Abstract:
This study examined how one university professor negotiated the boundaries between his
personal life as a gay man and his professional life as a teacher. Using his sexual orientation
as a focal point, the study explored the circumstances and underlying assumptions that
influenced this professor's decisions to disclose information of a personal nature. Data
collection was solicited from a number of sources: (a) In-depth interviews with the
participant, his colleagues, students, and friends; (b) Field observation of the participant
teaching over a 3 -day period; and (c) A document review of lesson plans, course outlines,
student feedback forms, and the participant's teaching portfolio. The researcher maintained
both observation journals and reflective journals during this process. Data analysis using the
constant comparative method elicited several themes. The participant engaged in a variety of
strategies in disclosing his sexual orientation that included: (a) no disclosure at all, (b)
assuming people knew, (c) casually mentioning it in conversation, and (d) deliberately
planning to tell someone. The participant also engaged in an ongoing assessment of his
environment that included evaluating the level of risk in disclosing his sexual orientation and
assessing the listener's ability to receive the information. The participant cited numerous
reasons for disclosing his sexual orientation. Further inquiry revealed a number of belief
systems that underlined these reasons. These belief systems included beliefs around privacy,
authenticity, teaching, manners, professionalism, and homosexuality. The conclusions
suggested that the participant utilized a consistent process in both his personal and
professional lives to determine what information was kept private and what information was
made public. While the process used to determine the degree of disclosure was consistent,
the actual disclosures themselves varied widely in nature.
