‘Made invisible.’ Ky. Teacher of Year tells Congress he faces discrimination as a gay educator

2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Willie Carver on Thursday told a Congressional committee that he faces discrimination as a gay teacher and hatred is the norm in schools.

The committee examined the wave of race and LGBTQ censorship engulfing America’s K-12 classrooms.

“I was born to teach and I’m good at it,” said Carver, a dual credit French and English teacher at Montgomery County High School. “I’ve always faced discrimination as a gay teacher and I’ve weathered the storm because my presence saves lives.”

“Few LGBTQ teachers will survive this current storm, politicizing our existence has darkened schools. I am made invisible,” he said. He said when he recently met President Biden as part of being teacher of the year, “my school didn’t even mention it in an email.”

“Our administrators new directive is ‘nothing racial,’” he said.

Montgomery County school district employees did not immediately comment.

Parents now demand alternative work for students when authors are Black or LGTBQ. Teachers are told to accommodate them, Carver said.

“But I will not ethically erase Black or queer voices,” Carver said.

One parent complaint can remove students’ books overnight, he said. Students now use anti-LGBTQ or racial slurs without consequence, Carver said.

“Hatred is politically protected now,” he said.

During a teacher shortage crisis, gay educators with perfect records are being terminated, said Carver.

“Inclusive teachers are being thrown under the bus by the people driving it, “ he said.

“I’m tired. I’ve fought for so long for kids to feel human, to be safe, to have hope. I don’t know how much longer I can do it,” he said.

He asked committee members “to face the storm with us.”

Maryland Democratic U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, held the hearing in Washington to examine efforts to prohibit discussion in K-12 classrooms about American history, race, and LGBTQ+ issues.

There have been efforts to punish teachers who violate vague and discriminatory state laws by discussing these topics, a news release from Raskin said.

”The movement to censor classroom discussion is growing more extreme with proposed legislation that resembles policies implemented in authoritarian regimes,” the news release said. The hearing examined the impact the laws have on teachers and students and the threat they pose to free speech.

In April, Carver spoke out on behalf of an Estill County music teacher who resigned after writing a message on a classroom whiteboard encouraging students to “be yourself”.

Carver told the Herald-Leader recently that as the 2022 Kentucky State Teacher of the Year, he promotes inclusive learning environments for all students, including those who identify as LGBTQ.