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

Bryan Stanton
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Queering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast about LGBTQ inclusive teaching, queer pedagogy, and building authentic, affirming classrooms. Hosted by Bryan Stanton, the show offers practical strategies for educators navigating real challenges in today’s classrooms—connecting theory to practice through conversations, storytelling, and actionable tools.. Each episode centers the lived experiences of queer educators and how they show up for their students, even in systems that weren’t built for them. Whether you’re a K–12 teacher, higher education faculty member, or school leader, you’ll find actionable ways to create affirming learning environments for LGBTQ students and beyond. Through solo episodes and conversations with educators, researchers, and advocates, Queering Education connects theory to practice—covering topics like queer curriculum, equity in education, classroom culture, and navigating policy and resistance in schools. If you’re asking:  How do I support LGBTQ students right now?  What does inclusive teaching actually look like in practice?  How do I show up authentically as an educator?  You’re in the right place. This is Queering Education, a Teaching While Queer podcast.

  1. 3d ago

    Who is AI Really Built For? Queering Technology | Ep. 223 (with Raj Korpan)

    What happens when we stop treating technology as neutral and start asking who it was actually built to serve? In this episode, Bryan sits down with Raj Korpan, an assistant professor of computer science at Hunter College, to explore the intersection of queer identity, education, artificial intelligence, and technology ethics. Raj shares how he encourages computer science students to question the defaults built into technology, connect their identities and communities to what they create, and consider the human consequences of even seemingly small design decisions. Their conversation moves beyond the simple question of whether educators and students should use AI. Instead, Raj offers a more nuanced approach: start with the learning goal, understand what students actually need to learn, and then decide whether AI has a useful role. He also shares his research with LGBTQ+ communities around AI and robot companions, including what queer participants actually want from these technologies—and what they decidedly do not. In this episode, you will: Explore how educators can move beyond blanket AI bans and help students make intentional, transparent choices about when and why they use generative AI.Examine how bias in large language models can reproduce stereotypes about queer identities, families, pronouns, and lived experiences—and why learning to audit these systems matters.Discover what Raj's research with LGBTQ+ participants reveals about designing technology around real community needs rather than assuming one tool can serve everyone.This conversation invites educators to approach AI with curiosity without abandoning critical thinking. Queering education means questioning defaults, noticing who is missing, and imagining what we might build differently when marginalized communities have a meaningful role in shaping technology. Raj reminds us that queer communities have always created spaces, families, and systems of support for ourselves—and that same imagination can help us rethink the technologies entering our classrooms and our lives. Support the show Queering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices. This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community. Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me. Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen. Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education

  2. Sep 24

    What If the Classroom Is the Problem? What Queering Systems Looks Like | Ep. 222 (with Rutvik Sanke)

    What happens when education moves beyond textbooks, fixed classrooms, and predetermined paths? In this episode of Queering Education, Bryan Stanton sits down with architect, educator, and self-described queer nomad Rutvik Sanke to explore how identity, architecture, community, and indigenous ways of knowing can reshape the way we think about teaching and learning. Rutvik reflects on their experiences within education in India, from rigid academic structures to learning environments rooted in curiosity, movement, performance, craft, and community. They share why they resist scripted classrooms, how their queer identity naturally informs their teaching practice, and why education should prepare students not only for a profession, but also for meaningful participation in the communities around them. In this episode, you will: Explore how Rutvik uses architecture, textiles, performance, and community-based learning to challenge traditional ideas of what a classroom should be.Consider how simply showing up as an openly queer educator can influence pedagogy, relationships, and the sense of safety students experience.Learn why Rutvik believes education should be collaborative, evolving, and connected to the real needs of students and their communities.The conversation also examines dignity for educators, the limitations of institutional systems, the value of indigenous knowledge, and the importance of maintaining relationships with students long after they leave the classroom. At its heart, this episode invites us to reconsider where learning happens, who gets to define it, and what becomes possible when educators allow curiosity, identity, and community to become part of the curriculum. Support the show Queering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices. This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community. Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me. Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen. Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education

  3. Sep 17

    I Am Not Hiding Who I Am: Teaching, Drag, and the Right to Be Visible | Ep. 221 (with Sarabijit aka Kween Mallika)

    Sarabjit “Sam” is an educator, trained pharmacist, classically trained dancer, and drag performer whose work brings together teaching, South Asian culture, queerness, and performance. In this conversation, Sam shares how bringing drag and culturally specific workshops into schools helped them recognize the power of representation—and ultimately helped lead them toward becoming a licensed teacher in Canada.  Sam and Bryan also dig into what happens when educators are expected to separate their professional identities from the rest of their lives. From being asked whether they would hide their public drag profile during a teaching practicum to creating boundaries with students and bringing queer cultural history into the classroom, Sam makes a clear distinction between professionalism and erasing who you are.  In this episode, you will: Explore how Sam’s experiences as a South Asian drag performer working with students shaped their decision to pursue teaching and become the representation they rarely saw in schools. Hear how Sam responded when their public drag identity became an issue during teacher training and why they refused to hide a legitimate part of their life and work. Consider how queer educators can maintain professional boundaries while still showing up authentically, from social media and performance to helping students understand the queer and trans histories behind the language they use. Sam’s story reminds us that queering education isn’t about asking educators to leave pieces of themselves outside the classroom. It is about creating schools where students and teachers can encounter fuller possibilities for who they are allowed to become—and where representation, boundaries, culture, and joy can exist alongside one another. Support the show Queering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices. This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community. Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me. Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen. Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education

  4. Sep 10

    A Pride Flag Isn’t Enough Here's What Queer Students Actually Need | Ep. 220 (with Zsofia Leary)

    Zsofia Leary knows what it means to move through a school system where queer identities are rarely acknowledged—and what it can mean when educators choose to create something different. An MPA student at NYU Wagner, advocate, former music teacher, and queer person raised in Indiana, Zsofia joins Bryan to talk about the connection between education policy, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and the everyday choices that help students feel safe and seen.  Their conversation explores the difference between visible signs of support and meaningful allyship, including why a Pride flag or inclusive book is only a beginning. Zsofia also shares insights from research with LGBTQ+ people who attended high school in Indiana, reflects on navigating restrictive education policies, and discusses the importance of community, cultural humility, and listening to what marginalized students actually say they need.  In this episode, you will: Explore why meaningful allyship requires action beyond symbols of inclusion, especially when students experience bullying, misgendering, or exclusion. Understand how restrictive education policies and school culture can shape queer students’ sense of safety, belonging, and representation. Consider how educators can build community by listening to marginalized students, intervening in harmful moments, and recognizing the impact even one supportive adult can have. Zsofia’s reminder that educators “have more impact than you think” speaks directly to the work of Queering Education: building schools where care, affirmation, and belonging are practiced rather than simply promised. This conversation invites educators to consider the choices they make each day—and how those choices can help a student know they are not alone. Support the show Queering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices. This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community. Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me. Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen. Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education

  5. Sep 3

    Scotland Put LGBTQ+ Inclusion Into Every Subject. Here’s What Happened | Ep. 219 (with Darek Ciszek)

    Tomorrow on Queering Education, Bryan Stanton sits down with Darek Ciszek, a former middle school teacher and UCLA researcher whose dissertation examines LGBTQ-inclusive education in Scotland. After watching anti-LGBTQ+ education policies spread in the United States, Darek went looking for a different model. He found one in Scotland, where LGBTQ+ inclusion has been integrated across curriculum, grade levels, and subject areas—with implementation support to help educators actually put policy into practice.  From two dads appearing naturally in a math problem to queer historical figures being incorporated into existing lessons, Darek explains why representation doesn’t always need a special month, designated bookshelf, or standalone lesson. Sometimes the most powerful inclusion happens when queer people are simply part of the everyday curriculum. Bryan and Darek also explore gender stereotypes, student wellbeing, LGBTQ+ books in school libraries, teacher professional development, and what American educators can learn from Scotland’s approach. And for educators wondering where to begin, Darek offers a powerful reminder: meaningful change doesn’t have to start with rebuilding your entire curriculum. It can begin by connecting LGBTQ+ inclusion to the lessons, frameworks, and knowledge students already have. What could education look like if LGBTQ+ students didn’t have to wait for Pride Month to see themselves represented? Support the show Queering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices. This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community. Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me. Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen. Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education

  6. Aug 27

    Let's Talk About Sex(Ed), Baby! Queering Sexual Education | Ep. 218 (with Dr. Shanéa Thomas)

    Tomorrow on Queering Education, Bryan Stanton sits down with Dr. Shanéa Thomas—a social worker, sexuality educator, educator, grief counselor, death doula, and Black queer nonbinary parent—for a conversation about what it really means to teach gender and sexuality inclusively. Dr. Thomas challenges the idea that queer and trans identities are exceptions we need to explain. Instead, what if we started with the understanding that all of us exist somewhere on spectrums of gender, sexuality, attraction, and identity—and that those things can change throughout our lives? Together, Bryan and Shanéa unpack how gender socialization begins before children can even speak, why traditional sex education so often fails young people, what accessible and inclusive sexuality education can look like, and why parents need to get comfortable having conversations about bodies, identity, attraction, and consent. They also talk about queer parenting, disability justice, code-switching, organizational responsibility, burnout among queer and trans service providers, and Shanéa’s work exploring how institutions can better care for the people doing this work. And through it all comes one powerful reminder: queer people have been here for eons. We may have to change how we move through the world, but we are not going anywhere. Resources: Cory Silverberg Books: What Makes a Baby, Sex is a Funny Word, You Know, Sex.  Connect with Dr. Thomas LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook Support the show Queering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices. This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community. Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me. Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen. Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education

  7. Aug 20

    When Others Pulled Back, We Pushed Forward Protecting Queer Studies in Higher Ed | Ep. 217 (with Matt Brim)

    What does it look like to keep doing queer and trans work in education when funding is disappearing, scholars are feeling pressure to hide what they study, and institutions are starting to pull back? Matt Brim joins me to talk about queer studies, higher education, and the work of creating space for LGBTQ+ research and scholarship. Matt is a professor of queer studies at the College of Staten Island and the executive director of CLAGS, the Center for LGBTQ Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center.  We talk about how Matt found his way from American literature and James Baldwin into queer studies, what the academic job market actually looks like, and why unionized higher education has made such a difference in his own career. We also get into the work CLAGS is doing to support emerging scholars through conferences, fellowships, research opportunities, and its advanced certificate in LGBTQ studies. And, because this is the reality right now, we talk about funding cuts, pressure on queer and trans research, and how educators and organizations can keep building community without pretending there is one right way to respond. In this conversation:  How Matt found his way into queer studies  The reality of the tenure-track academic job market  How CLAGS supports LGBTQ+ research and emerging scholars  What funding cuts are doing to queer organizations and researchers  Why collaboration and small donations matter  How educators can stay connected while making choices that fit their own circumstances If you’re an educator trying to figure out how to keep doing meaningful work while also thinking about safety, visibility, and community, this conversation is for you. Listen to the full episode of Queering Education and share it with someone who should be part of the conversation. Support the show Queering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices. This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community. Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me. Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen. Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education

  8. Aug 13

    Three Teachers Reported a T-Shirt And Students Weren't Present | Ep. 216 (with Alex Holdford)

    Three teachers reported a T-shirt. There weren't even students in the building. That moment became one of many reminders that for nonbinary special education teacher Alex Holdford, visibility at work isn't just personal. It's political. Alex joins Bryan Stanton to share what it's like teaching in a self-contained special education classroom while navigating increasingly restrictive policies in Texas. From wearing subtle nonbinary symbols to building trust with students who communicate differently, Alex explains how authenticity, community, and compassion can coexist even when systems make them difficult. The conversation moves beyond one controversial shirt to explore why special education requires deep relationships, why students know when they're truly safe, and how queer educators continue finding ways to support children without losing themselves in the process. In this conversation:  Why three teachers reported a T-shirt during an in-service day with no students present  Navigating life as a nonbinary educator under changing Texas policies  Why Alex believes special education can be one of the safest places for queer educators  Helping students build communication instead of simply managing behavior  Local LGBTQ+ organizations creating belonging beyond the classroom  Why educators need boundaries that protect their joy Whether you teach special education, work alongside LGBTQ+ students, or simply believe every educator deserves to show up authentically, this conversation is a reminder that visibility doesn't always look loud. Sometimes it looks like a lanyard, a coffee cup, or a T-shirt. Listen, follow, and share this episode with an educator who needs the reminder that they're not alone. Support the show Queering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices. This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community. Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me. Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen. Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education

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Queering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast about LGBTQ inclusive teaching, queer pedagogy, and building authentic, affirming classrooms. Hosted by Bryan Stanton, the show offers practical strategies for educators navigating real challenges in today’s classrooms—connecting theory to practice through conversations, storytelling, and actionable tools.. Each episode centers the lived experiences of queer educators and how they show up for their students, even in systems that weren’t built for them. Whether you’re a K–12 teacher, higher education faculty member, or school leader, you’ll find actionable ways to create affirming learning environments for LGBTQ students and beyond. Through solo episodes and conversations with educators, researchers, and advocates, Queering Education connects theory to practice—covering topics like queer curriculum, equity in education, classroom culture, and navigating policy and resistance in schools. If you’re asking:  How do I support LGBTQ students right now?  What does inclusive teaching actually look like in practice?  How do I show up authentically as an educator?  You’re in the right place. This is Queering Education, a Teaching While Queer podcast.

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