To reveal or not to reveal, that is the question

Abstract

Sharing one’s sexual orientation can be a public or private experience. Coming out in the classroom can impact both the teaching and learning process. The decision to come out to my students when I began teaching a class on sexual orientation was stressful and complicated. It was not a spontaneous revelation, but a conscious and deliberate choice. In retrospect, it was one of the most important decisions I have made in my teaching career and one I have never regretted. Teaching and learning are companions; I and my students have learned much from my stating, ‘I am a lesbian’ in the classroom.