Michael Gagnon

HS English Teacher

As the seventh of nine children, I knew from an early age that I wanted to be an educator and that I was gay. During my adolescence, I put myself on hold just to get through some challenging times and did not come out until my early 20's. Rather than pursuing education, I followed by father's advice to enter focus on business since I came from a struggling low-income family. After spending nearly 18 years in the corporate world as an accountant, I finally followed my dream to become a teacher. I've worked in the public school system now for 16 years, beginning my teaching career in a Hawai'i Title I school before returning to the East Coast and teaching a suburban high school.

Coming of age in the midst of HIV and AIDS in the mid-80's kept me fearful and hesitant for a long time. However, by the time I started teaching, I had come into my own and despite the risks, found that I could only be a good teacher if I was authentic, which meant being out. That's the way I live and teach.