"Very Simple. I Just Don't Lie": The Role of Honesty in Black Lesbian K-12 Teachers' Experiences in the U.S. Southeast

Department

Secondary and Middle Grades Education

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-10-2016

Abstract

I conducted semi-structured interviews with eight self-identified Black lesbian classroom teachers. Seven participants taught in three districts in the same large metropolitan area in the U.S. Southeast; one participant taught in a smaller city in a bordering state. In response to the vague prompt to describe the intersections between their sexuality and their schooling experiences as a teacher, every participant spoke explicitly about her unwillingness to lie about her sexuality if asked. In this article, I argue that honesty is a critical component of Black women's experiences, the necessity of which can be tied to womanism.

Journal Title

Journal of Lesbian Studies

Journal ISSN

1540-3548

First Page

1

Last Page

16

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1080/10894160.2016.1165041

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