You Are Not Alone: The Power of Solidarity for Queer Catholic School Teachers

• In Event: 53.081 - Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: 53.081-7 - LGBTQ Issues in the Catholic Educational Context

Abstract

Equalizing educational opportunity in Catholic schools requires an examination of cultural and structural obstacles which diminish the dignity of certain groups of people. This paper examines the findings of a participatory action research study conducted with queer Catholic school teachers in California. By adopting a socially just and culturally responsive approach to research with a marginalized community, we discover the nature of oppression as well as possible actions to dismantle it. Specifically, this research study reveals the power of solidarity in repairing hope and agency to a community that feels oppressed by silence and isolation. Drawing from this, the paper asserts that the solution for Catholic schools in seeking equity in education lies in embracing its own socio-theological heritage.

Author

• Kevin James Stockbridge, North Dakota State University