An ISU professor’s book discussing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender educators has attempted to create an open discussion about sexual preference equality in the workplace.

Curriculum and instruction professor Jackie Blount published the book in November.

“The book demonstrates there are thousands of outstanding teachers that don’t fit neatly within traditional gender bounds,” said Cathy Curtis, alumni officer for the College of Education. “The book will pave the way for LGBT teachers and what they have to offer.”

Blount’s book, “Fit to Teach: Same-Sex Desire, Gender, and School Work in the Twentieth Century,” questions the subtle discriminatory practices that help the nation’s schools remain highly sex-stratified, causing educators to feel the need to hide who they really are or risk losing their jobs, she said.

According to the book, this type of discrimination has only been an issue in the past decade.

“A lot of discrimination of LGBT workers has been fairly recent,” Blount said.

The book gives examples of specific educators throughout the 20th century and how discrimination practices have become more common.

She said there is some anxiety around having LGBT teachers in the classroom because people cannot talk about gay issues.

Practices have not been challenged, allowing more falsehoods to circulate. Some parents believe teachers will prey on their children, corrupt them or even cause them to change their gender, Blount said.

Warren Blumenfeld, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, has also done research on LGBT issues in education. He said the homophobia that runs in schools affects teachers. They feel they are “hiding in a closet” and cannot be authentic in the classroom, he said.

“It takes a lot of energy to hide who they are,” Blumenfeld said.

This affects how they teach and their efficiency in the classroom. Some highly qualified teachers will not enter the profession because of discrimination and homophobia within the school system, Blumenfeld said.

Blount said she hopes her book will get people to talk about these issues, because people assume it is okay to discriminate against LGBT educators.

Both Blount and Blumenfeld said they believe Iowa State has improved its diversity throughout the years, but it is not perfect.