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This presentation highlights the initial findings of a small-scale project examining the experiences of 13 self-selecting gay and lesbian teachers working in Primary and Secondary schools in England. The project aimed to give voice to individuals’ lived experience as educators identifying as “out” in the workplace. As recent academic studies acknowledge, there is still a gap in research of teachers working in schools since the removal of Section 28, an act rushed through the UK parliament in 1988 during a period of high homohysteria. The repeal of the Act in 2003 led to a cultural shift, with homophobia steadily in decline according to GSS data (Anderson, 2011), though recent events in Birmingham around the delivery of the No Outsiders project suggest it still impacts on the wellbeing of teaching staff, regardless of sexual orientation. This project seeks to identify how teachers navigate both homophobia and heteronormativity within an educational context; in addition, it explores perceptions of impact on the teachers and their learners in the classroom as a result of a school culture of openness. The presentation details the initial findings from the interviews carried out with those who teach in the Primary and Secondary phases of contemporary UK education.