About this episode
For music and performing arts educators striving to create affirming spaces for every student — this episode is for you. Bryan (they/them) sits down with Dr. Justin Caithaml) (they/them), Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Bridgeport, to explore how gender, sexuality, and policy intersect in the music classroom. Together, they unpack how queer educators can balance authenticity, safety, and advocacy — both for themselves and their students.In this episode, you’ll learn:How to design inclusive classroom “policies” — from pronouns to physical space to performance practicesWhy separating imagined harm from actual harm matters for LGBTQ+ policy decisionsWays administrators can better protect and empower queer educatorsHow music and theatre can model gender expansiveness and disrupt harmful binariesWhy “being bold” and visible creates space for the next generation of queer educatorsAbout Our Guest: 🎵 Dr. Justin Caithaml (they/them) is an Assistant Professor of Music & Music Education at the University of Bridgeport. A nonbinary and bisexual scholar, their research explores the intersections of gender, sexuality, discourse, and policy in music education. Their work advocates for affirming practices that allow both teachers and students to thrive authentically within educational systems.Listen & Connect: 🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts 💌 Subscribe and leave a review to support queer educator storytelling 🌐 Visit teachingwhilequeer.org 📱 Follow @TeachingWhileQueer🛍 Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me!Resources & LinksBook: Honoring Trans and Gender Expansive Students in Music Education by Joshua Palkki & Matthew GarrettBook: Who’s Afraid of Gender? by Judith Butler (2024)Article: Jones, Hard and Soft Policies in Music EducationDr. Caithaml’s Research: University of Bridgeport Faculty PaTeaching While Queer is a podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer repres
