The Last Closet: The Real Lives of Lesbian and Gay Teachers [Hardcover]

Rita M. Kissen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0435070053 | ISBN-13: 978-0435070052 | Publication Date: June 17, 1996

Teachers who are lesbian or gay face perhaps the last acceptable prejudice in America. Some are so closeted, they know no other lesbian or gay educators. Believing this to be unhealthy, not only for them, but also for the education system and any students who may be lesbian or gay, the author makes audible the voice of those teachers, with the intention of making schools safer for teachers and students.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kissen interviewed 105 lesbian, gay and bisexual teachers, counselors, librarians and administrators in public and private schools from Oregon to Massachusetts, encompassing preschool to senior high. As her survey reveals, gay educators are still widely harassed, pressured to resign or fired outright solely because of their sexual orientation. Her respondents voice their desire to be open and authentic with students and colleagues, but many or most remain closeted, often even constructing an imaginary hetero existence to preserve their safety. Kissen, who is heterosexual and an associate professor at the University of Southern Maine's College of Education, began her research after her lesbian daughter became a high school English teacher. She found the interviewees to be conscientious, competent professionals, many of whom counteract isolation through support groups and networks of friends, or by joining the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Teachers Network, the first national gay teachers organization. A unique resource for teachers, parents and administrators who want to challenge homophobic stereotypes and improve the lives of gay and lesbian educators. (June) FYI: June is Gay Pride Month.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Kissen helps break down the door of the last closet in America, that of professional educators, who may lose their livings simply because they are gay or lesbian. The stories she relays come from more than 100 educators, librarians, counselors, and administrators who struggle daily in homophobic environments. From the stories--sorted into five sections thematically entitled "The Center of Myself," "Hiding," "Horror Stories," "Reaching Out," and "From Survival to Empowerment" --we learn why acknowledging a gay identity can mean reevaluating the entire profession of education and why many leave it after such reassessment. Some stay, often to provide alternatives to traditional gender-related expectations. Many who stay are driven to overcompensate, working much harder than their straight counterparts to survive in their profession, like the women who struggled to be "the best" in the male bastions of business. Whitney Scott

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 198 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Publishers (June 17, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0435070053
• ISBN-13: 978-0435070052
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,664,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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