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[schouni]

Hi everyone,

I have a politically sensitive question. I am gay and out and in a committed relationship. I am currently composing a cover letter for a tenure-track job in a social science department at a smallish, southern liberal arts university. They want a statement of teaching philosophy as part of the application package.

The things I emphasize as a teacher flow from my personal experiences (as I am sure is the case for most of us). I have an international background, so that will inform how I approach political questions, for instance. And because of my experiences as an "out" lesbian, I also emphasize matters of oppression, subalternaty and struggles over dominant meanings.

Now, is that something I ought to include in my statement? Should I be explicit about who I am in my application (at some point, were I to be offered the job, my sexual orientation will come out) or not mention anything because of the risks of being denied an interview based on homophobia?

The university has recently implemented a blanket domestic-partner benefits package and seems to have a number of "out" faculty in various departments. The university also has a non-discrimination policy that covers sexual orientation. But after talking with someone who recently taught there, the student body and the trustees are quite conservative, while the department is liberal.

Any pointers would be highly appreciated.

[%sig%]

[S&M Revealed?]

Would you mention a lust for leather and your well-equipped dungeon in an application letter?  I think not.  Stick with the usual academic revelations (they can be appalling enough, I suppose).  Get the job and tenure first, then invite the Provost over for a "scene."

[%sig%]

[kw]

I am a bit disgusted by "S&M revealed"'s response, and wish I thought it came from a troll's sense of humor rather than from someone's narrow view of the world.

In answer to your question... I don't think there is a good all-purpose answer. If the dept is liberal and caught in a sea of conservatism, they might appreciate knowing up front that you're likely to be a fellow battler and that you have the courage to reveal this information up front. And unlike the above response, I don't equate information about sexual orientation, acsually dropped, with info about a dungeon. I mention my spouse if relevant; why should you have to hide equivalent info?

But on the other hand, people on this forum have frequently pointed out that even the most innocuous personal information can be used against you, and as long as there are people who are fighting to make the world conform to their own small slice of ideology, like the S&M-obsessed respondent above, revealing anything is a risk.

I think at the end of the day you have to work out the equation on your own, based on what you can live with in a worst-case scenario. Would it be worse to get the job by staying "in" or to lose the job by coming "out"? That's a personal question.

In the depts I've been in, that information wouldn't have made the majority flinch at all, nor would it have blocked you from geting a job. But I've picked my environments carefully; I have no desire to work with homophobes. ick.

[Small College Dean]

Dear schouni,

If your "outness" is a relevant part of your teaching philosophy, say it.

Here's the deal:  If you're "not going to receive an interview" based on that information, you're also going to be miserable at the school if you are coy about it in the job-seeking process and get the job.  It's not right, and it's probably not legal (though sexual orientation is often not covered in state law, especially in the South), but you need to consider whether a job where your sexual orientation is going to be a massive problem would be something you'd want even in the short term.

This is not blaming the victim--just a question of what you can actually stand.  I think it's really a problem that this stuff is even an issue, but it remains one in many places.

By the way, I'm dean at a small church-related libral arts university withq quite a conservative president and board, and sexual orientation is NOT a problem here.  In fact, we have partner benefits.  So you need to look into the question further, or simply apply as you would in any other circumstance and let things fall where they will.

BTW, "S&M," that's NOT the same thing as sexual orientation and is rarely if ever so essential to an individual's teaching identity, etc.

[anon2]

There's no reason to "come out" during the application process.  No reason whatsoever.  I just happen to be heterosexual, but I don't volunteer that I'm heterosexual to people I've never met (and I didn't mention it when I applied for my current t-t job).  

The information you provide in the application process should apply only to your qualifications and the position to which you are applying.

[B.F.]

I agree with anon2. I think that applications should be relevant to your professional experience. It would stand out if you mentioned that you were lesbian just as it would stand out if you stated in the application that you were married, had four children, had two dogs, or other personal information. My question upon reading it in the application would be to wonder why you were telling us the information at that point. If it is important to you that they know before they offer you the position, tell them during the interview.

[just a reader]

Hi schouni,

Small College Dean makes a lot of sense to me. If your sexual orientation played a part in shaping your research interests and teaching methods (which, from your letter, seems to be the case), then it's worth considering whether to mention it. S&M Revealed seems to have missed the point.

But I don't think you have to put your sexual orientation in writing. It may sound a bit in-you-face or forced when spelled out in a letter. Your teaching statement can be about the things that interest you, which are all legitimate topics of research around which there is a lot of interest, and your teaching methods, their effectiveness etc. You can out yourself in subsequent interviews if you judge the moment and the audience right.

All the best with your application :)

[Cicero]

The small, southern liberal arts school I used to teach at had absolutely no qualms about hiring openly gay professors, and there were many in every division of the faculty.  The lit department, which was run by an openly gay chair, would, however, never have hired someone whose teaching statement included "matters of oppression, subalternaty and struggles over dominant meanings." My point is that your obstacle in such a letter will probably not be sexual politics but rather literary politics, as small, liberal arts schools are often the last bastions of conservative approaches to literature (even when the faculty is politicaly liberal and alternative in life-style).  It may be different at this particular school though, so you might just want to check into other faculty specialties.  The questions isn't whether you would fit in as a sexual being but rather if you would fit in as a scholar.  

In short, I don't imagine that "gay" would hurt you, but "queer theory" very well might.

[anon]

Cicero makes a good point and gives voice to what I was thinking when I originally read your post.  

The big question is whether or not you want to teach in an environment that disagrees with your teaching philosophy, not whether or not to out yourself.  

Yes, a specific teaching philosophy is better than a vague one focusing on "student centered outcomes," whatever that means, but whether or not you want to put forth a controversial teaching philosophy is going to be a function of how much you want to be someplace where your philosophy is welcomed vs. other factors related to getting a job.

[On searches]

Do not put personal information of any kind in our application. This has nothing to do with whether you are gay/straight or liberal/conservative. It will make you look unprofessional. We don't care about your sexual orientation, your husband, your kids, your dog. And we shouldn't. It's none of our business. Can you imagine if someone wrote that they were straight in a cover letter? This is just ridiculous and unprofessional.

[Flamer]

I think it only makes sense to declare your sexuality in a cover letter for a faculty position.  In fact, I would actually use a highlighter to bring attention to the sentence (or better yet paragraph) describing sexual preferences.  I would err on the side of too much exlpicit detail - it is afterall an important part of who you are and the committee has a right to know.  And anyway, you wouldn't want to work with someone who didn't know the real you.

Best of luck with the job search!

[anon]

schouni didn't say she was going to put it in her cover letter, but in her teaching statement

[LuckyDuck]

Just a thought here, which no one yet has brought up:
No one (in this society) would ever need to, or even think about, specifying that they are heterosexual, because it's assumed.  It's called, I think, being 'marked' (this coming from a molecular biologist, so bear with me).  Just like, when I say 'fire fighter', you would probably picture a Man in your head, not a breastfeeding mother (which some, but not most, firefighters are).  

There is a world of difference between asserting/claiming your privilege (hetero) and volunteering your non-privileged position (gay).  Folks in a position of privilege don't need to worry so much that others will provide a welcoming atmosphere in which to work; they constitute and define, nay, *are*, the dominant atmosphere.  Keeping in mind, of course, that no one is a one-dimensional person and we all have various sides to us, not all of which are in the majority & thus privileged.

[%sig%]

[what?]

LuckyDuck,
For a molecular biologist, you really have a very good grasp of social science vernacular and social reality. Yes, the term is "marked." And as you stated, it is very different for people who are members of "marked" categories to "out" themselves than those who are in "unmarked" categories. If nothing is said, they will "assume" heterosexuality as such, not declaring that "I am straight" does not mean that they won't reach that conclusion all on their own.

Shouni,
I've never had to explain in a cover letter or teaching philosophy my sexual orientation. If anyone bothers to read my vita (what I've published, groups I've been involved with, classes that I "prefer" to teach, etc) and don't realize that I am an out gay man, then they are too dumb for words.
Even if this were not the case, I would not "declare" my sexuality in a cover letter. However, I would make sure that they know that I am gay, one way or another. As my advisor once told me, if I don't get a job there because I'm gay, would I really want to work there? My partner does research on HIV+ men. At first, he was afraid that his work might lead to people making the assumption that he is HIV+ (we are not) and worried about that. However, he came to the conclusion that attempting to explain that he was HIV- was insulting to HIV+ men, and he decided that he did not want to work with colleagues who would discriminate against HIV+ men anyway. For me, I would never go to a job talk unless I was pretty certain that the department knew my sexual orientation and I would never accept a job unless they knew who I was 100%!!

[schouni]

Wow, thanks to you all for some really insightful commentary and for your support. I really appreciate it.

I think I'll refrain from mentioning anything in the written materials I submit, but if invited for an interview, would certainly not hide that fact about myself -- and would broach the topic in some way or another if I were offered the position. And the posts are right: if the department were to have a knee-jerk reaction to that part of me, then it wouldn't be a place I'd want to work for anyway.

Thank you again for all your help!

[%sig%]