Envisioning Queer Chicanx Futures: Testimonios of Trans, Non-Binary y Queer Chicanx Educators in Chicago

Envisioning Queer Chicanx Futures in Education: Testimonios of Trans, Non-Binary y Queer (TQNB) Chicanx Educators in Chicago is a poem, a love letter to what is possible when we are committed to meeting the basic human needs of TQNB educators and youth. This intimate portrayal of the lived experiences among the six Chicanx educator testimonios requires us to reflect on the following questions : What kinds of cariño (care) is possible for Trans, Queer, and Non-Binary youth from Trans, Queer, and Non-Binary educators in and out the systems of education? More importantly, What can we learn from the lived experiences of Trans, Queer, and Non-Binary educators of color and their positionality in Chicago, that can help leverage and (re)imagine the purpose of education, where it happens, and who qualifies as an educator? Through Testimonio methodology, Cariño framework and Chicana Feminist Zine making, the purpose of this dissertation is to analyze how the lived experiences of Trans, Queer and Non-binary (TQNB) Chicanx educators in Chicago make futuristic, creative, and activist interventions toward queering education. Above all, this research provides a counter-future for Trans, Non-Binary, and Queer youth of color who are conditioned to think that people like us are not deserving of education/learning spaces grounded in radical care; it allows them to envision their lives as a liveable one, where they know that people will listen and are waiting to welcome their testimonios with open minds and hearts. Lastly, this dissertation creates a literal documentation of our collective voices on pages, in places that we know aren’t meant for us. The four affirming findings that arose from this work are Cariño as a pedagogical framework, healing through Chicana Feminist zine making, Resisting Professionalism through queer fashion/aesthetics, and Contesting Heteronormative Education.