The International Schools Review Forum

My partner and I are living overseas and teaching. We meet at our current school and well, the rest is just history. Naturally I want to keep our identity private at this time. Does anyone have experience with recruiting as a "teaching couple" when both members of the team are of the same gender? Any input would be appreciated. We're not sure what to do.

Thanks very much.

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I know there are a lot more teachers who must have stories or experience to share on this topic. I visited friends a couple years ago, a married (straight) couple who were teaching together at an IS, and they told me that there were a few gay teachers on the staff who were comfortably "out," and how nice it was to be in a progressive community, unlike what they were used to in US schools. I'm wondering if it all depends on the social climate of the host country. If h-m-s-x-l-ty (I found the word was censored here !! - what's up with that?) is offically illegal in the host country (as it is in much of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and I believe Poland) does it follow that gay teachers would be unwelcome at international schools in those countries? Some of you might think this is a no-brainer, but gay people may understand that living under the radar is a way of life even in modern, western countries, especially if you don't live in a large city. I'd like to hear reassurances from some GLBT teachers who have managed to enjoy teaching jobs in unlikely locations. I can be prudent, but if the homophobia were too oppressive in BOTH the host country AND the school, it would not be a good experience.

At my old school, the secondary assistant principal decided to check up on a field trip to the Sinai. He traveled seperately from the group, but stayed in the same hotel. He had three male friends along. He had lived in Egypt for nine years, and engaged in behaviors many Egyptian men exhibit. He held hands with his friends and hugged them. There was a storm of controversy, and he was given the opportunity to resign two weeks later.

This man was not openly gay. Since he never announced his orientation to me, I can't know one way or another and I figured it was none of my business. Most of the teachers shared my attitude. So did the administration. But our board, composed of Egyptians, did not. Of course, I don't think it helped that he busted the owner's nephew for drugs on the same trip, and that the boy's mother was on the board.

I think there will be many schools that will not hire same s-x couples. It's kind of like my husband's hair, which is longer than mine. (I tell people we are having a race to our waist. He is winning!) We are now interviewing stateside, and we know having long hair will count against him. Nobody objects to short hair on men. But he likes his long hair and he is willing to risk losing some opportunities to keep it.

It is not the school administration or your teaching companions you have to worry about. It is the parents.

I am working with our faculty and personnel committees to look at recognizing legal same-sex unions in our policies.

Are there any schools that are offering spouse benefits to gay partners? If anyone has any examples, please feel free to email me at mwilce@asij.ac.jp

I'd really love to have some examples of other schools who have addressed this issue when we take the proposal forward.

just a note to some of the above-i'm thinking many of you have not worked in the states for a while. i just came from working in the states in a public school district in a "conservative" state. in our district there were out gay teachers, closeted gay teachers, black administrators, christians of all colors, hajib wearing muslim teachers, tatooed teachers, teachers with pierced noses, straight mainstream teachers, several teachers of latino decent, etc. there was a lgtb student group at the high school. it seems the thing to do in the international schools community is to see ourselves as "better" than the states. there is racism and homophobia everywhere. it depends on the individuals involved.