Thinking About Sodomy

Abstract

This article explores the status of U.S. public school educators both queer and non-queer who have historically resided at the intersection of sodomy laws and professional norms including licensure, morality clauses, and professional socialization. Employing Foucault’s notion of panopticism, the author examines how sodomy laws and professional norms—which are social norms—have historically shaped the work environment of public school educators. Furthermore, this article explores how both queer and non-queer public school administrators have functioned as sexuality and gender police. It also briefly examines the current state of civil rights law at both the state and federal levels regarding queer people. It concludes with a discussion of the recent U.S. Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas and the larger issues of the politics of state-sponsored stigma and the politics of social justice for U.S. public schools.