Chapter 37: Queers are Pioneers: Keeping an Open Mind About Education

Dear Friends,

This is not really a letter, nor is it a litany of advice or a lament about the past. Rather, this is a brief and open reflection on my experience as a teacher who is also queer, addressed to those of you who are considering a career in education.

From my own perspective, I became an educator almost by accident. After completing an honors degree, a former lecturer walked into the department store where I worked and asked me to teach a tutorial for her the following day. Up until that moment, I had never considered myself a teacher and had little idea of the challenges and rewards that a career in this area might entail. Nor did I think at the time that my sexuality would be an issue.