Paradoxes of Hypervisibility and Imposed Invisibility: Identity Negotiations of a Latino Gay Elementary Teacher

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 34
  In Roundtable Session: Latinx Identity Politics in Contested Institutional Spaces

Abstract

This qualitative study of one gay Latino elementary male teacher uses LatCrit and feminist theory by way of testimonios to illustrate the unique and multiple forms of subordination for LGBTQ teachers of color. It presents the conundrum of being a hypervisible male in a typically female career, yet an imposed invisibility of any gay identity. The study illustrates the expectations for male teachers to be heterosexual role models, leaving little room for non-conforming masculinities. Mixing cultural intuitiveness and experiential knowledge, the teacher navigates multiple identities in his classroom while attempting to reassure questioning youth. Implications for presenting counternarratives to help students imagine new worlds and possibilities beyond the heteronormative binaries are discussed.

Author

• Gilberto P. Lara, The University of Texas - San Antonio