Queering Education: LGBTQ+ Inclusive Teaching, Queer Pedagogy, and Real Classroom Practice

Bryan Stanton sits down with New Jersey educator and advocate Steve Koumoulis to explore what LGBTQ inclusive teaching actually looks like in everyday classrooms. From queer history to curriculum design, this conversation offers practical ideas for educators who want to create more inclusive classrooms through authentic storytelling rather than token representation. Steve shares his work helping b...

Daniel “Dan Dan” Clark joins Queering Education live from the NJEA Carol Watchler LGBTQIA+ Advocacy Conference to discuss LGBTQ-inclusive teaching, school counseling, and creating truly inclusive classrooms where students feel seen, supported, and safe. As an openly queer school counselor, Daniel shares how visibility, authenticity, and relationship-building can transform a student's experien...

How can LGBTQ-inclusive teaching and queer pedagogy help students find their voice? In this episode of Queering Education , Bryan Stanton sits down with dance educator Micah Gary-Fryer to explore how movement, social justice, and arts education create more inclusive classrooms where students feel seen, valued, and empowered.  Drawing from more than two decades in education and the performing arts,...

For decades, Carol Watchler has been at the forefront of LGBTQ education advocacy, helping educators create more inclusive classrooms while navigating shifting political climates. In this conversation, she reflects on the history of queer pedagogy, LGBTQ-inclusive teaching, and the power of community in sustaining educators through challenging times. Drawing on years of experience with the New Jer...

What does it mean to be the teacher you needed when you were young? In this episode of Queering Education , Bryan Stanton talks with educator and author Joe Chianakas about LGBTQ inclusive teaching, queer visibility, and why representation remains essential in both K–12 and higher education. Drawing on more than 25 years in education, Joe reflects on his journey from a closeted high school teacher...

When we talk about LGBTQ inclusive teaching, many educators assume meaningful support requires a major initiative. Sue Granzella’s story suggests something different: inclusive classrooms are often built through small, visible acts of care, consistency, and courage. In this conversation, we explore queer pedagogy, classroom inclusion, allyship, and what educators can do to better support LGBTQ stu...

Host Bryan Stanton (they/them) sits down with agender educator, sj Miller (none) to discuss ways to support students navigating their identities and socialization. This episode dives into LGBTQ inclusive teaching, queer pedagogy, and the realities of building inclusive classrooms in today’s policy climate. Through lived experience and classroom practice, we explore what it actually means to show u...

What does LGBTQ inclusive teaching actually look like in real classrooms—not theory, not policy, but day-to-day practice? This episode explores how queer pedagogy and inclusive teaching show up through kindness, boundaries, and honest conversations with students. Bryan Stanton sits down with educator Christian Shearhod to talk about what it means to create inclusive classrooms in a time when even...

What does LGBTQ inclusive teaching actually look like beyond posters and policies? This episode digs into the real work of building inclusive classrooms through queer pedagogy, lived experience, and practical strategies educators can use right now. Bryan sits down with Shelby Hall Denney from PFLAG NYC’s Safe Schools program to unpack what it means to move from performative allyship to meaningful...

This episode dives into LGBTQ inclusive teaching , queer pedagogy , and what it really means to create inclusive classrooms —not through curriculum alone, but through presence. Featuring trans educator Hill Werth, this conversation explores how identity, visibility, and authenticity shape student experiences in powerful ways. We get into the realities of teaching while trans, navigating different...

In this episode of Queering Education, Bryan Stanton (they/them) sits down with Emilia (she/her), a graduate teaching assistant and first-year PhD student at the University of California Davis, to talk about discovering your teaching identity while navigating queerness, accessibility, and classroom culture. Emilia reflects on her journey from the U.S. South to a more affirming academic space, and...

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, o...

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...

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 evol...

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...

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 l...

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...

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 m...

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...

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...

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, thi...

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 part...

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...

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 t...

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. Wa...