Chapter 3: (Out)Siders at the Gates: Administrative Aspirants’ Attitudes Towards the Gay Community

It was a typical Tuesday night in Room 107 of the College of Education, one of the oldest buildings on a large university campus in the Midwest. The aspiring school administrators enrolled in the graduate level “Women in Leadership” course were discussing issues surrounding power, oppression, and what it means to live as a member of a marginalized group. Bob, a White male in his 20s entered the conversation by saying,

Wendy, a Black woman in her 40s aspiring to open a charter school answered,

The professor interjected, at this point, her opinion,

Morgan, a White woman in her 30s offered, “What about gays and lesbians?” Before the professor could respond, she noticed that Wendy had crossed her arms on her chest and had a frown on her face. So the professor asked Wendy to explain her body language. Wendy said,