136. Calling This “Child Abuse Prevention” Is a Lie—It’s About Silencing Queer Families

What if supporting your students’ pronouns could cost you your job—or your parental rights? This episode dives into the April 2025 Executive Order that rebrands gender-affirming care as “child abuse” and attacks the educators and families who provide it.This isn’t just another political statement—it’s a federally-endorsed narrative with real consequences for LGBTQ+ educators, parents, and students. If you're a queer teacher, parent of a trans child, or school ally, this episode breaks down what the proclamation means for you and how it's already playing out in classrooms and courtrooms across the country.In this episode, you will:Learn how this order intersects with civil rights protections—and what to watch out for in your state.Learn the tactical steps teachers and parents can take to protect themselves while staying committed to their students and kids.Discover how queer educators and families are resisting in coalition, and where to find support and community right now.Press play now to understand exactly what’s at stake—and how you can stay safe, supported, and strategic in the face of rising anti-LGBTQ+ policy.Resources from this episode:GLSEN Educator Resources – https://www.glsen.org/ Trans Youth Equality Foundation – https://www.transyouthequality.org/ Lambda Legal Helpline – https://www.lambdalegal.org/helpdeskFamily Equality Council – https://www.familyequality.org/Teaching While Queer - https://www.teachingwhilequeer.orgTrans Lifeline - https://www.translifeline.orgThe Trevor Project - https://www.thetrevorproject.orgThe podcast explores the challenges and successes of Queer representation in education, addressing issues such as burnout, tokenism, doxing, and the importance of advocacy in creating inclusive classrooms, safe spaces, and anti-bullying strategies, with a focus on supporting gay, lesbian, bisexual, , transgender, asexual, aromantic, agender, two-spirit, and non-binary teachers and gender identity in schools to combat the feeling of isolation and lack of community.Teaching While Queer is a podcast for LGBTQ+ educators navigating teaching, leadership, and survival in today’s schools. The show explores queer and trans representation in education, educator burnout, book bans, workplace discrimination, tokenism, doxing, and advocacy—while sharing practical strategies for building inclusive classrooms, affirming school cultures, and safer learning environments. Episodes center gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and Two-Spirit educators, with conversations on gender identity in schools, anti-bullying practices, mental health, and community care. This podcast supports educators who feel isolated and offers solidarity, tools, and hope for LGBTQ+ teachers working across K–12 and higher education. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Support the showQueering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices.This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community.Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me.Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education