"Very simple. I just don't lie": The role of honesty in Black lesbian K-12 teachers' experiences in the U.S. Southeast. Issue 4 (2nd October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ford, Jillian Carter
• Is Part Of: Journal of lesbian studies. Volume 21:Issue 4(2017)
• Page Start: 391
• Page End: 406
• Publication Date: 2017-10-02
• Subjects: Black -- lesbian -- teachers -- coming out -- womanism -- honesty; Lesbianism -- Periodicals; Gay and lesbian studies -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 306.7663
• DOI: 10.1080/10894160.2016.1165041
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1089-4160

Abstract

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.