In many ways, Sweden can be considered as an open community with respect to LGBT people. This notion includes the school setting and LGBT teachers’ situation, although research points out that their everyday situations yet not seem to fully reflect legislation and policy documents. However, the knowledge on trans people’s situation is limited in comparison to what we know about homo- and bisexual teachers’ situation. This session will address Kim’s experience of being a trans person in school to elicit the importance, also to acknowledge trans people’s work conditions as those can differ from homo- and bisexual teachers work experiences. The aim with the session is to present Kim’s narrative and to make explicit how Kim forwards education. The aim is also to point out how values are communicated in the narrative, facilitating identification and emotional attachment for all, in the school setting. During the session, a brief overview of what LGBT teachers’ situation can be like in Sweden will be made and Kim’s narrative will be presented. The session will also explain the data collection in which Kim took part. The analysis of Kim’s narrative will touch upon the educational affordances and the impact of the values that are communicated by applying two different theories to identify functions of education (Biesta, 2009) as well as how a sense of belonging (Yuval-Davis, 2006) can be seen as facilitated in Kim’s narrative. The support that the principal gives to Kim is highly important for the positive outcome in Kim’s story. Nevertheless, the session will also address the impact of our different approaches and attitudes. That is, we can learn a lot from Kim’s narrative, but we also need to consider that settings differ as well as people’s expectations. The session will conclude by suggesting a few recommendations to educators based on Kim’s narrative.

Biesta, G. (2009). Good education in an age of measurement: On the need to reconnect with the question of purpose in education. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-008-9064-9 Yuval-Davis, N. (2006): Belonging and the politics of belonging. Patterns of Prejudice, 40(3), 197-214, https://doi.org/10.1080/00313220600769331