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Author Biographies

Dr. Rae L. Oviatt is an Assistant Professor at Eastern Michigan University. Rae’s experiences as a youth demonstrator and organizer led her to a career in education. Over the last seventeen years, Rae has continued as a teacher-organizer working with and alongside youth in urban communities across the U.S.

Megan McElwee is an ELA teacher with seventeen years of teaching experience. Outside of classroom spaces her commitments to youth continue, as an advisor for her school's Genders and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) and the Diversity Club. She recently presented at the Michigan Council of Teachers of English conference in 2021.

Owen Farney is a recent graduate of Central Michigan University and a teacher with Rockford Public Schools. His commitments to the profession include service as president of CMU's NCTE campus aff iliate and as a writing consultant at CMU’s writing center. As an honors student, Owen researched QTBIPOC stories in YAL.

Abstract

In this article, we forward three narratives from educators whose lived experiences moving from underrepresented youth to queer educators support the necessity of furthering representation for historically marginalized youth across classroom spaces. We begin with situating our argument in response to current policies that would seek to silence historically marginalized voices, histories, literacies, and thereby inhibit a more just social and civic future. Our narratives provide three varied perspectives of lived experiences as youth moving toward our current status as queer educators. Finally, we seek to call in other educators to engage advocacy and resources to support this work in challenging times.

Publication Date

6-2022

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