One Teacher in Ten in the New Millennium

Kevin Jennings

Twenty completely new stories of negotiating the triumphs and challenges of being an LGBT educator in the twenty-first century For more than twenty years, the One Teacher in Ten series has served as an invaluable source of strength and inspiration for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender educators. This all-new edition brings together stories from across America-and around the world-resulting in a rich tapestry of varied experiences. From a teacher who feels he must remain closeted in the comparative safety of New York City public schools to teachers who are out in places as far afield as South Africa and China, the teachers and school administrators in One Teacher in Ten in the New Millennium prove that LGBT educators are as diverse and complex as humanity itself. Voices largely absent from the first two editions-including transgender people, people of color, teachers working in rural districts, and educators from outside the United States-feature prominently in this new collection, providing a fuller and deeper understanding of the triumphs and challenges of being an LGBT teacher today.

PrefacePrologue: Forget the RestMzoli: Cape Town, South AfricaPART 1: SIGNS OF CHANGE1. Coming Out for OwenAlan Yount: New York, New York2. Back to SchoolPhilip de Sa e Silva: St. Paul, Minnesota3. Teaching TransRyan Ambuter: Holyoke, Massachusetts4. Everyone Knows NowCarmen Neely: New York, New York5. Just the Normal StuffDeidre Cuffee-Gray: Springfield, Massachusetts6. Yankee in the SouthlandPatty Smith: Petersburg, Virginia7. Saving My VoiceAndrea Fazel: Sacrament, California8. Two Teachers in TwentyElisa Waters and Joey Waters: Long Island, New YorkPART 2: UNEXPECTED JOURNEYS9. A Mother’s JourneySusan Fitzpatrick Radzilowski: Detroit, Michigan10. Gay and Brown in Private SchoolsAshok Reddy: Anytown, California11. Many Strands, One ThreadSteven Benoit: Basking Ridge, New Jersey12. Coming Out at FiftyGarth Zimmermanm: Appleton, Wisconsin13. Finding a Way and Making One: Coming out Brown, Feminist, and QueerIleana Jiménez: New York, New York14. VisibilityErika Cobain: Saratoga, California15. My Story of Self-IdentityMichael Chan: Fuzhou, China16. How Far “Out” Do You Have to Be?Dominique Gerard: Montclair, New JerseyPART 3: THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES17. Teacher of the YearBrett Bigham: Portland, Oregon18. The AdvocateEsih Efuru: Charlotte, North Carolina19. Good Enough?“Mr. G”: Bronx, New York20. There Is Uncertainty, but There Is Also HopeSophie E. Gilbert: Riverdale, California21. Questions to Self: Being a Queer Latino EducatorBenny Vásquez: New York, New York22. We’re Not Nearly ThereDuran Renkema: Rotterdam, HollandEpilogue: Polishing Up Our SchoolsRodney Glasgow: Potomac: Maryland