State of the Field Review: Stories So Far: An Overview of the Research on Lesbian Teachers

Abstract

This article examines the academic literature that addresses the experiences of lesbian teachers working in western schooling systems. It illustrates that although all individuals have a right to work in a safe and secure context, lesbian teachers face an on-going trend of silencing, marginalization and discrimination in the workplace. Issues of harassment and the need to negotiate one's sexuality continue to prevail. Although lesbian and gay research has been a burgeoning field of enquiry over the last two decades, no comprehensive review has been published that specifically targets the professional lives of lesbian teachers. This is despite the potential use of such knowledge in the development of educational, recruitment, and social policy and/or anti-discrimination legislation. This compilation seeks to address this lacuna and to simultaneously raise both researcher and practitioner awareness of the ongoing limitations, obstacles and injustices faced by lesbian teachers in the workplace. It also importantly illustrates the theoretical developments in understanding such experience while highlighting that these women are not simply oppressed victims but possess power and agency.