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

“If you can’t teach through the lens of humanity, then what’s the point of the standards? The music won’t mean anything without compassion.”  In this heartfelt episode, Bryan Stanton (they/them) sits down with Ben Wilkinson (he/him) — a music educator, color guard coach, and proud queer teacher from Northern California — to explore how the arts can become a refuge for identity, empathy, and connec...

“Language affects what our brains think is possible — and once kids have the words, their world gets bigger.” For theatre educators, teaching is about more than performance — it’s about creating brave spaces for self-discovery. 🎭 In this episode, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) sits down with Susannah Crowell (they/she) , a nonbinary musical theatre educator, to discuss how theatre classrooms can...

“Theatre is the one place where my students can take off their masks — not put them on. That’s the real performance: being yourself.” n this episode of Teaching While Queer , host Bryan Stanton sits down with Abe Ramirez (he/him) — a high school theatre director in San Antonio — to talk about what it means to create safe, authentic spaces for queer students on and off the stage. Abe opens up about...

“Affirmation is not just saying, ‘I accept you.’ It’s saying, ‘You are beautiful — exactly as you are.’” ⚠️ Content Warning: This episode discusses suicide and mental health within the LGBTQIA+ community. Please listen with care. In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, host Bryan Stanton (he/they) sits down with Dr. Lulu (she/they) — a retired U.S. Air Force pediatrician, TEDx speaker,...

“You can only be your authentic self when you’re safe — but even when you’re not, you can still leave glimpses of your light.”  In this deeply moving episode of Teaching While Queer , host Bryan Stanton (he/they) speaks with Dr. Jimmy Chrismon (he/him) , a theatre education professor at Illinois State University , about navigating faith, fear, and authenticity as a queer educator. Jimmy shares his...

"You don’t have to mine your trauma to make good art. Teach with empathy, but protect your peace.”  In this episode of Teaching While Queer , host Bryan Stanton (he/they) sits down with Michael Musgrave-Perkins (he/him) — theatre department chair at Grand Center Arts Academy in St. Louis, Missouri — for an honest and insightful conversation about growing up gay in the Midwest, surviving being...

What does it mean to teach while queer in a country where inclusion and resistance collide? In this premiere episode, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) travels across the Atlantic to speak with Romain about teaching languages and advocating for inclusion in France. Together they reflect on growing up queer in a small town, finding love and security early in life, and how recent political movements in...

Welcome to Teaching While Queer . I’m your host, Bryan Stanton (he/they) , a queer theatre educator in San Antonio, Texas. This podcast was born from a simple truth — that LGBTQIA+ educators need space to share our stories, celebrate our resilience, and learn from one another. In this very first episode, I open up about my own journey — from being outed at thirteen to becoming a visible queer educ...