Lesbian teachers, harassment and the workplace

Drawn from a larger study examining the experiences of lesbian teachers working in high schools across New South Wales (NSW), Australia, this article explores the ways in which interpersonal anti-lesbian harassment marginalises lesbian teachers. It relays some of the impacts harassment has on individuals, yet also shows that many of these teachers display instances of power, resistance and challenge to the surveillance, policing and regulatory regimes they encounter. Although anti-lesbian harassment can silence individuals, this paper illustrates that it also serves to catalyse the active embodiment and expression of sexual subjectivity.