How Lesbian and Gay K-12 Public School Administrators Transform Themselves Into Out, Proud School Leaders

To examine the experiences of out lesbian and gay (LG) administrators, this study was conducted to examine the factors and circumstances that support administrators in being openly LG at work, the benefits and drawbacks of being out at work, the ways in which being out is enacted in the workplace, and the impact that being out has both on the administrator and on the organization. Though many lesbian and gay (LG) public school administrators choose to remain closeted at work, some choose to come out. This qualitative study collected data from multiple semi-structured interviews with LG administrators from across the U.S., researcher field notes, participants' written reflections, and artifacts such as school district non-discrimination policies. The data demonstrate that district-level, LG-inclusive non-discrimination policies had the greatest impact on participants' sense of workplace protection. Additional findings include variations in how participants enact their LG identity, a history of working with historically marginalized student groups, and a strong belief among participants that being out at work had positive effects on themselves and on their schools and school systems.Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Management -- Drexel University, 201