Claim OwnershipQueering Education: LGBTQ+ Inclusive Teaching, Queer Pedagogy, and Real Classroom Practice
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Description
Queering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast about LGBTQ inclusive teaching, queer pedagogy, and building authentic, affirming classrooms. Hosted by Bryan Stanton, the show offers practical strategies for educators navigating real challenges in today’s classrooms—connecting theory to practice through conversations, storytelling, and actionable tools..
Each episode centers the lived experiences of queer educators and how they show up for their students, even in systems that weren’t built for them. Whether you’re a K–12 teacher, higher education faculty member, or school leader, you’ll find actionable ways to create affirming learning environments for LGBTQ students and beyond.
Through solo episodes and conversations with educators, researchers, and advocates, Queering Education connects theory to practice—covering topics like queer curriculum, equity in education, classroom culture, and navigating policy and resistance in schools.
If you’re asking:
- How do I support LGBTQ students right now?
- What does inclusive teaching actually look like in practice?
- How do I show up authentically as an educator?
You’re in the right place.
This is Queering Education, a Teaching While Queer podcast.
198 Episodes
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In this solo episode, Bryan Stanton (they/them) walks through what inclusive teaching actually looks like when policies feel vague, pressure is real, and every classroom decision carries weight. This isn’t theory—it’s what you can do tomorrow to support students while staying grounded in your professional role. If you’ve ever found yourself editing your language, second-guessing your curriculum, or wondering what might come back to you later, this episode offers a clear, practical path forwa...
What if inclusive education isn’t political—or optional—but necessary for learning itself? In this solo episode, Bryan Stanton (they/them) breaks down what’s actually happening in education right now and reframes inclusion as a core pedagogical issue, not a cultural debate. From Universal Design for Learning to culturally responsive teaching and queer pedagogy, this episode connects theory to real classroom practice—without losing sight of the risks many educators are navigating. If you’ve ev...
In this episode of Teaching While Queer, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) sits down with Damon Carbajal (he/el), Director of Chapter Network and Program Integration at Glisten, to talk about the resources available to educators who want to better support LGBTQ+ students. From lesson plans and GSA support to affirming book programs and national student initiatives, Damon shares how Glisten is evolving to meet the needs of today’s classrooms. The conversation also explores the organization’s rece...
In this episode, host Bryan Stanton talks with Deb Fowler about the work of History UnErased, a nonprofit bringing LGBTQ+ history into K–12 classrooms through primary sources, theater, and creative learning. Deb shares how their project “The Past Is Always Present” helps students explore LGBTQ+ history through original plays, music, and improv exercises grounded in real historical documents. The result? Students aren’t just memorizing facts—they’re analyzing history, embodying historical figu...
In this episode, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) talks with Katherine Bogen (she/her), a sixth-year doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Nebraska. Katherine’s work focuses on bisexual identity, experiences of violence, and how disclosure impacts relationships and healing. She shares what it means to conduct “me-search” that honors queer lived experience—and what it felt like when federal DEI funding cuts abruptly canceled her NIH-funded research grant. The conversatio...
In this powerful conversation, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) speaks with Michael Sadowski about what it means to be an out educator—from coming out in job interviews in the 1990s to researching queer youth, GSAs, and the limits of “safe schools.” Michael shares his journey from theater to teaching, launching a GSA in Massachusetts, earning his doctorate, and writing extensively about LGBTQ+ youth, identity development, and education. Together, they explore what’s changed for queer students a...
In this solo episode, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) reflects on what it means to teach while queer during a moment of shifting protections, contested policies, and public scrutiny around trans inclusion in schools. As headlines intensify, so does the pressure on LGBTQ+ educators—who often find themselves acting as both teacher and shield. But this episode isn’t just about turbulence. It’s about momentum. Brian shares why they believe queer educators are on the precipice of something powerful...
In this episode of Teaching While Queer, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) is joined by February Educator of the Month Dr. Clark Ausloos (he/him) for a deeply grounded conversation about the intersection of education, mental health, and queer identity. Dr. Ausloos shares what it looks like to teach future counselors while navigating political pressure, professional ethics, and the emotional labor of showing up authentically in higher education. Together, Bryan and Clark unpack belonging versus b...
Live from the Creating Change Conference in Washington, D.C., Bryan sits down with Alejandro, a youth program assistant with Foundation Communities in Austin, Texas. Together, they explore what it means to be an openly gay educator working with immigrant and refugee youth in a state where policy often conflicts with inclusion. Alejandro shares his path from reluctant teacher to joyful mentor, how his queerness shows up in small but powerful ways, and why community and creativity sustain him—e...
What does it actually look like to be an out queer educator—and just do your job? In this episode of Teaching While Queer, host Brian Stanton talks with Danny Walker-Drake, a behavior support manager at a large secondary school in southwest England, about pastoral care, student trust, and why authenticity doesn’t have to be a big announcement. Broadcasting from the Creating Change Conference, this conversation centers relationships, boundaries, humor, and the reality of working with young peo...
In this episode, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) talks with Julia Lathin (she/her), a lesbian art teacher in Los Angeles, about the evolution of her teaching—from closeted survival in a Michigan Catholic school with a morality clause, to building affirming, creative classrooms for queer youth in California. Listeners will learn: What it meant to teach under a “morality clause” while hiding key parts of her identityHow one small phrase—“pick a better word”—became a lifelong teaching mantraPr...
When physics and math teacher Rosaline Keane Kelly (she/her) began her teaching journey in Ireland, she didn’t yet know she was trans. Education became the mirror that helped her understand herself—and the space where she learned to lead with authenticity. In this episode, Rosaline shares what it was like to come out and transition while teaching in a religiously influenced school system, how she now builds inclusive science classrooms, and why belonging and laughter matter as much as less...
Tyson joins Teaching While Queer to share the deeply personal journey that led him from childhood dreams of teaching, through family rejection and healing, to founding a nonprofit and homeschool program for LGBTQ+ families. His story weaves together resilience, faith, and a fierce commitment to creating the safe, affirming learning spaces he wanted for his own children. Listeners will learn: How trauma shaped Tyson’s early relationship with educationWhat inspired his self-help book Courageou...
In this New Year continuation of the December 25th reflection, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) turns from reflection to direction. This solo episode names six promises—practices, boundaries, and strategies—for queer educators in 2026, and closes with a powerful New Year’s blessing rooted in the realities of today’s classrooms. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to define success beyond survival.Ways to bring queer truth into curriculum safely and meaningfully.What sustainable visibility loo...
This year, queer educators didn’t just survive — we built something that can outlast the moment. 🌈 In this reflective solo episode, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) revisits the major themes that shaped 2025 for LGBTQ+ teachers: quiet resistance, authentic storytelling, and the radical act of joy. From the Teaching While Queer Educators Conference to episodes that redefined advocacy, Bryan invites listeners to pause, reflect, and name the impact they’ve made — even when no one was watching. Th...
This episode is for educators — especially queer teachers, principals, and school leaders — who care deeply about real inclusion and belonging. Bryan Stanton (they/them) unpacks how well-intentioned “inclusive” classroom practices often end up reinforcing Christian dominance, sidelining Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, and secular families. Together, we’ll examine how public schools perpetuate cultural erasure under the banner of “neutrality,” and what authentic pluralism can look like in action. You’...
For music and performing arts educators striving to create affirming spaces for every student — this episode is for you. Bryan (they/them) sits down with Dr. Justin Caithaml) (they/them), Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Bridgeport, to explore how gender, sexuality, and policy intersect in the music classroom. Together, they unpack how queer educators can balance authenticity, safety, and advocacy — both for themselves and their students. In this episode, you...
This episode is for teachers, school leaders, and DEI facilitators who want to create more inclusive classrooms while navigating fear, burnout, and systemic bias. Bryan (they/them) talks with Sean McGill (he/him) — a Chicago-based educator, anti-bias facilitator, and doctoral researcher — about what it means to teach, train, and show up authentically as a queer man across classrooms, police academies, and digital spaces. Listeners will learn how to: Interrupt bias in real time — even when yo...
This episode is for school librarians, elementary educators, and district leaders who want to create truly inclusive and affirming library spaces—without fear or burnout. Bryan (they/them) sits down with Bec Anderson (they/them), a nonbinary librarian from Kansas, to talk about what “Reading the Rainbow” really means, how librarians can push back against book bans, and why visibility matters in small communities. Key Takeaways: How to build a library collection that mirrors your students’ li...
What does real allyship look like when the stakes are high? In this powerful episode, Bryan (they/them/elle) talks with Françoise Thenoux (she/ella) — also known as @TheWokeSpanishTeacher — about how educators can move from performative allyship to courageous co-conspiracy through inclusive, non-binary Spanish language and classroom practices. 🌈 You’ll hear: How non-binary and gender-neutral Spanish is reshaping classrooms across the AmericasWhy true allyship requires risk, courage, and comm...
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