Back to School Night

Had my first parent ever tell me they are unhappy that I told the class that I am queer. Well, sorry that you are unhappy about that. It allows dozens of other students to feel more comfortable and safer with me so I don’t think I am going back into the closet.

(I don’t exactly flaunt it, but I do state it as a simple fact when talking about complex issues and why my views are colored the way they are.)

Besides lots of other parents stopped to tell me how much their kids love my class. I’ll just pay attention to that. 🙂

16 thoughts on “Back to School Night

    1. Krissy Gibbs Post author

      Because it is “distracting.” I don’t think I one sentence explanation about why I find pejorative uses of words like “fag” and “gay” is particularly distracting. I don’t think “I’m queer” says much more about my personal life than “I’m married” does.

      Reply
      1. japlady

        i do however question your choice of terms. Queer in its original usage — and how its still used in the UK — has negative connotations (different and wrong, as in “the cheese that had soured tasted queer”), where gay is happy and joyful.

        Fag is as bad any which way you look at it, even if its a cigarette

        Reply
        1. terralthra

          To say that ‘queer’ has negative connotations and suggest ‘gay’ as a replacement is uhhhhh oblivious?

          Also, gay describes (usually male) exclusive homosexuality, while queer just indicates some diversion from straight (by metophoric extension from a line which can be straight, but is ‘queer’ if it is bent).

          Reply
      2. joedecker

        You’re in the room and they’re worried that mentioning you’re queer is going to be distracting? Talk about missing the forest for the trees! 😉

        Reply
          1. rbus

            ack!

            now, that’s an *obvious* ploy to get to stay.
            sometimes grrls (queer and/or) are so……grrl.

            ick!

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