HELTA Webinar Recap: "Queering Your Pedagogy: Teachers' Queries Out of the Closet" with Giovanni Licata

On November 9, 2024, HELTA members gathered for a thought-provoking online webinar with Giovanni Licata titled “Queering Your Pedagogy: Teachers’ Queries Out of the Closet.” Giovanni shared his insights into making classrooms more inclusive by addressing biases and challenging the heteronormative assumptions that often pervade language teaching materials and environments. Through personal stories, practical exercises, and open discussions, Giovanni guided us in rethinking the role of inclusivity in our classrooms.

Starting with Personal Experience: LGBTQ+ Identities in the Classroom

Giovanni began the session with a personal account that set the stage for the webinar. He shared how a seemingly innocuous comment about going out for the weekend with his boyfriend had sparked a complaint from a student and a caution from the Director of Studies (DOS) to avoid being “ostentatious” about his personal life. This incident raised an important question about visibility: while heterosexual expressions of personal life—such as a wedding ring—are widely accepted, LGBTQ+ identities often face undue scrutiny or pressure to remain invisible.

Addressing Bias and Heteronormativity

Giovanni next led us in an exercise to explore subtle biases that LGBTQ+ individuals often encounter. He asked us to finish the sentence, “I have nothing against LGBTQ+ people, but…,” which yielded responses like “…they shouldn’t hold hands in public” or “…not in front of the kids.” This activity served as a powerful reminder of how these attitudes, even when subtly phrased, contribute to a culture that marginalizes LGBTQ+ people.

To illustrate the persistence of heteronormative bias in media, Giovanni discussed how gay actors are rarely asked about playing straight roles, whereas straight actors are often questioned extensively when playing LGBTQ+ characters. This discrepancy in questioning highlights the imbalance in expectations surrounding LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media.

Examining Classroom Materials for Inclusive Representation

Giovanni then encouraged participants to analyze a published course material for inclusivity. His particular example from a well-known textbook about an arranged marriage in India, included a series of wedding images from around the world. However, every wedding portrayed involved a heterosexual couple, prompting a robust discussion on how this limited representation can subtly reinforce heteronormative perspectives.

In another breakout session, our groups each examined pages from any coursebook we owned to identify gaps in representation. Our group analyzed a page with images of individuals in everyday activities and found that the diversity in these characters was minimal. This exercise revealed the challenges in diversifying teaching materials without reinforcing stereotypes but underscored the importance of striving for inclusivity.

Empowering Students to Recognize Representation Gaps

Giovanni then shared a creative lesson plan from his webpage: *The Unpublished* where he encourages students to evaluate course materials through a critical lens. In this activity, students are asked to take on the roles of coursebook writers, editors, and publishers. They examine their textbooks to identify underrepresented groups—such as LGBTQ+ people, those with disabilities, or various ethnic backgrounds—and design their own coursebook page that authentically incorporates these communities. This approach empowers students to engage directly with issues of representation, fostering awareness and critical thinking.

Final Thoughts

Giovanni’s webinar was a powerful exploration of how we, as educators, can push back against heteronormative norms and cultivate more inclusive classrooms. By examining and adjusting our materials and teaching approaches, we not only create a safer space for all students but also contribute to a culture of empathy, understanding, and acceptance.

This session was a timely reminder that inclusivity in language teaching is a journey, requiring continual reflection and adaptation. Giovanni’s insights and strategies provided us with invaluable tools for making our classrooms more representative and welcoming spaces.

Thank you so much for this, Giovanni!