Teacher negotiations of sexual subjectivities

Discrimination often silences and marginalizes those who do not conform to the dominant gender and (hetero)sexual discourses that operate in broader society. This discussion addresses the ways that seventeen self-identified lesbian teachers working in New South Wales (NSW) Australia negotiate their sexual subjectivities at work in order to pass or cover as heterosexual. Despite anti-discrimination legislation aimed at protecting some basic rights of 'homosexuals' in NSW, many lesbian teachers still feel compelled to 'manage' their sexuality in the workplace. This paper examines how the discourses of privacy, heterosexuality and motherhood are strategically and at times powerfully used by these women in various contexts. Additionally, it explores the complex intersections of sexuality with age and space and their impact on passing.