Sex and the Teacher: Should We Come Out in Class?

Abstract

In this article, Didi Khayatt, a tenured faculty member and a lesbian, describes her own struggles with the question of coming out to her students by making a declarative statement, such as "I am a lesbian." She questions whether that is the only way to come out or be out as a teacher. Using stories and anecdotes to highlight the complicated assumptions and issues surrounding any decision regarding the disclosure of such personal information, Khayatt explores the questions arising from the notion of what it means to come out in class, the internal and external pressures on teacher to come out to their students, and the implications, both political and pedagogical, that sexual orientation disclosures invoke. Her very personal and powerful self-evaluation provides a framework in which others who are faced with making these complicated decisions can find their own answer to the question, "Should I come out in class?"