Out queer teachers as role models for queer students? Implications drawn from closeted gay academics' experiences in China

Abstract

Drawing on interviews with gay academics in China, this article examines their experiences of supporting queer students. Informed by queer theory, this research uses participants’ accounts to destabilise dominant discourses about queer teachers and students, i.e., the “coming out imperative”, “queer teacher as role model” and “queer student at risk”. This article suggests that the pervasive idea that queer teachers are the ones who can best support queer students, by coming out and providing a role model for them, should be interrogated. It is argued that the approach to addressing queer issues requires thinking that moves beyond the predominant framing depicting out queer teachers as the source of support to queer students.