Spilling T(ruths) as Queer Resistance: A Counterstorytelling of a Secondary Science Teacher

View at publisher
Authors: Khanh Q. Tran
Cited by: 0
References: 65

Abstract

ABSTRACT Science education continues to be shaped by cis‐heteronormative and Eurocentric norms that constrain how knowledge, identity, and legitimacy are constructed in classrooms. In this narrative inquiry case study, I collaborated with a trans and gender‐nonconforming high school biology teacher, Teacher Mateo, to examine how queer and Indigenous ways of knowing can disrupt these settled expectations. Grounded in queer theory and counterstorytelling, I conceptualize Spilling T as a method rooted in Black queer and trans cultural traditions, both a methodology and a praxis that centers relational, embodied, and community‐based knowledge. Through co‐constructed counterstories and iterative Spilling T sessions, two narrative threads were developed: (1) the revitalization of Indigenous identity as a foundation for relational and multiepistemological biology teaching, and (2) the cultivation of genderqueer identity to challenge binary logics and affirm queerness as inherent in nature. Findings illustrate how Teacher Mateo resists biological essentialism, humanizes LGBTQ+ identities, and distinguishes science epistemology from Indigenous and queer worldviews. This study positions Spilling T as a transformative counterstorytelling method for reimagining science education as a space of resistance, reclamation, and queer rightful presence.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Gender Sexuality and Education Science Education and Pedagogy Gender and Feminist Studies

Publication details

Journal / source
Science Education
Volume
110
Issue
4
Pages
1169–1186
Publication date
6 February 2026
Language
EN