‘I don’t think my sexuality would come into teaching at all’: exploring the borderland discourse of Australian LGBTQ+ pre-service teachers

ABSTRACT

Experiences of non-heterosexual teachers are relatively understood, but little work focuses explicitly on LGBTQ+, pre-service teachers and none in the Australian context. Alsup’s ([2006]. Teacher identity discourses: Negotiating personal and professional spaces. New York: Routledge.) borderland discourse is used to explore the role of gender and/or sexual identity in developing teacher identities of 12 Australian LGBTQ+ pre-service teachers. Findings show identity management and negotiation practices relating to decisions to hide or disclose identities in school contexts. Creating opportunities for borderland discourses, where tensions between the personal and professional can be deliberately brought to the fore, is presented as key to support the development of all new teachers.

KEYWORDS:

• LGBTQ+
• pre-service teachers
• teacher training
• Australia
• borderland discourse

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Pre-service teacher refers to all those who train to become teachers and is the terminology used in New South Wales, Australia. The term trainee, however, will be used from this point on.

2 LGBTQ+ refers to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning as an umbrella term for sexual diversity. Queer is often used synonymously with any non-heterosexual characteristic. Where possible I have used the terminology employed by researchers/participants.

3 Gender and sexual diversity is a term employed by Airton and Koecher (2019)’s to encompass all aspects of gender, gender identity, sexuality, sexual orientation, without the need for a specific focus. It is used here to reflect the wider discussion of gender and sexuality in teacher training.

4 Trans* is used here to be inclusive of all transgender identities

5 The plebiscite is similar to referendum practices where individuals are asked to vote on particular issues. Whereas a referendum would seek to amend the constitution, a plebiscite is more of an advisory role; the government does not have to act on its decision. In this case the Australian government did.

6 All trainees were out at university but not in practice contexts.

7 All students identified as Anglo Australian (coming from white European heritage).

8 Being consistent with accepted presentations of an identified gender and being recognised as such by others.

9 Stealth refers to Greg deliberately hiding his trans* status.

10 In the Australian context, public schools are government funded as opposed to the term ‘public’ school in UK which generally implies privately funded.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kate Russell

Kate Russell researches gender, sexuality, and identities in sport, physical education, and teacher training contexts. She also explores mental health and wellbeing in education contexts for pupils, teachers, and trainee teachers. Kate also delivers mindfulness based training in educational contexts for both students and staff, as well as to the general public.