Teaching While Queer: Advocacy, Community, and Resources for LGBTQ+ Educators.

They called him a danger just for existing as a gay teacher—then they went after his students.

In this powerful replay, Kentucky Teacher of the Year Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. shares his story of being relentlessly targeted by groups like Moms for Liberty and the systemic failures that put queer teachers and students at risk. From book bans and “parental rights” laws to death threats and harassment of LGBTQ+ youth, Willie e...

Queer teachers face double scrutiny—and yet our visibility can be the lifeline students need.

In this conversation, Spanish teacher Timothy Chavez (@CommunicativeTeacher418) shares what it means to bring queerness into the classroom—not as a lesson plan, but as a lived truth. With over a decade in education, Timothy opens up about navigating scrutiny, reclaiming inclusive language in Spanish, and the quiet resistance of simply e...

Self-care isn’t bubble baths — for queer teachers, it’s survival in a world trying to push us out of classrooms.

In this solo episode of Teaching While Queer, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) lays out what authentic, practical self-care looks like for LGBTQ+ educators navigating burnout, political attacks, and the daily emotional labor of being visible in schools.

You’ll learn:

• Six concrete self-care strategies queer teache...

Celebration is advocacy—and when queer educators gather, we refuse to be erased. In this solo episode, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) shares everything you need to know about the upcoming Teaching While Queer Queer Educators Conference 2025, happening October 11th, National Coming Out Day.

This isn’t just another professional development event—it’s a day of community, courage, and celebration where queer teachers, allies, and ad...

Queer educators are not just teaching the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—they’re living it, every time they step into the classroom.

This episode is for every teacher who’s ever asked, “How do I teach justice when my own visibility feels at risk?”

We dive into the power of teaching the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) through a queer lens. This episode explores how LGBTQ+ teachers bring human rights to life...

“If we don’t tell queer history, students grow up with fake education—and fake history is the foundation of oppression.”

In this episode, Robert Keston, President & CEO of the Stonewall National Museum Archives & Library in Fort Lauderdale, shares how queer educators can resist erasure and fight for visibility in schools. From his activism during the AIDS crisis to leading one of the largest LGBTQ+ archives in the U.S., ...

Sometimes the most impactful lessons happen far from a traditional classroom. In this conversation, comedian, writer, and educator Tim Murray shares what it’s like teaching improv and stand-up comedy inside rehab facilities — from working with queer teens navigating anxiety and identity to setting boundaries with adults.

We talk about what authenticity really means for LGBTQ+ teachers, why joy and comedy are critical tools for c...

“You don’t have to be perfect to be inclusive—just keep trying, keep listening, and keep loving your students fiercely.”

Back-to-school season is here, and for queer teachers, the first weeks can feel like both an opportunity and a battleground. In this episode of Teaching While Queer, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) shares proven strategies to create a classroom where every LGBTQ+ student—and every teacher—can show up as their f...

Queerness isn’t just what we are—it’s how we teach, breathe, and survive, even when the world tries to shut us down.

In this solo recap, Bryan Stanton (they/them) unpacks Maya Gonzalez’s transformative approach to education, creativity, and queer resilience—rooted in four decades of lived experience as a queer femme artist, educator, and creator of the Gender Wheel. Whether you’re a queer teacher, LGBTQ+ ally, or navigating push...

“I’m a queer educator who teaches queerly about queer stuff—everything is queer-focused for me.”

How do you bring your whole queer self into teaching when schools still expect you to hide? In this episode, Maya Gonzalez—pioneering queer children’s book author and creator of the Gender Wheel—reveals what it means to be deeply, unapologetically queer as an educator. Drawing from decades of living and teaching in the LGBTQ+ communi...

“If other teachers get to do it, why can’t I?”

Band director Rachel Colby lives this question every day as a proudly out bisexual teacher in rural Virginia. In this episode, we dive deep into the joys and risks of LGBTQ+ visibility in schools, the daily dance between honesty and self-protection, and why setting boundaries with students is an act of love—not fear.

You’ll hear:

• The real stories behind being the “first” out q...

"If other teachers can show off their families, why can’t I have a photo of my wife on my desk?"

What does authentic queer visibility really look like in schools where “everyone is welcome” can spark controversy? In this candid conversation, bisexual band director Rachel Colby shares the real-life highs and lows of being out as an LGBTQ+ teacher in rural Southwestern Virginia. We dive into the quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) ...

“If we’re surpassing the safety of children to satisfy community attitudes, then we’re failing—period.”

This episode of Teaching While Queer dives deep into the lived realities of queer teachers and LGBTQ+ allies fighting for truly inclusive schools in 2025. Drawing on Bryan’s conversation with Josh Qua, a queer educator and special education coordinator in New Orleans, we tackle the urgent need for radical empathy, queer visibi...

If you’re more uncomfortable with two dads at Pride than with hate signs outside a school, you’re missing the real danger for queer kids.

In this raw, urgent episode, two LGBTQ+ educators pull back the curtain on the real cost of “otherness” in America’s classrooms. We go deep on how queer teachers navigate the Bible Belt, what happens when mentioning LGBTQ+ even gets banned, and why true inclusion means more than a rainbow stic...

“Our presence in the classroom is revolutionary, even if all you do is show up with your nails painted.”

In this powerful episode, we dive deep with Lisa Salvador (she/they) and Dr. Fran McLean (she/they), two out queer educators whose work in graduate mental health programs is shaking up what it means to be visible, caring, and unapologetically themselves in higher ed.

Join us as we unpack why queer teachers and LGBTQ+ e...

“I didn’t always get the lesbian nod—but I’ve always been a queer teacher.”

In this heartfelt Pride Month conversation, Brian sits down with Fran McClain and Lisa Salvadore—partners in life and the classroom—to explore how their queerness shapes their work in higher education, mental health, and sex education.

This episode is for every LGBTQ+ teacher who's ever felt unseen, every student who needs a role model, and every ally...

Pre-compliance is the quiet killer of queer visibility in schools—don’t hand them your silence.

In this charged episode, we unpack three major 2025 court rulings—from the U.S. to the U.K.—and what they do and don’t mean for LGBTQ+ teachers. If you’re feeling pressure to erase queer content, change your classroom, or withdraw support for trans students, stop. You are not alone—and you're likely still protected.

This episode is...

“We eloped because we were scared—scared of what would happen when the new administration took over.”

In this powerful follow-up, queer Latina art teacher Sharon Tang returns to share the deeply personal and undeniably political story behind her marriage, her homeownership journey, and the emotional toll of teaching during a time of cultural crisis. From zine-making as resistance to students healing through embroidery, Sharon sh...

Your authenticity is not small—it’s a radical act of defiance.

In this heartfelt solo episode, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) reflects on five transformative lessons from their conversation with queer icon Jeffrey Marsh. Together, they explore what it means to teach with joy, show the seams of your process, and create classrooms that radically affirm LGBTQ+ identity. For queer educators and LGBTQ+ teachers navigating visibility,...