Queer English Language Teacher Identity: A Narrative Exploration in Iran

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the narratives of a queer female English teacher to understand (a) how Iranian cultural, familial, and relational discourses influence feelings of “belonging” for queer Iranian women, and (b) how queer Iranian women cope with the challenges of being both LGBTQ and Iranian. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory analysis, revealing that queer Iranian women experience feelings of cultural isolation as a result of the homosexual identity delegitimization that is often perpetuated within the Iranian community. The Participant copes by creating cultural distance between herself and the Iranian community when she experiences this isolation.