How Music Educators Can Build Queer-Inclusive Classrooms | Ep. 184 (with Dr. Justin Caithaml)

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 practices
• Why separating imagined harm from actual harm matters for LGBTQ+ policy decisions
• Ways administrators can better protect and empower queer educators
• How music and theatre can model gender expansiveness and disrupt harmful binaries
• Why “being bold” and visible creates space for the next generation of queer educators
• 
  

About 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

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Resources & Links

• Book: Honoring Trans and Gender Expansive Students in Music Education by Joshua Palkki & Matthew Garrett
• Book: Who’s Afraid of Gender? by Judith Butler (2024)
• Article: Jones, Hard and Soft Policies in Music Education
• Dr. Caithaml’s Research: University of Bridgeport Faculty Pa

Teaching While Queer is a podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices.

This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community.

Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me.

Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.

Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education