Abstract
This chapter discusses three ways of understanding the positioning of LGBTQ teachers and students in a sexually normative world: (i) invisibility/visibility—how visible are LGBTQ lives in the activities, practices and artefacts of the ESOL classroom? (ii) Silencing and voice—are LGBTQ voices currently audible in ESOL classrooms and artefacts, or is there a culture of silence around manifestations of non-normative sexuality? (iii) Safe space—are ESOL classrooms safe, inclusive spaces for students and teachers whose sexuality is non-normative? The chapter considers the ESOL classroom within a bigger frame, as part of the lifeworld of students and the trajectory that brings them to leave their countries: the ESOL classroom as part of the process of queer migrations. It considers the ethical/political issues involved in queering the ESOL classroom, arguing that this is not something that can and should be left to LGBTQ teachers and students, but is also a project for all concerned with effective and inclusive language teaching and learning.
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Notes
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This is a data-driven chapter, and terminology in the LGBTQ area is rapidly changing and evolving, as befits an area that emphasizes diversity. The reader will find this variety in the data I am quoting. I will therefore use a range of terms, such as “gay”, “LGBT”, “LGBTQ”, “queer”, typically influenced by the terminology choices of those I am quoting. My personal preference is for “queer” and “LGBTQ”.
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Baynham, M. (2021). Queer Voices in the ESOL Classroom. In: Pakuła, Ł. (eds) Linguistic Perspectives on Sexuality in Education. Palgrave Studies in Language, Gender and Sexuality. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64030-9_6
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