I have always addressed homophobia in the classroom... I can remember the first time in 1992!

In all of these instances... or when somebody uses some other slur... the best thing is that other students jump in. It's that peer example, not professorial admonishment, that sets a tone of inclusion. Thank the gods for that-- it's always, always worked out that students leap in and I steer, not lead or dominate, the conversation.

Maybe it's different with some of the demographic situations in our classes now?

2) Those that identify as heterosexual may not even see the comment as a problem because they do not necessarily face ridicule or abuse or state control related to their orientation. They may even respond to a challenge by the teacher or other students with "that was a joke". However, those that identify with the 2SLGBTQ+ community, may believe that this is yet another sanctioned incident of homophobia and that even in a classroom of higher learning they cannot ever feel safe or safe enough to share personal information about themselves. It may also make them afraid to participate or do group work with classmates.

3) When I was younger, I might have not said anything out loud due to fear of some kind of negative response or fear of being rejected by my classmates. If I was a student now, I would ask "why is that relevant and why are you laughing about that?"

4) Because I already go over conduct in the classroom, if I were the teacher, I would remind the class of examples of respect from the learning environment document and ask if the comment was in keeping with the expectations about behaviour we have in the classroom. Potentially, this could lead to a discussion about the impact unintentional comments about race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, culture, language, etc. can have on others.

Intervene: Disrupt and educate all the time as a philosophy of the classroom.

Restore: Create processes to re-establish felt safety.

Review what a safe space looks like for all, regardless of how anyone identifies.

Anchor in "Language effects attitudes, and attitudes effect actions".

Ask for a re-commitment to making this a safe space and inclusive learning environment for all.

Then at the end express the importance of creating a community of safety and how are we as a small community going to make this space for everyone to be who they are and to know they are respected for their views, beliefs and practices within this classroom community place that we are all sharing in and growing into together.

Often these are the moments where true learning can happen, learning that feels authentic and is responsive. We get stuck in lesson plans sometimes and fail to pursue these opportunities; the contradiction is that the rigidity of a lesson plan can thwart real learning. I think education should be much more responsive to the conversations and comments that arise in the classroom.

If this occurred in my classroom, I would acknowledge the question - Turing's experience of overt discrimination amplifies the teachable moment offered here as this is not just about appropriate language, it is also about how we honour the stories and experiences of people who have experienced oppression and marginalization. This also offers an opportunity to respectfully and clearly address the response - recognizing that the laughter may be due to students' discomfort and lack of exposure to open discussion about sexuality.

There is always another way forward... How else could the teacher have handled this? Your Response: The teacher could have acknowledged the truth of the answer (Turing was gay) then redirected the conversation to ask why that was relevant and how Turing's sexual orientation negatively impacted his career and his life in a time that homosexuality was criminalized.

It's also an opportunity to discuss respect and inclusion in the classroom and point out that the classroom should be respectful where everyone's identities and perspectives are valued.

Sometimes the students are just making a mistake and using the wrong term. In other cases, it's intentional as an inappropriate joke about gender identity. In both those cases, I've responded factually with an explanation of the difference between sex and gender and why it is important to use the correct term. In the latter case, I also privately point out to the student that their comment was note appropriate and why.

I've now included definitions of sex and gender in the appropriate course material to address this head on.