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

Episoder

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  Why Representation in Libraries Can Change a Child's Life | Ep. 213 (with Hunter) 23.07.2026 11min

  A library can be more than a place to borrow books. For many young people, it can be the first place they truly see themselves. Future librarian Hunter shares why they chose librarianship after originally planning to become a social justice lawyer and explains how inclusive library collections can help children, teens, and families feel represented. Drawing from their own experiences as a queer immigrant and person of color, Hunter reflects on the importance of finding characters who mirror y...
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  "You're Kind of My Father Figure." The Moment One Student Changed Everything | Ep. 212 (with Stephan Hoda) 16.07.2026 45min

  A welcoming classroom doesn't happen by accident. It grows from the choices educators make every day about representation, belonging, and whose stories deserve to be told. Seventh grade science teacher Stephan Hoda joins Bryan Stanton to talk about creating affirming classrooms where queer students feel seen while every student benefits. From teaching mythology through a more inclusive lens to advising a middle school Queer Student Alliance, Stephan reflects on how curriculum, history, and au...
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  How Educators Can Integrate LGBTQ History and Inclusive Teaching into Any Classroom | Ep. 211 (with Steve Koumoulis) 09.07.2026 12min

  Bryan Stanton sits down with New Jersey educator and advocate Steve Koumoulis to explore what LGBTQ inclusive teaching actually looks like in everyday classrooms. From queer history to curriculum design, this conversation offers practical ideas for educators who want to create more inclusive classrooms through authentic storytelling rather than token representation. Steve shares his work helping bring New Jersey's LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum mandate to life, discusses founding one of his schoo...
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  A Queer School Counselor on LGBTQ Student Support | Ep. 210 (with Daniel Clark) 02.07.2026 14min

  Daniel “Dan Dan” Clark joins Queering Education live from the NJEA Carol Watchler LGBTQIA+ Advocacy Conference to discuss LGBTQ-inclusive teaching, school counseling, and creating truly inclusive classrooms where students feel seen, supported, and safe. As an openly queer school counselor, Daniel shares how visibility, authenticity, and relationship-building can transform a student's experience in school. From discovering his path into school counseling to navigating today's political climate...
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  Using Dance and Social Justice to Create Queer Inclusive Classrooms | Ep. 209 (with Micah Gary-Fryer) 25.06.2026 15min

  How can LGBTQ-inclusive teaching and queer pedagogy help students find their voice? In this episode of Queering Education, Bryan Stanton sits down with dance educator Micah Gary-Fryer to explore how movement, social justice, and arts education create more inclusive classrooms where students feel seen, valued, and empowered. Drawing from more than two decades in education and the performing arts, Micah shares how dance can become a powerful tool for student expression, body confidence, c...
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  The Attacks Are Different. The Playbook Isn’t. What LGBTQ Educators Need to Know | Ep. 208 (with Carol Watchler) 18.06.2026 12min

  For decades, Carol Watchler has been at the forefront of LGBTQ education advocacy, helping educators create more inclusive classrooms while navigating shifting political climates. In this conversation, she reflects on the history of queer pedagogy, LGBTQ-inclusive teaching, and the power of community in sustaining educators through challenging times. Drawing on years of experience with the New Jersey Education Association, the NEA LGBTQ+ Caucus, and statewide advocacy efforts, Carol shares pr...
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  I Became the Teacher I Never Saw | Ep. 207 (with Joe Chianakas) 11.06.2026 47min

  What does it mean to be the teacher you needed when you were young? In this episode of Queering Education, Bryan Stanton talks with educator and author Joe Chianakas about LGBTQ inclusive teaching, queer visibility, and why representation remains essential in both K–12 and higher education. Drawing on more than 25 years in education, Joe reflects on his journey from a closeted high school teacher to an openly queer professor. Together, Bryan and Joe explore queer pedagogy, community building,...
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  “Was I Supportive Enough to Queer Students?” The Question That Changed One Teacher’s Career | Ep. 206 (with Sue Granzella) 04.06.2026 40min

  When we talk about LGBTQ inclusive teaching, many educators assume meaningful support requires a major initiative. Sue Granzella’s story suggests something different: inclusive classrooms are often built through small, visible acts of care, consistency, and courage. In this conversation, we explore queer pedagogy, classroom inclusion, allyship, and what educators can do to better support LGBTQ students and colleagues. After retiring from more than three decades in Title I schools, Sue began d...
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  We Refuse to Disappear: Pushing Back Against Anti-Queer Rhetoric in Education | Ep. 205 (with sj Miller) 07.05.2026 40min

  Host Bryan Stanton (they/them) sits down with agender educator, sj Miller (none) to discuss ways to support students navigating their identities and socialization. This episode dives into LGBTQ inclusive teaching, queer pedagogy, and the realities of building inclusive classrooms in today’s policy climate. Through lived experience and classroom practice, we explore what it actually means to show up for queer and trans students when systems aren’t built for them. From navigating anti-trans leg...
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  I Don’t Want Your Kid to Be Gay—Here’s What I Actually Want | Ep. 204 (with Christian Shearhod) 30.04.2026 33min

  What does LGBTQ inclusive teaching actually look like in real classrooms—not theory, not policy, but day-to-day practice? This episode explores how queer pedagogy and inclusive teaching show up through kindness, boundaries, and honest conversations with students. Bryan Stanton sits down with educator Christian Shearhod to talk about what it means to create inclusive classrooms in a time when even basic respect feels politicized. From teaching consent and boundaries to navigating parent pressu...
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  Safe Space Stickers Aren’t Enough: The Truth About Allyship in Classrooms | Ep. 203 (with Shelby Hall Denney) 23.04.2026 35min

  What does LGBTQ inclusive teaching actually look like beyond posters and policies? This episode digs into the real work of building inclusive classrooms through queer pedagogy, lived experience, and practical strategies educators can use right now. Bryan sits down with Shelby Hall Denney from PFLAG NYC’s Safe Schools program to unpack what it means to move from performative allyship to meaningful classroom inclusion. From navigating policy confusion to supporting LGBTQ students through authen...
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  The Quiet Power of Just Showing Up as a Queer Teacher | Ep. 202 (with Hill Werth) 16.04.2026 39min

  This episode dives into LGBTQ inclusive teaching, queer pedagogy, and what it really means to create inclusive classrooms—not through curriculum alone, but through presence. Featuring trans educator Hill Werth, this conversation explores how identity, visibility, and authenticity shape student experiences in powerful ways. We get into the realities of teaching while trans, navigating different education systems, and how simply existing as a queer educator can shift classroom culture. This isn...
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  Start with Kindness: How Queer Educators Build Inclusive College Classrooms 09.04.2026 35min

  In this episode of Queering Education, Bryan Stanton (they/them) sits down with Emilia (she/her), a graduate teaching assistant and first-year PhD student at the University of California Davis, to talk about discovering your teaching identity while navigating queerness, accessibility, and classroom culture. Emilia reflects on her journey from the U.S. South to a more affirming academic space, and how that shift shaped her approach to teaching. Together, they explore what it means to build cl...
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  How Queer Teachers Teach Inclusivity When They're Not Sure What They're Allowed To Say | Ep. 200 (with Bryan Stanton) 02.04.2026 17min

  In this solo episode, Bryan Stanton (they/them) walks through what inclusive teaching actually looks like when policies feel vague, pressure is real, and every classroom decision carries weight. This isn’t theory—it’s what you can do tomorrow to support students while staying grounded in your professional role. If you’ve ever found yourself editing your language, second-guessing your curriculum, or wondering what might come back to you later, this episode offers a clear, practical path forwa...
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  This Is Not a Culture War This Is How Students Learn | Ep. 199 (with Bryan Stanton) 26.03.2026 14min

  What if inclusive education isn’t political—or optional—but necessary for learning itself? In this solo episode, Bryan Stanton (they/them) breaks down what’s actually happening in education right now and reframes inclusion as a core pedagogical issue, not a cultural debate. From Universal Design for Learning to culturally responsive teaching and queer pedagogy, this episode connects theory to real classroom practice—without losing sight of the risks many educators are navigating. If you’ve ev...
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  How Glisten Supports LGBTQ+ Students: Resources for Teachers and GSAs | Ep. 198 (with Damon Carbajal) 19.03.2026 22min

  In this episode of Teaching While Queer, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) sits down with Damon Carbajal (he/el), Director of Chapter Network and Program Integration at Glisten, to talk about the resources available to educators who want to better support LGBTQ+ students. From lesson plans and GSA support to affirming book programs and national student initiatives, Damon shares how Glisten is evolving to meet the needs of today’s classrooms. The conversation also explores the organization’s rece...
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  The Past Is Always Present: Bringing Queer History to Life in the Classroom | Ep. 197 (with Deb Fowler from History UnErased) 12.03.2026 26min

  In this episode, host Bryan Stanton talks with Deb Fowler about the work of History UnErased, a nonprofit bringing LGBTQ+ history into K–12 classrooms through primary sources, theater, and creative learning. Deb shares how their project “The Past Is Always Present” helps students explore LGBTQ+ history through original plays, music, and improv exercises grounded in real historical documents. The result? Students aren’t just memorizing facts—they’re analyzing history, embodying historical figu...
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  Queering Research: Studying Bisexual Identity, Violence, and Academic Resistance | Ep. 196 (with Katherine Bogen) 05.03.2026 47min

  In this episode, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) talks with Katherine Bogen (she/her), a sixth-year doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Nebraska. Katherine’s work focuses on bisexual identity, experiences of violence, and how disclosure impacts relationships and healing. She shares what it means to conduct “me-search” that honors queer lived experience—and what it felt like when federal DEI funding cuts abruptly canceled her NIH-funded research grant. The conversatio...
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  Safe Isn't Enough: Why LGBTQ+ Educators Matter More Than Ever | Ep. 195 (with Dr. Michael Sadowski) 26.02.2026 42min

  In this powerful conversation, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) speaks with Michael Sadowski about what it means to be an out educator—from coming out in job interviews in the 1990s to researching queer youth, GSAs, and the limits of “safe schools.” Michael shares his journey from theater to teaching, launching a GSA in Massachusetts, earning his doctorate, and writing extensively about LGBTQ+ youth, identity development, and education. Together, they explore what’s changed for queer students a...
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  Teaching While Queer in a Shifting Policy Climate | Ep. 194 (with Bryan Stanton) 19.02.2026 12min

  In this solo episode, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) reflects on what it means to teach while queer during a moment of shifting protections, contested policies, and public scrutiny around trans inclusion in schools. As headlines intensify, so does the pressure on LGBTQ+ educators—who often find themselves acting as both teacher and shield. But this episode isn’t just about turbulence. It’s about momentum. Brian shares why they believe queer educators are on the precipice of something powerful...