Spilling T(ruths) as Queer Resistance: A Counterstorytelling of a Secondary Science Teacher

ABSTRACT Science education continues to be shaped by cis‐heteronormative and Eurocentric norms that constrain how knowledge, identity, and legitimacy are constructed in classrooms. In this narrative inquiry case study, I collaborated with a trans and gender‐nonconforming high school biology teacher, Teacher Mateo, to examine how queer and Indigenous ways of knowing can disrupt these settled expectations. Grounded in queer theory and counterstorytelling, I conceptualize Spilling T as a method rooted in Black queer and trans cultural traditions, both a methodology and a praxis that centers relational, embodied, and community‐based knowledge. Through co‐constructed counterstories and iterative Spilling T sessions, two narrative threads were developed: (1) the revitalization of Indigenous identity as a foundation for relational and multiepistemological biology teaching, and (2) the cultivation of genderqueer identity to challenge binary logics and affirm queerness as inherent in nature. Findings illustrate how Teacher Mateo resists biological essentialism, humanizes LGBTQ+ identities, and distinguishes science epistemology from Indigenous and queer worldviews. This study positions Spilling T as a transformative counterstorytelling method for reimagining science education as a space of resistance, reclamation, and queer rightful presence.

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Publication Details

Journal
Science Education
Published
2026-02-06
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.70052
Primary Topic
Posthumanist Ethics and Activism
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Spilling T(ruths) as Queer Resistance: A Counterstorytelling of a Secondary Science Teacher

Khanh Q. Tran
Science Education
Posthumanist Ethics and Activism
article

Spilling T(ruths) as Queer Resistance: A Counterstorytelling of a Secondary Science Teacher

Khanh Q. Tran
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Science education continues to be shaped by cis‐heteronormative and Eurocentric norms that constrain how knowledge, identity, and legitimacy are constructed in classrooms. In this narrative inquiry case study, I collaborated with a trans and gender‐nonconforming high school biology teacher, Teacher Mateo, to examine how queer and Indigenous ways of knowing can disrupt these settled expectations. Grounded in queer theory and counterstorytelling, I conceptualize Spilling T as a method rooted in Black queer and trans cultural traditions, both a methodology and a praxis that centers relational, embodied, and community‐based knowledge. Through co‐constructed counterstories and iterative Spilling T sessions, two narrative threads were developed: (1) the revitalization of Indigenous identity as a foundation for relational and multiepistemological biology teaching, and (2) the cultivation of genderqueer identity to challenge binary logics and affirm queerness as inherent in nature. Findings illustrate how Teacher Mateo resists biological essentialism, humanizes LGBTQ+ identities, and distinguishes science epistemology from Indigenous and queer worldviews. This study positions Spilling T as a transformative counterstorytelling method for reimagining science education as a space of resistance, reclamation, and queer rightful presence.

Science Education
Jones College (US)
Quality Education
Openalex Percentile: Top 67%
Posthumanist Ethics and Activism
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Spilling T(ruths) as Queer Resistance: A Counterstorytelling of a Secondary Science Teacher — Khanh Q. Tran · Science Education (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS