The Final Closet: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Educational Leaders

Lugg, Catherine A.; Koschoreck, James W.

doi:10.1177/105268460301300101

Cited by 9 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…They feel threatened somehow, and their heads dream up these irrational theories. This is what makes me on alert at all times.” To be sure, unwarranted hostility toward homosexuals in the U.S. educational system has prevailed since the early 1900s, making education a difficult and significantly risky profession for most LG individuals, especially if they are in leadership positions (Blount, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2005; Capper, 1999; Chauncey, 1994; D’Emilio, 1983; Evans, 1999; Fraynd & Capper, 2003; Harbeck, 1992, 1997; Koschoreck, 2003; Lugg, 2003a, 2003b; Lugg & Koschoreck, 2003; Pinar, 1998; Sears, 1993; Tooms, 2007, 2009). The study’s LG educational leaders, similar to those in Tooms’s (2007), Fraynd and Capper’s (2003), and Kissen’s (1996) studies, were forced to hide their identities in fear of reprisals from a hostile system.…”

Section: Literature-supported Discussion and Analysis Of Findings: Momentioning

confidence: 99%

“…is to serve as a constant reminder of the ranking of power” (p. 29). Clearly, heteroprivilege power reigns supreme throughout U.S. history (Blount, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2005; Chauncey, 1994; Evans, 1999; Harbeck, 1992, 1997; Koschoreck, 2003; Kumashiro, 2000a, 2000b; Lipkin, 1999; Lugg, 2003a, 2003b; Lugg & Koschoreck, 2003; Mayo, 2006; Mazur, 1997; Rossman, 1997; Sears, 1993; Sharp, 2009; Shilts, 2008; Tooms, 2007, 2009; Valdes, 1998), but it was not until the 1900s that the cumulative impact on the gay community as a whole began to emerge. Sexuality research of the 1920s and 1930s encouraged society to build a closet , “the defining structure of gay oppression in this century” (Sedgwick, 1990, p. 71), and LGBT individuals were forced into hiding.…”

Section: Literature-supported Discussion and Analysis Of Findings: Momentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, the lavender ceiling is not exclusive to K-12 educational leadership, as Lugg and Koschoreck (2003) stated, [T]he professorate can be a frosty place for LGBT researchers working in the areas of educational administration and leadership . .…”

Section: Literature-supported Discussion and Analysis Of Findings: Momentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cycles of Fear

deLeon

Brunner

2012

Educational Administration Quarterly

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Purpose: The article’s purpose is to highlight a national qualitative study that generated a model for understanding how society’s actions and attitudes affect and inform the lived experiences of lesbian/gay (LG) educational leaders. Research Methods/Approach: Three bodies of literature informed the methods of the study: queer legal theory, critical phenomenology, and poststructural hermeneutics. Seventeen volunteer participants identified as out or closeted LG educational leaders and replied via e-mail (to a safe contact) to a national invitation to participate. To provide anonymity, a virtual laboratory allowed participants to interact anonymously through the use of focus groups, interviews, written responses, and private/public messaging tools. Data analysis was conducted after themes or categories emerged and data was coded and categorized. Findings: The findings culminated in conclusions illustrated in the Cycles of Fear model. First, study participants moved from silence to voice and back again, with varying intensity. Second, participants move beyond oppression was extremely difficult. Third, participants conquered fear and oppression, thereby creating gains. Fourth, experiences of fear were integrated into participants’ very being—their identity. Fifth, as leaders’ strength/visibility increased, society’s homophobic fears created increased intolerance and hostility. Finally, when a new fear cycle began, the leaders became stronger and more resilient. Implications for Research and Practice: The discussions, conclusions, and the model drawn from this study’s findings are instructive for (a) LG educational leaders who have had very little support in their professional and personal lives, (b) leadership preparation programs/professors that/who in the past have ignored this populations’ existence and oppression, (c) policy makers, and (d) further research—the model can serve as a data analysis tool for future studies, and the anonymous research design could be duplicated to lower the risk for LGBT participants.

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Section: Literature-supported Discussion and Analysis Of Findings: Momentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature-supported Discussion and Analysis Of Findings: Momentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cycles of Fear

deLeon

Brunner

2012

Educational Administration Quarterly

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“…For example, a cycle of fear surrounds “the negotiation of homosexuality and leadership” (deLeon & Brunner, 2013, p. 162) among leaders who created “personal shields of protection, such as being vigilant about (a) how they present themselves, (b) what they talk about, and (c) the need to retreat when personal or professional safety is at risk” (deLeon & Brunner, 2013, p. 173). As a result of this assimilation (Lugg, 2003a), the field of educational administration has been referred to as the final closet (Lugg & Koschoreck, 2003) in which queer school leaders must negotiate their identities to fit normative expectations (Fraynd & Capper, 2003; Lugg, 2003a; Tooms et al, 2010; Tooms & Lugg, 2008).…”

Section: Teaching Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forced Back into the Closet: A (Queer) Principal’s Attempt to Maintain Queer Erasure

Duarte

2020

Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership

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This case adds to a lack of research that considers the intersection of queer identities and educational leadership. The case narrative demonstrates the complex nuances of two negotiated professional queer identities. In addition, the case considers the consequences of queer erasure on the existing heteronormative culture of schooling. The teaching notes review the literature on queer school professionals and provide a background for understanding the geographical and historical considerations of LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer) identities in schools. The author concludes with a plea to both heterosexual and queer school leaders and those who prepare them to reflect on their position and responsibilities within a heteronormative and heterosexist field. The activities and discussion questions are designed with these aims in mind.

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“…Although secondary schools in the United Kingdom are starting to acknowledge and support young people with LGBT identities, it remains extremely challenging for LGBT teachers and in particular LGBT teacher leaders to reconcile their personal and professional identities in the workplaces. Lugg and Koschoreck (2003) described school leadership as ‘the final unrecognized and unexamined closet’ (p. 4), adding that heterosexuality is a compulsory component of school leadership. Payne and Smith (2018) concur, noting that normative gender and sexuality serve as strong, emotional organising factors in educational leadership.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Courageous Leaders: Promoting and supporting diversity in school leadership development

Lee

2019

Management in Education

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This article examines the effect of the United Kingdom’s first LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) School Leadership programme. Based on the values of authentic leadership, promoting inclusion, celebrating diversity, accepting difference, challenging the status quo and achieving social justice, the Courageous Leaders programme provided mentoring, training and support for LGBT teachers aspiring to become school leaders. Utilising Social Phenomenology as methodological framework, the article considers the written reflections of a single cohort of 10 lesbian and gay teacher participants to reflect on the way in which Courageous Leaders affected their professional identities and behaviours.

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The Final Closet: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Educational Leaders

Cited by 9 publications

References 1 publication

Cycles of Fear

Cycles of Fear

Forced Back into the Closet: A (Queer) Principal’s Attempt to Maintain Queer Erasure

Courageous Leaders: Promoting and supporting diversity in school leadership development

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