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Lesbian Teachers Walking the Line between Inclusion and Exposure
Author(s) -
McKenzieBassant Claudette
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
international journal of art and design education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.312
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1476-8070
pISSN - 1476-8062
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-8070.2007.00510.x
Subject(s) - lesbian , inclusion (mineral) , silence , heterosexism , natural (archaeology) , homosexuality , gender studies , anecdote , sociology , pedagogy , sexual identity , heterosexuality , hegemony , human sexuality , aesthetics , political science , art , politics , archaeology , law , history
In this article it is argued that the effects of an education system that normalises and perpetuates heterosexuality as natural, by positioning lesbian and gay teachers as the ‘natural others’, reduces attempts at equitable visibility through inclusive practice to marginalised silence. Manifestations of the pressure on lesbian and gay teachers to provide evidence of heterosexual credentials as forms of currency for social inclusion are explored through anecdote and artwork. The question of ‘coming out’ as a necessary part of inclusive pedagogy is challenged as the sole means through which heterosexist hegemony may be unsettled as attempts are made to achieve broader inclusiveness in formal institutions of learning.