The lived experiences and minority stress of lesbian-identifying teachers in Australia

The lived experiences and minority stress of lesbian-identifying teachers in Australia

The lived experiences and minority stress of lesbian-identifying teachers in Australia contribute to ongoing compromised social and wellbeing outcomes for this cohort of people. While past research focuses on lesbian, gay and bisexual teachers as a collective, research specifically examining lesbian teachers within the Australian context, is limited, ultimately presenting a lack of representation to experiences unique to this specific cohort of teachers. Drawing upon the lived experiences of four lesbian-identifying teachers in Australian primary and secondary schools, and employing Ilan Meyer’s minority stress model, we present an analysis which delineates the adverse experiences still present in the working lives of lesbian teachers. We highlight the diverse adversities they experience because of the intersection between their sexualities and professional identities. Through thematic analysis, the study developed three themes related to 1) social influences of teachers’ context, 2) adverse experiences unique to being a lesbian-identifying teacher, 3) and identity management. This study contributes to knowledge regarding the unique experiences and minority stressors of lesbian teachers and provides specific insights to the challenges still present and felt for this cohort of teachers.

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