63. How To Use Affirmations To Increase Advocacy for LGBTQ Students in Elementary Education

Are you struggling to show up authentically in your workplace? Join us as we dive into Sean Palzere's (he/they) journey as a queer fifth-grade teacher and explore how authenticity and representation can reshape educational environments.

In today's episode, we discuss the challenges and triumphs of navigating queerness in education. Sean shares personal insights on overcoming societal expectations and fostering inclusivity in the classroom, offering invaluable lessons for anyone seeking to create a more accepting workplace environment.

Through our conversation you will:

• Discover practical strategies for promoting inclusivity and empathy in educational settings.
• Learn how authenticity can empower both educators and students alike.
• Gain insights into navigating challenges and biases with grace and understanding.

Tune in to hear Sean's inspiring journey and gain actionable tips on fostering a more inclusive workplace. Don't miss out—click play now to transform your approach to authenticity in education.

Transcript

Bryan (he/they): Sean. How are you doing today? 

Sean (he/they): I'm doing wonderful. How are you? 

Bryan (he/they): I am so good. Do you mind sharing with us who you are, where you're from, all that good tidbits? 

Sean (he/they): Absolutely. Um, I'm from Connecticut. I work in Hartford, Connecticut. Um, I'm 28. Um, my pronouns are, I've used he, him. I've been experimenting with he, they recently just to kind of see how that feels.

Um, I teach fifth grade. I just finished my fifth year teaching and I'll be going into my sixth in the fall. 

Bryan (he/they): I love that. I also love that you're testing pronouns because I think that's so necessary and it's a part of the process people don't realize is you gotta see what fits and what doesn't fit, right?

Yeah. 

Sean (he/they): And it can always change. It's always fluid, yeah. 

Bryan (he/they): Absolutely! It can change. Nothing, I, I said this in a class recently, uh, that I was taking for grad school and someone, like, actually like, Sewed it onto a tote bag and sent it to me. But yeah, and it ties into this conversation Which is like everything that I thought was hard lines is actually watercolor Yeah, it can it flows and it changes [00:01:00] and it's not rigid and it's not hard and it's not strict.

Yeah, that's how that's beautiful binaries 

Sean (he/they): Yeah, even like my I feel like, as an adult, I feel like there's a lot of, like, um, pressure to, like, set, like, hard boundaries around things. Um, and when I talked to my therapist about that once, she, like, told me that not all, like, boundaries even can be fluid, too.

So I feel like that's, you know, a lot of pressure. just part of that like rigid thinking that like depending on the boundary, you know, like even those can can blend a little bit. 

Bryan (he/they): Absolutely. And also I needed to hear that when like my first year teaching, because I went into it with like, walls, unscalable walls.

And then my students were like, I hate him. And I had to like, chisel away at those top edges of those walls. So that way I can allow a little bit of myself out to allow a little bit of them in. So, kudos to your therapist for getting that to you early on in [00:02:00] your teaching career because, shoot, I needed that.

Um, but let's, let's talk about you. That's what we're here for. What was life like for you as a queer student? 

Sean (he/they): Um, so at times it was definitely kind of isolating. I was very, um, reserved and shy growing up. A lot of people that I meet as an adult find it hard to believe that. Um, but I was. Um, and that was kind of like something that I, you know, always had a fixed mindset about, like, I am shy, I've always been shy, I'll always be shy, it'll be hard for me to, like, have conversations with people.

Um, so growing up, uh, was definitely, uh, could feel, you know, kind of, it was easy to feel excluded in a lot of ways just because I wasn't as social as I felt like I was expected to be. Um, I think coming into, well, before Learning how to, like, come into my, or how, learning how to deal with my queerness, I felt like, um, I like how to teach myself how to have conversations with people, cause it was kind of, not normal.

You know, I had to remind myself that I need to respond and like, ask a [00:03:00] question to like, carry it on. Um, and then after kind of teaching myself how to do that, um, at the same time, probably around like, middle school, when I was becoming more aware, of my differences in terms of my sexuality. Um, I tried to do a lot to, well, I didn't have the language to necessarily label anything, um, which I think is still, unfortunately, a common thing.

Um, because I, I feel like there was always a part of me that knew that I was different, but I didn't know what that was or I did, but I was afraid of it. So I tried to, you know, change the way that I talk to people, change the way that I dress, change the people that I hang out with to just like seem more normal, more straight acting, more popular.

Um, I think just growing up with. You know, not, um, having like a huge, like, group of friends and just like feeling through like media that that's what every kid should, should want. Um, I [00:04:00] definitely had to teach myself how to do a lot of things. Um, and then that was kind of like through high school. Um, Throughout it all, I did enjoy school, though, and I think I had some teachers that saw me for who I was, and that definitely probably, um, helped me through when I couldn't necessarily open up to peers in the same way.

Um, and then when I went to college and, you know, started kind of teaching myself, um, my, my own history, my community's history, and kind of opening up more and coming out, I think, is when I started to, uh, push back on those things a lot in my head. Um, but it was a lot of worrying about what other people thought about me and trying to meet other people's expectations in K 12.

Bryan (he/they): Yeah, I can definitely relate to a lot of what you talked about. The only thing is that I've kind of gone backwards. I used to be very gregorious and outgoing [00:05:00] and granted I host a podcast and I have these conversations with people, but it's like you and me Yeah, you know and that's a lot different than like Being out there in a big room and it's so funny because I used to be like very outgoing and people Even now struggle with the fact that I am relatively introverted And so I go by you know, I'm an introvert I'm not here for the binaries.

It's all watercolor. I'm, I'm an ambivert. And I, I will get out there and I will talk to a mass group of people and then I will go into my room and sit in silence for a little bit. And the thing that I think really resonates is this idea that like when we were younger Some of the language existed, some of it didn't.

Like, we're exploring binary in a completely different way, and having a completely different conversation about gender than when I was young. Um, and I'm assuming when you were young. Um, but, this language exists now. There was language that existed when we were children, but no one talked about it. Yeah.

And so, we were stuck with [00:06:00] the idea that, uh, we're just different. And not knowing what that means or whether or not it's okay. And largely a lot of people get that being different is wrong. There's something wrong with you. And so that's the messaging that we're all getting, but no one's sharing like, The actual, I don't know, lack of a better term, but like diagnosis, the actual vocabulary, the actual, uh, thing that it is, that is comprising of you as opposed to I'm just different.

Sean (he/they): Yeah, definitely. And I feel like that contributes to it being such like a taboo subject to talk about, especially in schools. Um, but even with, you know, just like other people from different generations, older generations, kind of having that like ingrained too, that it's, you know, not something that is something that should be like suppressed and kind of like glazed when we talk about it.

I feel like, yeah, the Just verbalizing and having a dialogue about things is, is very, uh, very helpful. 

Bryan (he/they): Absolutely. And then I want to talk about how these experiences kind of informed your work in education. 

Sean (he/they): [00:07:00] So definitely, I think, um, just the way that I, grew up, just, I was very observant. I still think of myself as very observant, um, and I feel like I can process things very quickly, um, which can be overwhelming as a teacher, but also helpful in certain situations, um, when, you know, I'm interacting with a kid and it's kind of, It can be easy for me to understand like what they need right away or what they're trying to say without really saying it.

Um, so I definitely lead with a lot of empathy and understanding and just like a general sense of inclusion and warmth just because I know that those were, um, things that I would have benefited from growing up, um, not just in the classroom but just in the world. Um, and I think Um, there's always kids or, like, situations that resonate more with me because I see myself in that situation and I want to try to, you know, change the narrative as to how that would, how that would have ended or how that would have gone if I was in that [00:08:00] situation when I was in school and kind of hopefully just be more open and honest and authentic.

Um, yeah. I think that's really become, like, some of the main, like, the main focus of my work in the classroom. I've always, even since the beginning, I feel like I, like, culture, identity, sense of self always comes before academics for me, just because I think that can unlock a whole world of possibilities afterwards, but I've always kind of seen that as like the base level just to make sure that you know, everybody feels like they have a place in the classroom no matter what it is that they're bringing to the table.

Bryan (he/they): I think what's magical about elementary teachers is that idea of warmth and caring because I think that when children get to middle school and high school there's this That is set up where it's almost like teachers are [00:09:00] hesitant to care for their students. And I was lucky when I was teaching K 12, I was teaching theater.

So I was much more of, I was much more in a space that promoted caring for your students. But I feel like that's a huge misstep because it's like, there's this shift that happens between elementary school and middle school where, you know, There's a bigger disconnect from parents. Parents are less involved with things, right?

They're starting to explore independence with their child. And then there's this like, disconnect between teacher and student also. So it's like, there are these support systems that were set up in elementary school that just kind of disappear. And I don't think that it, supports anyone by letting that happen.

I think the teachers feel less supported, the parents are less than they know, and the students feel less cared for. And so I love elementary because you really get to foster that environment where it's like we care about and we care for each other. 

Sean (he/they): Mm hmm. Definitely. Yeah. And I think [00:10:00] I really enjoy teaching fifth grade and I think it's kind of a transition year.

I know some Some districts, some states, it's like elementary, others it's like intermediate or like part of a middle school. Um, my school is K 8 so a lot of them stay and kind of go to middle school but it's definitely still like a very transitional time and I feel like I, I've kind of learned how to show them that I care about them in a way that is still like authentic and true to me just because I'm not I'm not like a, an elementary teacher who like puts on like a different voice for kids or you know, I'm, that's just, I don't know, that's just like not me.

So I feel like it's in a way like not genuine when I'm in front of them. And I feel like there's a lot of ways that kids feel supported and loved and cared for by your presence. Um, and I don't, I don't necessarily think it always has to be like verbal either. Just like the, the being that you are in the way that you, like, curate your [00:11:00] classroom to be, um, a space where everybody feels like they have a role and they can be themselves.

I feel like that's kind of how I communicate that I care for them and I love them in a way that isn't necessarily always, I think by the end of the year, it's my hope that that just becomes like normalized. 

Bryan (he/they): Absolutely. And what are some things that you do when you're confronted with anti queer behavior?

Sean (he/they): Um, it can be very, it can be very hard not to react emotionally. Um, I think I've gotten a lot better about that as my years have, in the classroom have gone on just because I remember that. Um, they're, these kids are 10 and 11 and are, you know, they don't know what they don't know. Um, I think it's a lot more difficult to.

figure out what to do when some of it comes from adults. Um, and it's not always anything like, [00:12:00] a lot of the time it's in the form of like microaggressions, and I think that kind of just, I still don't necessarily know how to have those conversations because I am, I'm not usually a confrontational person and I always assume that it will lead to confrontation but I kind of just like something goes off in my head and then it just like is cloudy for a minute because I like don't know what to do.

Um, and well with kids I feel like I address it like I would any other like problematic behavior or anything else that comes up that you know. Any comments, like, that relate to any form of identity or culture, like, you know, race, sex, all of that stuff, I feel like I address, I try to address equally, and kind of just explain the impact of something being said, how that would be perceived, um, and, I mean, in my experience, kids are a lot more receptive to that.

At least in fifth grade, then, you know, being given like an immediate like consequence for saying something, you know, mean or wrong, even [00:13:00] though it is very important to correct that behavior. Um, I think, yeah. They're usually very understanding when it comes to, you know, just like opening their eyes to something, um, that they never thought about before.

It, even, and even though they're still young, it's definitely obvious that, you know, there's already biases formed, um, even by 10 or 11, and it can still be difficult throughout the year, um, to kind of push back on some of the misinformation that they have or have learned, um, either from outside of school or from in school before they get to me.

Um, and I think on my part, I just try to really monitor that throughout the year. Um, just like in my head, just try to like keep tabs on, you know, like when I see them do or say something. And I have seen it happen a lot where If, you know, we're talking about something social in the future, some of them will like, monitor their language.

They'll like, reflect in real time and kind of run [00:14:00] it back and say it in a different way that's more, more acceptable. Um, I feel like just like, explaining why or how is just like, the biggest thing in my life. a calm environment and I feel like having a classroom community set up that's very calm and like values conversations like that.

Um, I spend a lot of my time like I don't want to say like going off script, but like, you know, if something that I think is really important comes up, like, yeah, I'm, I'm gonna pause and we're gonna talk about that, because it's too important to just like gloss over, especially when it has to do with like identity politics and stuff.

Um, so yeah, I think that's usually how I, how I, how I bring it up. I feel like it's, I've also run into kids not necessarily, just because they see me and I usually look very openly queer, um, which there's obviously there's not like one way to look or be anything, but to them, um, I feel like they kind of like pick up on that and don't necessarily, they like know not to say anything, but of course, you know, it still comes up like during transition periods [00:15:00] and.

at recess and more unstructured time. But yeah, I think just always going back to it and never just letting it kind of go. I think a lot of, a lot of the time it can be tempting to just move on, but it's, I feel like that usually means that it'll, it'll eventually. 

Bryan (he/they): I agree with that and I would say give that advice to like the middle school and high school teachers because I heard a lot when I was teaching in high school of students just believing that teachers just, you know, turn a blind eye whenever there was some sort of discriminatory bullying happening and I just think it's so important to address it because you're absolutely correct.

If you don't, it's just going to keep on happening. 

Sean (he/they): Yeah, you 

Bryan (he/they): mentioned that you. You are creating, at least for your students, an idea of what a queer person could look like. And that has to do with your own authenticity. What advice would you give to someone who's in our community who is concerned about showing up [00:16:00] authentically at work?

Sean (he/they): Um, it definitely can be really difficult to do that and find like a way that, um, is safe and the best way for you to do that. Um, I think I first kind of realized that it could be an issue or, you know, it could come up in, as a teacher when, you know, I was in college and we were talking about it in a social studies methods class.

And then I kind of asked myself the question, like, well, what happens if, um, You know, you're in a school environment and kids or adults don't agree with who you are. Like, how do you address that? Because it's, you know, it's part of you. So I feel like from then on, it was kind of always conflicting in my head about like, you know, well, how much of myself do I share?

How, how much of myself do I express in the classroom? Um, and I think over my five years, it's, I've, there, there have been like noticeable changes each year in the way that I've shown up as my authentic [00:17:00] self. Um, I think definitely just taking it like one step at a time, like not to expect like immediate like change overnight.

Um, I think it can be a very gradual process as you kind of like test what works for you. Um, and I think, weirdly enough, in my experience, something that I was very nervous about at the beginning of my career. Now, I feel like that's, like, just being visible and, like, disrupting the environment that I'm in on a daily basis just by being visible and being that representation is just, like, a very powerful feeling.

Um, and I, I think for me that is something that. drives me now to continue to show up every day and be a representation of that authenticity, of queer excellence, of queer visibility, representation. Um, and I think it's hard just because Knowing the state of things [00:18:00] across different states, it, like, can be a very safety, like, job security thing to feel like it's not possible to be authentically yourself, but I think also just, like, finding people, whether they're in your school building or not, just to, uh, Um, that can support you and can be, like, listen, and just taking it one step at a time and supporting you, and I, I've always thought, you know, even from the beginning, like, if I was to ever be questioned about anything, like, I always had a reason why I was doing or saying what I was doing, um.

And I, it was always for the benefit of kids and I always just like told myself if anybody were to, to ask me then I would have that reason and then if they had anything to say about that then, you know, well, I guess you don't want me to do what's best for our kids then. But I think a lot of the time too, the fear is a lot more powerful than the, um,

like the [00:19:00] freedom that you'll feel. Just from in little ways like starting to like express yourself more. 

Bryan (he/they): I love that I've heard that a couple of times and I think it's such a Powerful thing to just remind people that you don't have to do everything at once you can do little things to be authentic every day um, and that's gonna help you out and What I think is so Interesting about what you were just saying is this idea of like, um, well, shoot it's gone

Sean (he/they): That's okay. I'll move on then. I was gonna, I was gonna add something else to it. Yeah, go for it. If that's okay. Um, something else, another therapist recommendation that I, cause a lot of my time in therapy is talking about school stress naturally. We love 

Bryan (he/they): therapy recommendations. 

Sean (he/they): Yes, um, cause I do, Every day of the school year we do, I say affirmations with my class.

And, um, one of the recommendations was to, um, you know, like, Well, the therapy recommendation was to write some for myself, but then a later recommendation was to bring the ones that I write for myself into the classroom to say with kids too. Um, so two of my favorite ones [00:20:00] that I wanted to share were, my presence is powerful and my authenticity makes a difference.

Um, so like I say those with kids and they're on sticky notes around the house too. I feel like those are, those really get me through a lot just in terms of validating You know, being myself. 

Bryan (he/they): I love that. My presence is powerful and my authenticity is, 

Sean (he/they): makes a difference, 

Bryan (he/they): makes a difference. My presence is powerful and my authenticity makes a difference.

I'll be writing that down later on my mirror. Um, so you, first of all, I want to commend you because you've spent your first five, now going into your six years, during what I have been told, because I only survived five years of teaching, so you and I started around the same time. The hardest years of teaching.

Um, and So my question for you is In your experience throughout this time, what can the educational community do to be more inclusive of queer people? 

Sean (he/they): I think there's a lot of things that can be done. I think, you know, at all, at all levels. I think on a, on an individual basis, just even if someone is an educator or works in a school and they're not queer, just having the Knowledge and the ability to provide representation in some way, [00:21:00] just like, you know, all different identities and, um, and cultures and everything that falls under that identity umbrella should be represented.

Um, I know, like, picture books are like a great first step. Um, I feel like. I mean, I've also always thought that, like, picture books are for adults, too. I've always been, um, well, I was taught in college that. You know, picture books, I feel like, almost have more meaning than novels sometimes, because authors have to fit less words into, like, a shorter book, so they really have to be very mindful about the words that they choose to use.

So I really value teaching with picture books, and there's a lot of great, um, picture books about queer identities and queer stories out there. Um, I also think, like, on a A bigger level, just like, more, I go back and forth because, you know, like, I don't, I don't necessarily think, like, queer people should be asked to do the educating all the time, but I think it would be nice to have more, like, professional development.

I know, like, in my [00:22:00] district, my PD is strictly like academic, like math, literacy, or science throughout the whole year and we don't really get anything other than that. Um, so I think that would also be a great way to start just because I know that there are organizations out there that provide resources like that.

Um, I think that would be helpful. And then just kind of, Reminding the education community as a whole that these things are, especially like, queer identities, are not something that you can disagree with. Um, I think the, the notion of like, freedom of thought, kind of, um, You know, goes a little too far sometimes when it comes to, you know, who people are.

Um, and I, I don't necessarily think people like to hear that all the time, but, you know, there's, you can't disagree with a person. There's, and obviously, you know, in a lot of ways, it's, you know, Misunderstood as like a choice or a lifestyle, whatever, and that's like not [00:23:00] something that you have a say in. So I feel like just kind of gently reminding people that, you know, these are human rights and issues and just like human being qualities that we're talking about.

Um, I think that would be helpful and also just like listening to what kids are doing. Telling us that they need either verbally or how they're acting and yeah, just like Including queer things, because queer history is part of American history, and there's no denying that. So, I think, you know, just like infusing it wherever possible, but also doing it in a way that shows that, you know, people in the community have done their research, too.

In the education community. So they're doing it in a way that does more good than harm. 

Bryan (he/they): Absolutely. I think what's interesting is that [00:24:00] people say that like history is written by the victor, right? And here's the trouble. The world hasn't ended and therefore the battle isn't over. So you can say this about basically every minority in this country and around the world.

That there is a certain class of people who has decided that they're going to write the history and erase the rest of it from us, but we are all here, and us not being in your history book does not change the fact that we have history, and that that history informs how we live our presence. 

Sean (he/they): Yeah, exactly.

That's very, very true. I love that. Because it's, you know, I feel like a lot of, People think that all of these, like, queer terms and all this stuff is very new, but it's just, you know, it's something that, you know, people were just talking about more, and I feel like social media plays a role in how much more widespread [00:25:00] all of these conversations are, which I think is helpful, but at the same time, I think especially in the classroom, because kids bring into the classroom everything that they need.

Okay. see on online. I think just, you know, as educators making sure that we're not letting the same kind of misconceptions or stereotypes continue to exist. Um, and yeah, about any part of our identity, not just being queer, but because it's all, you know, intersectional, as you know, but. 

Bryan (he/they): Absolutely. I also, I used to joke of my teenagers, uh, My personal teenagers and also my students, um, that they were all baby drag queens.

Because a lot of the, the slang nowadays comes from, it actually comes from, uh, queer people of color from the 80s and 90s. Um, and it's just showing up in modern day culture. Uh, like, you know, just, you know, It's coming out of my 10 year old's mouth, slay specifically, 

Sean (he/they): um, it very much does all the time. I get told that a lot and I do appreciate it, but I also let them know where it comes from.

Bryan (he/they): Absolutely. You gotta [00:26:00] educate the children's. I do. So at this point we are going to take a question from one of our listeners. Today's question comes from Kevin in New York City. Kevin asks. Were you worried about getting into education because you are queer? 

Sean (he/they): Um, I would say Uh, not at first. I think, uh, the reason that I wanted to become a teacher, an elementary teacher, is when I was a senior in high school I did like an internship in my neighbor's, um, third grade class and I just really enjoyed working with the kids and getting to know them and just being in that environment.

I was either gonna do that or pursue chemistry, and I'm really glad I didn't do the other one. 

Bryan (he/they): I'm glad for you also. 

Sean (he/they): Um, I took organic chemistry for fun in college. I don't know why I did that. I had like extra credits, but I'm, whatever. Um, But at that time I wasn't thinking about it, even though, you know, after that, my first couple years of college, I, I knew that I was going to [00:27:00] want to apply to the education program after a couple years.

And I was kind of just thinking about that aspect of it until, you know, I was already student teaching. And then the realization kind of came to me of like, Like I was talking about before with, you know, what if I'm in this environment and I just spent all this time the past, you know, three or four years discovering all these parts of myself that I suppressed before and I don't want to feel like I have to put them away when I go to this job that I also really care about doing and I feel really passionate about.

Um, so there are definitely a lot of doubts in the beginning. Um, But I think, you know, as I got more, well I also, I teach at the same school that a student taught at, so I think that, for me, helped, um, just be more comfortable, more quickly, um, and I think, you know, there's always, [00:28:00] horror stories out there of, you know, people speaking up against what a teacher did or what they, the things that they shared with their kids or, you know, a book that they read.

So those doubts definitely did get to me. But I think in the same way when I was growing up that I had to like make the choice to not listen to what other people were saying about me. I think I just had to be confident in myself that what I was doing was not only something that I felt was good for me to do and kind of bring, you know, teaching and being queer, like those two things don't have to exist and they shouldn't have to exist separately if an educator doesn't want them to.

Um, and I was somebody who didn't want them to. Um, so I think, kind of knowing that it was up to me how much I, I wanted to [00:29:00] show that part of myself, but because I also know that, you know, authenticity is very key with kids, I felt like it wasn't possible to, to not showcase that part of myself in, in the classroom.

So it was definitely daunting, but through like, Those little, the baby steps that I took to kind of step more outside of the box and outside of the norm of what kids are used to seeing when it comes to the image of a teacher. I feel like I'm very not that in the way that I dress. My nails painted, my big earrings, you know, like all that stuff is very new and non traditional to them.

But I think just knowing that it's yielded positive, mostly positive, um, results so far, I think that's the validation that I've never thought about not teaching because of the, the queer part of myself. That's 

Bryan (he/they): great. I'm glad to hear that. Cause I do [00:30:00] know that I mean there was a time where teacher training programs would actually actively tell you that if you were queer you should not be in the classroom or you should not say something so I'm glad that we're at a place where for some folks it's not a factor in your decision or your decision not to pursue this career.

Can I ask a bonus question? 

Sean (he/they): Absolutely. 

Bryan (he/they): What is your favorite picture book that has to deal with queer identity? 

Sean (he/they): Oh god. That is a great question. Um, well

I love the one about Stonewall. It's called Stonewall just because it's written from the perspective of the building and I think that's really cool and I every every year that I read it I That's, that's just, you know, the kids don't get that the buildings are talking at the beginning, but I, that's also like a very, you know, like higher level, like literacy skill that, you know, point of view can be taught alongside with it.

[00:31:00] Yeah, but I think that one, just because of the history that it goes through, that's always been a favorite. Um, I also like Kape Mahu about the, um, The mahu in Hawaii, the, I'm not sure, I don't know if you're familiar, but that was one that I read for the first time, but just like the legend of Kape Mahu, like the four healers that um, kind of, you know.

have a history in Hawaii, but have been forgotten about. And the four of them are very gender fluid. And that's kind of, you know, obviously a theme that, um, well, gender fluid, genderless, kind of like qualities of both genders, but, you know, like also neither at the same time. And I think with like a lot of indigenous cultures, how that's kind of been.

colonized over time and how a lot of, you know, historical, um, societies were, they championed, you know, gender diversity and, you know, be, having qualities of, you know, the masculine and feminine energies like the, uh, the [00:32:00] mahu in Hawaii. So that was one that I read for the first time. I love that. This year that I really enjoyed.

Yeah. 

Bryan (he/they): I am a huge fan of Hawaiian culture. My family and I visited. several years ago, two times back to back, like two years back to back and I just fell in love with it. Um, I love their mythology, but I also am like pagan. So when I read people's mythologies, I go, Oh, this is your, this is a belief. And it's a real thing because mythology is a real thing to people in the past.

And to some people now. And to your point, what I think is so interesting is that when you even look at the predominantly white mythologies, they include genderless, agender, gender fluidity in them. I think about Greeks and Romans and Norse, and, and yet, They've been colonized by heterosexuality over the years that people I saw a tweet recently.

I'm sure it's [00:33:00] several years old, but it just showed up on my page recently. Um, that is from the author, Rick Riordan, um, people complaining about his North mythology, Norse mythology, because one of the characters is a child of Loki and they are gender fluid. Um, and he's like, I didn't just make it up. It's not just a buzzword.

You need to actually do your research on Norse mythology and then come talk to me. Yeah, 

Sean (he/they): for sure. 

Bryan (he/they): And so it's just wild to me how like even in the predominantly white societies where gender fluidity would show up, it's been tapped down so bad that people think that we're just making it up. 

Sean (he/they): Yeah, it's so interesting.

Bryan (he/they): So interesting. I'm definitely going to check out that book though because I love all things like Mythology and specifically Hawaiian mythology like we took we did a whole I took a whole book of the gods and goddesses with me with my kids and we like went to different places and talked about you know What the gods and goddesses represent and the volcano and whatnot.

So i'm super that's awesome. We're into that Yeah, I love 

Sean (he/they): that 

Bryan (he/they): [00:34:00] Thank you, and thanks for the recommendation because i'm definitely going to check that out But also thank you for spending your evening with me. I really appreciate it I've Fully enjoyed our conversation. I think that aside from like Dolphin trainers because I used to work at SeaWorld that like elementary teachers provide some of the like They have kind of like the coolest jobs Um, yeah, and the fact that you lead yours with uh care uh and heart Just makes it all that much better.

So thank you for what you do and then also for spending your time with me 

Sean (he/they): Of course. Well, I, that's really interesting because orcas are my absolute favorite animal. So I would love to talk more about that too. And, um, something else that I've been, um, it's a, well I heard Matt Bernstein say it. Um, if you follow him on Instagram, MattXIV.

Um, He said it at the, oh god, I forget the awards, um, but he made a speech at the end. He left with, by saying, if you have the power to make people uncomfortable and get away with it, do it. Um, so that's also, that's what I wanted to, to end [00:35:00] with, just because I think that it is also something that has, uh, been empowering me lately, especially in the classroom, but I really appreciate being here.

It's been so much fun.