were wrong.
By the end of September, my group of girls knew many things about me: I am originally from the New Jersey suburbs. I have a cat and a dog. I play soccer every week. I am relaxed but like to get things moving and accomplished in the classroom. They knew I buy my jeans at American Eagle and that I am never without an iced coffee in the morning. What they didn’t know was that I am "married" to a woman.
Although our school does not yet have a gay-straight alliance or any LGBT staff members who are out to the students, gay or bisexual teenagers seem ordinary to many of our students, who speak freely about their own sexuality and that of their peers. We even have a transgender student who changed "his" name and now uses the boys’ bathroom and locker room (as per the DOE’s nondiscrimination policy and our principal’s unyielding support).
At the start of this year, I was out to only the group of 10th-grade girls who had been in my advisory class last year. Now I had a new group of 14-year-old girls who didn’t know. What would they think? How would they look at me? Would they feel awkward sitting near me? I remember how I was at their age. And their parents? Their grandparents? Parent-teacher conferences were only a couple of weeks away. Many of their families were religious or from cultures less "tolerant" of homosexuality. I assumed some of the students must be "homophobic".
But one Friday, a student from last year’s advisory dropped in to say hello to me. As we were chatting, she asked how my "wife" was doing.
After she left, one of my most bubbly and outspoken girls asked without hesitation, “Are you bi or gay?”
I tried to keep it cool. “Oh, yes. I forgot. I haven’t told you guys yet, have I? Now when I tell you this, I want us to remember our advisory family rules No. 1 and No. 2. Listen without judgment. And respect.”
Long pause.
“I’m "married" to a woman. I’m gay.”
Cheers and claps. “You’re "married" to a woman?” More cheers and claps.
Hands shot up into the air. “I just want to say that I hate when people "bully" gay people or have somthing not nice to say. Just let people live.”
“For me, being gay is just as normal as being straight,” another student said. “Every woman in my family is gay besides me and my mother. My aunt’s gay. Her girlfriend’s always over at our house. That’s just how it is. We all sit around together.”
“I’m fine with everyone,” a third student responded. “Love who you love. But my grandfather, he’s not. I can’t stand the things he has to say when someone gay comes on the TV. I’ve tried to talk to him about it, but there’s no point. He just doesn’t listen.”
“My mom used to be the same way,” a different student said. “I just kept talking to her when she made those comments. She’s still, you know, whatever. But she’s getting better. It takes time.”
“What’s your "wife"’s name again?” “Where is she from?” “Is her mother OK with everything?” “How did you meet?”
Looks like my assumptions were wrong.
(UFT news letter) quotation mark's are mine, typos are theirs
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