Protecting the rights and security of your gay and lesbian students is at the forefront of teaching hands and minds everywhere where those certain “rights” are exercised on a level basis, but when you’re gay yourself….well, that ups the ante quite a bit. Tom Greene is a prime example of a teacher who is not afraid to live his life openly at work if it ensures that his fellow LGBT pupils are respected and can thrive in a discriminatory-free educational environment.
"Students may not understand or accept gay people (which is their right), but I will not allow their views to make other students and myself uncomfortable in this environment," said Greene, government and economics teacher at Chapel Hill High School in Durham, North Carolina.
When a student wrote the derogatory word “fag” on his desk one day, Greene did the opposite of what some may have expected him to do. Instead of yelling at the offender and taking remedial action against him, he made him do an assignment to offer an educational value to the apparently awkward situation. He also offered him the choice to go to the principal’s office should he choose to decline the assignment. The student ended up writing an essay on the history of the word “faggot” and why it is inappropriate to use the word in school.
"I always remind students in every one of these situations that some religious or personal beliefs disagree with gay people, but in school, they will be respectful of diversity and will not bully or offend anyone based on rhetoric that is anti-gay," Greene said.
Greene made the pro-active decision to step further into the LGBT community to connect with other education professionals to share their stories of success and struggle in the North Carolina school system. The Proud Apple Social Club was born and over 40 participants in the LGBT community came out in support and camaraderie.
"It's been a fun way to meet other gay teachers in the area and having that network is important," said teacher Nick Winstead of Durham. "It has helped me to see just how much progress has been made in regards to gay teachers being able to be open and honest about their lives, while still being professionals."
Gay teacher John Pickett had this to say about the LGBT group. "Being out with my colleagues was helpful in the sense that many times colleagues came to me with questions about the GLBT community or for advice when situations came up that involved gay parents or students at the school or, sometimes, even in their personal life. It gave me a great opportunity to help educate people who had little to no experience with gay people."
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