THE CHALLENGES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE (IN)VISIBILITY OF THE HOMOSEXUAL TEACHER IN THE ACADEMIC CONTEXT

Abstract

In the current context of education, the (in)visibility of the homosexual teacher continues to be a complex and often neglected issue. The general objective of this study is to survey the representations of teachers of Professional Education from a renowned institution in the State of São Paulo about the homosexuality of teachers within the academic environment. The design of this research was carried out through a bibliographic research. This is a qualitative and descriptive research. A questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection, consisting of 03 open questions, applied through the Microsoft Forms form to teachers, structured in line with the theoretical framework and the objectives outlined for this investigation. To this end, 80 professionals working in professional education participated in this research, as follows: 80 teachers (called P01 to P80) in different hierarchical positions of 15 State Technical Schools contemplating two Regional Centers of the State of São Paulo. The first question asked to the participants was whether or not it is possible to identify a homosexual teacher who is not self-declared. For 36 (45%) of the participants, it is possible to identify a homosexual person, 23 (29%) say they cannot, 20 (25%) point out that they may be able to identify it, and only 1 (1%) say they do not know how to answer. The second question refers to the participants' representations of self-declared homosexual teachers in the school environment, in this sense, 58 participants defend that self-declared homosexual teachers are equal to heterosexual teachers in all senses, including deserving respect like any human being. The teacher's professional competence is considered the most important factor for nine people. When asked about the fact that a teacher is openly homosexual may cause some kind of discomfort, we found that the majority 67 (84%) say they do not cause any discomfort, 5 (6%) say they do, and 8 (10%) report that they maybe. In short, the main challenges and consequences of the (in)visibility of homosexual teachers in the academic context include veiled or explicit discrimination and prejudice on the part of colleagues, students, and even academic management, which can affect their emotional and professional well-being.  In addition, invisibility can limit opportunities for career advancement for homosexual teachers, such as access to leadership positions, research funding, and academic recognition.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.027-009