Finding Balance, Building Boundaries, and Creating Safe Stages — with Michael Musgrave-Perkins (he/him) | Ep. 2

"You don’t have to mine your trauma to make good art. Teach with empathy, but protect your peace.” 

In this episode of Teaching While Queer, host Bryan Stanton (he/they) sits down with Michael Musgrave-Perkins (he/him) — theatre department chair at Grand Center Arts Academy in St. Louis, Missouri — for an honest and insightful conversation about growing up gay in the Midwest, surviving being outed as a teen, and finding strength and authenticity through theatre education.

Michael shares his journey from a touring actor with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival to becoming a full-time educator, GSA co-sponsor, and champion for queer visibility in the arts. Together, Bryan and Michael explore how personal trauma shapes compassionate teaching, why boundaries matter for both teachers and students, and how queer educators can thrive — even under the pressure of public scrutiny.

Key Takeaways

• The power of theatre education to teach empathy, resilience, and “portable life skills.”
• Michael’s powerful story of being outed as a teen — and how that experience informs his teaching today.
• Why setting emotional and professional boundaries protects both teachers and students.
• How queer educators can model authenticity while navigating stigma, “groomer” rhetoric, and fear.
• The importance of knowing queer history — from the AIDS epidemic to drag culture — to build student understanding and pride.
• Tips for fostering inclusive, affirming school communities even in conservative environments.
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Resources & Links

• Grand Center Arts Academy: grandcenterartsacademy.org
• Teaching While Queer Website: www.teachingwhilequeer.org
• Email: teachingwhilequeerpodcast@gmail.com
• Follow on Instagram: @TeachingWhileQueer

Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me!

This podcast explores the challenges and successes of queer representation in education, tackling topics like burnout, tokenism, doxing, and the role of advocacy in building inclusive classrooms, safe spaces, and anti-bu

Teaching While Queer is a podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices.

This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community.

Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me.

Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.

Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education