Becoming Intimate Citizens

This chapter explores the work of Ken Plummer on Intimate Citizenship (2003), highlighting its contemporaneous relevance and value 20 years on within the context of the education sector. The 11–19 education sector is an environment experienced by the majority of individuals within society; an environment where we spend a significant period of time during a fundamental stage in life. In this space, we are taught how to be a citizen, and the environment acts as the bridge between family life and society as a whole. In current education institutions, young people and teachers are increasingly faced with the visibility of a plurality of identities which fall within the non-conforming gender and sexuality categories. Utilising empirical work, this chapter will explore LGBTQ+ leads as under-researched ‘ new citizens ’. These teachers navigate the personal troubles and public issues of the queer community in their educational institutions. How do they approach discussions regarding students’ intimate personal lives, often discussed in public forums such as assemblies, classroom discussions, and conversations in the corridors, while attempting to embrace inclusivity? What potential barriers, including public debates, do teachers face when they attempt to disrupt an education system that, by default, remains overtly cis-gendered and heteronormative?