The Gay Teachers Lounge

What happens when music education is built around gender instead of students' voices? In this episode of The Gay Teacher's Lounge , I sit down with AJ, a public school music coach, to talk about the hidden ways gender norms shape music education. We discuss: Why so many school choirs are divided by gender instead of vocal range The challenges faced by students whose voices don't fit traditional ex...

In this episode, I sit down with Sean, a veteran high school English teacher and union leader with over 23 years of teaching experience in public education, to talk about the changing culture of schools, literature, DEI, parent pushback, gender dynamics in teaching, and what students really need from educators today. We discuss everything from teaching Shakespeare and Elie Wiesel’s Night to the ri...

What really pushes a teacher to leave the classroom? In this episode I sat down with Keira, a nonbinary lesbian, who formerly taught elementary school in Texas for 8 years. They navigated constant school changes, grade-level shifts, and increasingly toxic work environments. From teaching Pre-K to 5th grade, their experience reveals what instability in education actually looks like behind the scene...

If this episode meant something to you, the best way to support the podcast right now is by buying me a $5 coffee— https://buymeacoffee.com/thegayteacherslounge It genuinely helps me keep this going. In today’s episode, we have an honest and unfiltered conversation about what it really means to be a teacher right now. From the moments that make the job deeply meaningful to the ones that leave a la...

Today, I am sitting down with a high school English teacher who is navigating what it means to be openly queer in the classroom today. He shares what it felt like when students told him he was the first gay person they had ever met, and the unexpected responsibility that comes with being visible for young people who may have never seen queer adults in their lives. But visibility also comes with ch...

Tina, a special education elementary school teacher in the south is my guest today! At 21 years old, fresh out of college, she was asked a simple question by a seventh grader: “Do you listen to Girl in Red?” In that split second, she had to decide whether she was going to out herself to an entire classroom. She said yes — and from that moment on, she became “the gay teacher.” In this episode, we t...

In this episode, I’m joined by Alex, a lesbian band teacher in Texas, for an honest conversation about teaching while queer in a political climate that often feels hostile to both educators and LGBTQ+ people. Alex talks about what it means to love and care for students who may not accept her if they knew she’s married to a woman, how she navigates visibility and safety in her school, and the quiet...

Noah, a third-year PE teacher at a large elementary school with nearly 1,000 students, discusses his experiences teaching. We talk about intense workloads and the all-too-common exhaustion of the profession. We talk about Gen Alpha, class sizes, students' SEL, and so much more. Grab a chair and get comfy in the Gay Teachers Lounge with us. Books that were mentioned: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hu...

Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast Content note: This episode includes a story about transphobic language used by a colleague while discussing a transgender character on television. The language is censored. Triggering content timestamps: 14:52–16:36 Bex, a non-binary, transmasc kindergarten teacher, shares their journey of realizing the importance of being out...

Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast . Gabi is a kindergarten teacher with 7 years of experience in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community. Gabi and I discussed her identity as a proud, out, queer educator and her commitment to creating an inclusive learning space for her students and their families. Our conversation explored how Gabi navigates cultural conf...

Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast Today's guest is Josie, a 7th-grade teacher and transgender woman. We discuss her path into education and her journey of self-discovery. After six years in the museum field and some encouragement from her wife during the pandemic, Josie became a middle school teacher — and she’s now five years in, thriving in a supportive, acce...

Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast Rachel, a veteran high school art teacher, discusses her teaching experience in a Title I school and her journey of embodying a more masculine presentation through her hair cut and personal style. She shared insights about her classroom environment, dress code experiences, and wearing clothing that aligns with her unique style...

Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast Gabrielle is a former 5th grade teacher in Illinois who spent the first two years of her career teaching at a Catholic school and transitioned to a public school for another four years. We shared about ups and downs in our teaching careers and we spoke about internalized homophobia. Gabrielle now runs her own Queer Wedding Plan...

Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast Haley is a Midwest, lesbian, kindergarten teacher in her sixth year, and is pursuing her second master's degree in early education, policy, and leadership. She plans on becoming a principal and creating a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ educators. Let's celebrate her goal! We discussed the challenging beginnings of her te...

Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast Lindsay is a rare guest on this podcast! She is not a K-12 educator, but I wanted to have her on because I believe that queer educators need to take the best care of themselves and need to learn helpful tools to use to do that. When I started teaching in South Korea years ago, I would have never thought that during my 3rd year...

Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast This interview was conducted on August 5, 2025 and published on September 1, 2025. Yes, it takes me a long, long time to edit these episodes because I am learning as I go. Dallas, an old friend of mine from our days of teaching English in South Korea is my guest today! She is a Canadian elementary school teacher with 13-years'...

Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast Becky, a high school math teacher with 21 years of teaching experience and National Board Certification, shares her journey of being a lesbian teacher in Texas. Talk about a rough time to be gay in Texas. Politicians are hitting education hard with crap policies and prejudiced legislation aimed at the most vulnerable in society...

Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast I recommend that queer educators get involved with GLSN! Why not? Power in numbers. https://www.glsen.org/ All of us have been in situations where we have been confronted by bigots and other hurtful people in our schools. Sometimes the most hurtful people are "allies" who unintentionally dismiss what we are experiencing and adv...