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.