The stories in The Teacher's Closet: Lesbian and Gay Educators in Georgia's Public Middle Schools reveal the intricate and multifaceted process of identity management that lesbian and gay Georgia middle school teachers regularly engage in, with the intention of carefully negotiating the conservative, heterosexist, and at times homophobic culture of education. Disclosure for a homosexual teacher is not a one-time event. As the stories reveal, managing one's sexual identity is an ongoing process. A feeling of uneasiness surrounding acceptance from others is also a regular occurrence in the homosexual community. To understand why lesbian and gay teachers feel the need to conceal and protect their homosexual identities, it is necessary to understand the social and political climate that forces them to surrender their real identity. In our heterosexist society where homosexuals are often portrayed as different, even sinful, it is not surprising that many homosexual teachers refrain from disclosing their sexual identity to their students, especially in the conservative state of Georgia. The Teacher's Closet is relevant to courses that include diversity in teacher education and teach inclusion and equality in education.
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"The voices of these 10 middle school teachers provide the reader with a direct and intimate look inside the lives of lesbian and gay teachers who do not share their sexual identity with their students. Through their voices, we see how societal pressures and the lack of legal protection for these teachers impoverishes the educational experiences of their students. As educators, policymakers, parents, and citizens, this book calls on us to implement changes to correct this shortcoming." -Terrence Keeney, Professor of Education at Lesley University