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

“Was I Supportive Enough to Queer Students?” The Question That Changed One Teacher’s Career 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Mental Health, Queer Visibility, and Professional Risk in Education | Ep. 193 (with Dr. Clark Ausloos) 12.02.2026 50min

In this episode of Teaching While Queer, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) is joined by February Educator of the Month Dr. Clark Ausloos (he/him) for a deeply grounded conversation about the intersection of education, mental health, and queer identity. Dr. Ausloos shares what it looks like to teach future counselors while navigating political pressure, professional ethics, and the emotional labor of showing up authentically in higher education. Together, Bryan and Clark unpack belonging versus b...

Working with Immigrant and Refugee Students While Queer | Ep. 192 (with Alejandro Aristizabal) 05.02.2026 45min

Live from the Creating Change Conference in Washington, D.C., Bryan sits down with Alejandro, a youth program assistant with Foundation Communities in Austin, Texas. Together, they explore what it means to be an openly gay educator working with immigrant and refugee youth in a state where policy often conflicts with inclusion. Alejandro shares his path from reluctant teacher to joyful mentor, how his queerness shows up in small but powerful ways, and why community and creativity sustain him—e...

Pastoral Care, Student Trust, and Queer Visibility in Schools | Ep. 191 (with Danny Walker-Drake) 29.01.2026 41min

What does it actually look like to be an out queer educator—and just do your job? In this episode of Teaching While Queer, host Brian Stanton talks with Danny Walker-Drake, a behavior support manager at a large secondary school in southwest England, about pastoral care, student trust, and why authenticity doesn’t have to be a big announcement. Broadcasting from the Creating Change Conference, this conversation centers relationships, boundaries, humor, and the reality of working with young peo...

The future really is queer: How Queer Educator Representation Impacts Students | Ep. 190 (with Julia Lathin) 22.01.2026 50min

In this episode, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) talks with Julia Lathin (she/her), a lesbian art teacher in Los Angeles, about the evolution of her teaching—from closeted survival in a Michigan Catholic school with a morality clause, to building affirming, creative classrooms for queer youth in California. Listeners will learn: What it meant to teach under a “morality clause” while hiding key parts of her identityHow one small phrase—“pick a better word”—became a lifelong teaching mantraPr...

Teaching While Trans: “I Just Decided to Be Myself” | Ep. 189 (with Rosaline Keane Kelly) 15.01.2026 39min

When physics and math teacher Rosaline Keane Kelly (she/her) began her teaching journey in Ireland, she didn’t yet know she was trans. Education became the mirror that helped her understand herself—and the space where she learned to lead with authenticity. In this episode, Rosaline shares what it was like to come out and transition while teaching in a religiously influenced school system, how she now builds inclusive science classrooms, and why belonging and laughter matter as much as less...

How One Gay Father Turned Pain Into a Purpose-Driven Nonprofit | Ep. 188 (with Tyson Pete) 10.01.2026 36min

Tyson joins Teaching While Queer to share the deeply personal journey that led him from childhood dreams of teaching, through family rejection and healing, to founding a nonprofit and homeschool program for LGBTQ+ families. His story weaves together resilience, faith, and a fierce commitment to creating the safe, affirming learning spaces he wanted for his own children. Listeners will learn: How trauma shaped Tyson’s early relationship with educationWhat inspired his self-help book Courageou...

Six Promises for Queer Educators in 2026 | Ep. 187 (with Bryan Stanton) 01.01.2026 16min

In this New Year continuation of the December 25th reflection, host Bryan Stanton (they/them) turns from reflection to direction. This solo episode names six promises—practices, boundaries, and strategies—for queer educators in 2026, and closes with a powerful New Year’s blessing rooted in the realities of today’s classrooms. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to define success beyond survival.Ways to bring queer truth into curriculum safely and meaningfully.What sustainable visibility loo...