SPEAKER_00: 200 episodes in?
SPEAKER_00: And this is the question I'm hearing more than ever.
SPEAKER_00: How do I teach inclusively when I'm not sure what I'm allowed to say?
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Teaching While Queer, the podcast that gives LGBTQ educators a place to feel seen, supported, and a little less alone.
SPEAKER_00: So you can show up fully and teach as your authentic self.
SPEAKER_00: Let's get into it.
SPEAKER_00: Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Teaching While Queer.
SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Brian Stanton.
SPEAKER_00: My pronouns are they, them.
SPEAKER_00: And before we get into today's episode, I want to take a moment to acknowledge something really special.
SPEAKER_00: This is our 200th episode of Teaching While Queer.
SPEAKER_00: And I just want to say thank you.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening, for sharing the podcast, for supporting this work, and for continuing to show up for your students and for each other, especially in moments when that isn't easy.
SPEAKER_00: This space exists because of you, because educators are choosing every day to build classrooms rooted in belonging, care, and authenticity, even when the conditions are challenging.
SPEAKER_00: So truly, thank you for being part of this community.
SPEAKER_00: And with that, let's get into today's episode.
SPEAKER_00: In this episode, we will discuss how to teach inclusively in uncertain environments, how to design your classroom so inclusion is built into everyday practice, and how to apply policies consistently so they don't disproportionately target queer students or educators.
SPEAKER_00: You'll walk away with three practical takeaways: simple language shifts you can implement immediately, a framework for adding inclusive content without drawing unnecessary attention, and a strategy for applying rules consistently so your classroom stays equitable and professionally grounded.
SPEAKER_00: Here is the question I keep getting right now.
SPEAKER_00: How do I teach inclusively when I'm not sure what I'm allowed to say?
SPEAKER_00: And it's not being asked hypothetically.
SPEAKER_00: It's not a what-if question.
SPEAKER_00: It's coming from teachers who are in their classrooms every day making real-time decisions about what to include, what to leave out, and what might come back to them later.
SPEAKER_00: So today, I want to walk through what that actually looks like in practice.
SPEAKER_00: Not theory.
SPEAKER_00: Not what we wish schools looked like.
SPEAKER_00: What you can do tomorrow that is inclusive, accurate, and is still grounded in the reality you're working in.
SPEAKER_00: Because before we get into strategy, we have to be honest about the conditions we're teaching in right now.
SPEAKER_00: I'm hearing things like, I had a parent email me because I used the word partner.
SPEAKER_00: Or an admin told me to be mindful, but couldn't explain what that meant.
SPEAKER_00: Or I stopped using a text because I didn't want to deal with the fallout.
SPEAKER_00: That's not abstract.
SPEAKER_00: That's daily decision making.
SPEAKER_00: And what happens over time is that we start editing ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: You skip an example, you redirect a conversation, you decide something isn't worth the risk today.
SPEAKER_00: And I want to pause there for a second because that matters.
SPEAKER_00: That is not a personal failure.
SPEAKER_00: That is a response to pressure.
SPEAKER_00: But those small decisions add up.
SPEAKER_00: Because when we consistently remove people from examples, from language, from curriculum, they disappear.
SPEAKER_00: And we actually have data on that.
SPEAKER_00: Glisten's National Schools Climate Survey shows that when LGBTQ topics are absent or avoided, students report lower levels of belonging and higher levels of harassment.
SPEAKER_00: And they've just come out with a new report, so if you haven't been to Glisson's site to see it, go check out their new National Schools Climate Survey.
SPEAKER_00: This isn't just about representation as a value.
SPEAKER_00: It's about the conditions students need in order to learn.
SPEAKER_00: Belonging impacts attendance, it impacts engagement, it impacts whether students even feel like school is a place for them.
SPEAKER_00: So instead of asking, what am I allowed to say?
SPEAKER_00: I want to shift the question slightly.
SPEAKER_00: How am I designing my classroom?
SPEAKER_00: Because teaching is design.
SPEAKER_00: Every choice you make is a design decision.
SPEAKER_00: The language you use, the examples you bring in, how students participate, what gets normalized, what gets ignored.
SPEAKER_00: That's pedagogy.
SPEAKER_00: And this connects directly to universal design for learning.
SPEAKER_00: We've talked about this before, and for those of you who don't know, this is kind of my area of focus with my research: Universal Design for Learning and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.
SPEAKER_00: UDL reminds us that barriers are not in the learner, they're in the design of the environment.
SPEAKER_00: So if students aren't seeing themselves or don't feel like they belong, that's not accidental.
SPEAKER_00: It's by design.
SPEAKER_00: And I want to be really clear about something here.
SPEAKER_00: This is not about trying to get away with something.
SPEAKER_00: This is about doing your job well.
SPEAKER_00: Because an education that leaves people out is not neutral.
SPEAKER_00: It's incomplete.
SPEAKER_00: Freire talks about this idea that education is never neutral.
SPEAKER_00: It either reinforces systems or it challenges them.
SPEAKER_00: So even when we think we're staying out of it, we're not.
SPEAKER_00: We're making a choice.
SPEAKER_00: So what I want to do is break this down into a few areas where you actually have control.
SPEAKER_00: Your language, your curriculum choices, your design structures.
SPEAKER_00: And I understand that in some places curriculum is dictated, so we'll work as much as we can within the bounds of your system.
SPEAKER_00: And finally, your classroom culture.
SPEAKER_00: Because if you shift those, you're already changing your classroom, whether you ever name it or not.
SPEAKER_00: Let's start with language, because this is the lowest risk, highest impact place to begin.
SPEAKER_00: Language tells students what you assume to be a normal.
SPEAKER_00: So when we say something like, have your mom and dad sign this, it seems neutral.
SPEAKER_00: But for students with two moms, or a student living with a grandparent, or a student in foster care, they now have to translate themselves into your language before they can even complete the task.
SPEAKER_00: That's extra cognitive load that has nothing to do with the learning goal.
SPEAKER_00: UDL talks about reducing unnecessary barriers, and this is one of them.
SPEAKER_00: So instead, you say, have someone at home sign this.
SPEAKER_00: No announcement, no explanation, just access.
SPEAKER_00: Or when you're getting attention and you say, Alright, boys and girls, try alright, everyone.
SPEAKER_00: Or even better, something specific to your space.
SPEAKER_00: Alright, performers, design team, scholars, bring it in.
SPEAKER_00: Now you're not just being inclusive, you're reinforcing identity within your discipline.
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes students will ask about it, why do you say they?
SPEAKER_00: And you don't need a full explanation.
SPEAKER_00: You can just say, I try to use language that includes everyone, and move on.
SPEAKER_00: You're modeling a norm, not opening a debate.
SPEAKER_00: And this aligns with culturally responsive pedagogy.
SPEAKER_00: It asks us to pay attention to whose norms we've been centering without even realizing it.
SPEAKER_00: Language is one of the first places that shows up.
SPEAKER_00: From there, we move into curriculum, which is where people tend to feel more pressure because it feels more visible.
SPEAKER_00: So here's the approach I use.
SPEAKER_00: Add, don't announce.
SPEAKER_00: You don't need to walk in and say, today we're doing an inclusive curriculum.
SPEAKER_00: You just include it.
SPEAKER_00: You choose examples that reflect reality.
SPEAKER_00: You bring in artists, designers, historical figures, scientists, who are not all the same, and you present them as standard, not as an exception.
SPEAKER_00: In theater, this is actually one of the easiest places to do this because queer people have always been part of this field.
SPEAKER_00: So including them isn't political, it's accurate.
SPEAKER_00: If you're teaching design, instead of showing one classic example, you show multiple designers with different aesthetics and identities, and you don't label one as the diverse example, you just present them equally.
SPEAKER_00: If you're teaching acting, you open up casting choices.
SPEAKER_00: Let's explore how this scene shifts depending on who is in the role.
SPEAKER_00: Now you're queering the space through inquiry, not declaration.
SPEAKER_00: And if you're teaching something like history or literature, you include figures who are queer.
SPEAKER_00: But you don't reduce them to that identity.
SPEAKER_00: You present them as full people.
SPEAKER_00: And we know this matters.
SPEAKER_00: Rudine?
SPEAKER_00: Rudine Sims Bishop talks about mirrors and windows.
SPEAKER_00: Students need to see themselves reflected and they need to see others.
SPEAKER_00: That's not an add-on, that's effective teaching.
SPEAKER_00: Then we move into design, which honestly is where you have the most flexibility.
SPEAKER_00: The way your classroom is structured communicates meaning before you even say a word.
SPEAKER_00: What's on your walls?
SPEAKER_00: What examples are consistently showing?
SPEAKER_00: Do students see a range of people, or do they see the same type of person over and over again?
SPEAKER_00: Because students notice patterns.
SPEAKER_00: Think about your assignments.
SPEAKER_00: If every assignment has one correct way to complete it, you're reinforcing a very narrow idea of success.
SPEAKER_00: But if I say, show me what you understand, you can write it, perform it, design it, present it, now you're opening up multiple pathways.
SPEAKER_00: That's straight out of Universal Design for Learning.
SPEAKER_00: Multiple means of action and expression.
SPEAKER_00: Support deeper learning.
SPEAKER_00: And it also matters for students who don't see themselves in traditional structures.
SPEAKER_00: Even something like group work.
SPEAKER_00: Who ends up building?
SPEAKER_00: Who ends up designing costumes?
SPEAKER_00: Who ends up leading?
SPEAKER_00: Who ends up writing everything down?
SPEAKER_00: Are you unintentionally reinforcing gendered expectations?
SPEAKER_00: Or are you rotating roles intentionally?
SPEAKER_00: In theater spaces especially, you can shift this by asking, what role do you want to explore?
SPEAKER_00: Instead of assigning based off assumptions.
SPEAKER_00: But that same question can be asked in any group work for any classroom.
SPEAKER_00: It creates agency, and agency builds belonging.
SPEAKER_00: And when inclusion is built into the structure, it becomes normal.
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't rely on you constantly stepping in.
SPEAKER_00: It's just how the space functions.
SPEAKER_00: Then there's classroom culture, which is where things can escalate quickly if you don't feel prepared.
SPEAKER_00: A student says something harmful, everyone looks at you.
SPEAKER_00: And in that moment, it can feel like you have to respond perfectly.
SPEAKER_00: You don't.
SPEAKER_00: You need to respond consistently.
SPEAKER_00: We're not gonna use that language here.
SPEAKER_00: Let's refocus.
SPEAKER_00: That doesn't align with how you treat each other in this space.
SPEAKER_00: That's it.
SPEAKER_00: Clear, calm, consistent.
SPEAKER_00: You're not debating.
SPEAKER_00: You're not escalating, you're maintaining the environment.
SPEAKER_00: And that's important.
SPEAKER_00: Because trauma-informed practice reminds us that predictability and consistency create safety in learning spaces.
SPEAKER_00: If a student shares something personal, you don't turn it into a lesson.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for sharing that.
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to go into detail.
SPEAKER_00: Let me know how I can support you.
SPEAKER_00: You acknowledge without putting them on display.
SPEAKER_00: And through all of this, your role is not to fix everything.
SPEAKER_00: Your role is to design the environment.
SPEAKER_00: And that brings me to one more piece that I think we need to talk about.
SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes the question isn't just how to include.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the question is what to do when the rules themselves feel targeted.
SPEAKER_00: This is where I want to introduce something I think a lot of educators are already doing, even if we don't always name it.
SPEAKER_00: Strategic compliance.
SPEAKER_00: Some people call it malicious compliance.
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna frame it as applying policies consistently and professionally.
SPEAKER_00: Because if a rule only works when it targets one group, then the issue isn't the group, it's the rule.
SPEAKER_00: So let's say you're told keep personal identity out of the classroom.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, apply that consistently.
SPEAKER_00: No assumptions about heterosexual relationships.
SPEAKER_00: No mom and dad framing, no gendered examples.
SPEAKER_00: You're not removing queerness, you're removing assumptions across the board.
SPEAKER_00: And if someone questions it, you can say, I'm following the policy by avoiding assumptions about students' personal identities in all examples.
SPEAKER_00: That's aligned, that's professional.
SPEAKER_00: Or you're told, stick to the standards.
SPEAKER_00: Great.
SPEAKER_00: Standards don't say only include certain identities.
SPEAKER_00: So you say these materials align with the learning objective and reflect the field accurately.
SPEAKER_00: Again, ground it in your role.
SPEAKER_00: Or you hear keep it appropriate.
SPEAKER_00: Hate that one.
SPEAKER_00: Then define appropriate through consistency.
SPEAKER_00: If relationships are allowed, they're allowed across identities.
SPEAKER_00: If affection is referenced, it's referenced neutrally.
SPEAKER_00: You're not adding anything new, you're applying the same standard to everyone.
SPEAKER_00: And this works because inconsistent enforcement is where bias lives.
SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of research showing that when policies are vague, they tend to be enforced unevenly.
SPEAKER_00: So one of the most effective things you can do is make your practice consistent enough that uneven enforcement becomes visible.
SPEAKER_00: And I want to be clear, this is not about pushing until something breaks.
SPEAKER_00: This is about staying aligned with policy, documenting your decisions, and grounding everything in standards and pedagogy.
SPEAKER_00: Write down your objective, your standard, why you chose the example you chose.
SPEAKER_00: So if something comes back to you, you're not responding emotionally, you're responding professionally.
SPEAKER_00: And this doesn't just protect you, it helps students.
SPEAKER_00: Because when rules are applied consistently, students notice.
SPEAKER_00: They see that the space is fair, they see that no one group is being singled out, and that builds trust.
SPEAKER_00: So if you're sitting there thinking, I want to do this, I just don't know how far I can go, I want to bring it back to something simple.
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to start with everything.
SPEAKER_00: You start with what you can control: your language, your examples, your structures, your responses.
SPEAKER_00: Because those things shape your classroom more than any single lesson ever will.
SPEAKER_00: And over time, those choices build a space where students don't have to question whether they belong.
SPEAKER_00: They just do.
SPEAKER_00: You don't need permission to teach some.
SPEAKER_00: You don't need permission to teach honestly.
SPEAKER_00: You need to be intentional about how you design your space.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining us on this episode of Teaching While Queer.
SPEAKER_00: Please head over to teachingwhilequeer.org to see amazing resources to help you in your educational efforts.
SPEAKER_00: Let's continue working together to create spaces where every student and teacher can see themselves represented and supported.
SPEAKER_00: Until next time, keep advocating, keep celebrating, and keep teaching while queer.