“The Pendulum has Swung Back Fierce”: An Exploration of the Experiences of LGBTQ+ Educational Leaders

Purpose: Recently there has been an increase in political hostility toward LGBTQ+ communities within the United States, as well as globally. The intersection of LGBTQ+ issues in education and educational leadership remains an area that has relatively little scholarship. This study seeks to understand LGBTQ+ educational leaders experiences over the course of their careers, as well as during the current political climate of increased hostility. Research Methods: This study was conducted qualitatively and utilized semi-structured interviews with 23 educational leaders across the United States. We leverage the history of LGBTQ+ educators in the United States as the conceptual framing to underpin our findings and situate the current moment within the rich—and often underexamined—histories of LGBTQ+ communities. We utilized an inductive analytic approach including initial coding and axial coding. Findings: We present three conceptual findings from our study. First, we discuss how LGBTQ+ educational leaders navigate heteronormative schools. Second, we examined the interplay of local politics and federal political pressure. Third, we present the concept of identity consciousness as a means by which LGBTQ+ educational leaders navigate identity in the workplace. Conclusions: This study adds to the relative dearth of scholarship on LGBTQ+ educators—and specifically educational leaders. It provides important insight for the field of educational leadership as we consider the lived experiences of leaders and how they navigate increased political hostility and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment. Additionally, it questions dominant narratives surrounding progress by situating the current experiences of leaders within a historical framework.