Teaching Philosophy

Volume 30, Issue 2, June 2007

Teaching in the New Climate of Conservatism

Moving the Academy Closer to Utopia
What All Professors Can Do to Create LGBT-Friendly Campuses

In spite of the fact that most university campuses are considered bastions of liberalism (in contrast to the conservative “mainstream”), it remains difficult for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered faculty members and students to come out, and instances of poor treatment still occur. In addition, curricular issues related to LGBT identities and concerns continue to be met with resistance or outright hostility. In this paper, I argue that all faculty—not just LGBT faculty—have an obligation to play a more active role in creating an LGBT-friendly environment on their respective campuses. I end with suggestions for achieving this goal.