In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of book challenges in educational contexts in the United States. Books representing sexual and gender diversity have been particularly targeted, as have books by and about people of color. Further, many states restrict or censor curricula and discussions of sexual and gender…

How to address controversial issues in schools is a recurring question for researchers and teachers alike. A widespread perception in the literature is that "dialogue" and "discussion" are the most appropriate pedagogical strategies. However, little attention has been given to other pedagogical approaches, such as arts and…

At this juncture, I find myself orientating towards the unruliness of doing arts-based praxis-oriented research with primary school-aged children (aged 5-12) on the topic of LGBTQI+ lives. As I prepare for what feel like disruptive research directions that will chart what many still consider to be forbidden territory with children, I attempt to…

Using as a case study the experience of teaching Jane DeLynn's "Leash" (2002), a "pornosophical" novel about a sadomasochistic lesbian relationship, I argue in this essay for the pedagogical value of shock. I argue that shocking works of pornography can unsettle not only students' comfortable understandings of sexuality, but…

Gay academics in China face multiple risks when addressing queer issues on heteronormative and repressive campuses. Little is known about their experiences of navigating the social and political constraints placed upon them. Drawing on interview data from 40 gay academics in China, this article explores participants' strategies for addressing…

Gay academics in China are governed by both the repressive political climate and heteronormative culture on campus. This intersectional experience is still underexplored in the literature on queer teachers. Drawing on 40 gay academics' interview narratives, this article focuses on their concerns about addressing queer issues in the classroom in…

Divisive Concepts Laws (DCL) are legislative acts and state and local policies that restrict teaching, learning, and professional development in PK- 20 education regarding race, gender, sexuality, and history. In November 2022, we surveyed NAfME members to ascertain the perceived impacts of DCL on music educators, music teacher educators, and…

As teacher educators who teach a variety of courses that engage "difference," there comes a moment almost every semester where a reading or set of readings discusses sexuality in education as sexuality impacts student and teacher bodies, curricula, and educational policy. Invariably, such readings cause a student or two to raise any…

Unexpected conflicts, or eruptions, in class during discussions of controversial issues are not uncommon in the field of English language teaching (ELT). This can be especially true for critical English language teachers who hope to address social justice issues in their classrooms. Existing literature of these events often mentions emotional…