Research Program
Stream 01: Complicating narratives about LGBTQ people and education
Iskander, L., & Risch, M. (2025). Representing LGBTQ young people's activism. Curriculum Inquiry.
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Iskander, L., Keenan, H. B., McQuillan, M., Suarez, M. I., Owis, B., Cook, C., & Gallardo, D. (2024). “Everything they think they know, they should forget”: How trans school workers respond to transphobic discourses. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education.
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Keenan, H. B., Iskander, L., & Williams, R. (in press). The adventures of trans educators: A comic book issue of the Occasional Paper Series. Bank Street Occasional Papers Series.
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Khayatt, D., & Iskander, L. (2020). Reflecting on ‘coming out’ in the classroom. Teaching Education, 31(1), 6-16.
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Iskander, L., & Shabtay, A. (2018). Who runs the schools?] LGBTQ youth activism and Ontario’s bill 13. Journal of LGBT Youth, 15(4), 339-352.
Stream 02: Supporting queer and trans educators
Owis, B., Keenan, H.B., Iskander, L., Suarez, M. I., McQuillan, M., Cook, C., & Gallardo, D. (2025). “’It’s a constant wear and tear”: Trans visibility as educational labour in the neoliberal school. Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education.
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Suarez, M., Keenan, H. B., Cook, C., McQuillan, M. T., Iskander, L., Owis, B., Gallardo-Zamora, D. & Glass, C. (2024). Union membership, retention, and perceived safety for PK-12 trans school workers of color. Equity & Excellence in Education.
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McQuillan, M., Iskander, L., Suarez, M. & Keenan, H. B. (2024). “Establishing policy is just step one of twenty”: How and why educational policy protections, district practices, & leadership matter to trans, PK-12 school workers. Teachers College Record.
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Owis, B. & Iskander, L. (2024). Towards a more caring teacher education: A duoethnographic exploration of whiteness, cisheteronormativity, ableism and professionalism from two would-be teachers. In A. Davies & C. Greensmith (Eds.), Queering Professionalism: Pitfalls and Possibilities. University of Toronto Press.
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Suarez, M. I, McQuillan, M., Keenan, H. B., & Iskander, L. (2022). Differences in transgender employees’ and students’ school experiences. Educational Researcher, 51(5), 352-358.
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Iskander, L. (2022). “I assumed it was a much safer place than it really is”: Non-binary educators' strategies for finding school jobs. Journal of Education Human Resources, 40(1), 114-134.
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Iskander, L. (2021). Nonbinary beginning teachers: Gender, power, and professionalism in teacher education. Teachers College Record, 123(9).
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Stream 03: Queer and trans pedagogies for K-12 classrooms
Iskander, L. & Keenan, H. B. (2023). Trans Pedagogies. The Routledge Encyclopedia of Education: Multicultural Education.
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Keenan, H.B., Hot Mess, L. M., Newbold, L., & Iskander, L.
(2023). Out of the classroom & onto the runway: Queer and trans pedagogies in early childhood. In H. Yoon, A. L. Goodwin, & C. Genishi (Eds.), Reimagining Diversity, Equity, and Justice in Early Childhood Education (pp. 181-191). Routledge.
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Other Publications
Hutchings, Q. & Iskander, L. (forthcoming). Queer and trans approaches to qualitative research. Routledge Encyclopedia of Qualitative Methods.
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Iskander, L. (2024). Didi Khayatt. Palgrave Encyclopedia of Sexuality Education.
Mangin, M., Keenan, H. B., Meyer, E., McQuillan, M., Suarez, M., & Iskander, L. (2022). Toward trans studies in K-12 education. Educational Researcher, 51 (5), 302-306.
Iskander, L. & Keenan, H.B. (2021). Transgender Identity. In J. N. Lester and M. O'Reilly (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Critical Perspectives on Mental Health. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
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Iskander, L. (2020). The Queerness of Teaching and Learning: A review of “Queer Pedagogies: Theory, Praxis, Politics.” Journal of LGBT Youth, 19(3), 375-377.
Select media interviews and popular press articles
Peel’s Catholic school board Pride flag policy faces backlash from LGBTQ+ community. (2021, June 6). Brampton Guardian.
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Four Young Trans Torontonians Making a Difference in our City. (2016, June 14). Torontoist.
Honouring a young activist. (2011, July 1). Toronto Star.
Leanne Iskander brings fight for GSAs to Pride as co-grand marshal. (2011, June 16).
Xtra Magazine.
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Iskander, L. (2012 Jun 28). Making school safe. NOW Toronto Magazine.
Iskander, L. (2011 Jul 2). Pride, in their own words. Torontoist.
Recent Conference Presentations
2024
“Mess as method in participatory-informed queer and trans research for educational change.” Paper presentation with Lindsay Cavanaugh. American Educational Studies Association, Greenville, SC, USA.
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“’Everything they think they know, they should forget’: How trans school workers respond to transphobic discourses.” Paper presentation with Harper Keenan, Mollie McQuillan, Mario Suarez, Bishop Owis, Christina Cook and Daniel Gallardo. Second International Trans Studies Conference, Evanston, Il, USA.
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“Imagining queer school: Collaborative reflections on the queer pedagogy of an intergenerational sexuality studies institute.” Paper presentation with Hannah Maitland, Ash Catonio, Madeleine Coelho, and Jen Gilbert. Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE), Montreal, QC, Canada.
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“Reimagining teacher education with trans and gender non-conforming candidates through critical participatory action research.” Paper presentation with Jacob Margaret Archer, August Badke, Mary Espersen-Peters, Kelly B. Gourley, Molly Mabbett and Macaulay Mauro. Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE), Montreal, QC, Canada.
2023
“’It improved my experience there’: Making space for positive experiences in research with trans Educators”. Paper presentation with Christina Cook, Harper B. Keenan, Mollie T. McQuillan and Mario I. Suarez. Canadian Sociological Association, Toronto, ON, June 2023.
“Representing young people’s LGBTQ activism: A reflective essay.” Paper presentation with Allison Risch. Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Toronto, ON, May 2023.
“Trans pedagogies in practice: Learning from trans community educators.” Paper presentation with Harper B. Keenan [symposium]. American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL, April 2023.
“Union membership, retention, emotional, and physical safety for PK-12 trans school workers of color.” Paper presentation with Mario Suarez, Mollie T. McQuillan, Harper B. Keenan, and Bishop Owis [roundtable]. American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL, April 2023.
2022
“Reimagining education with trans workers in PK-12 schools.” Paper presentation with Harper B. Keenan, Mario Suarez, and Mollie T. McQuillan [symposium]. American Educational Studies Association, Pittsburgh, PA, November 2022.
“Out of the classroom & onto the runway: Queer and trans pedagogies in early childhood.” Paper presentation with Harper B. Keenan, Lil Miss Hot Mess, and Leroi Newbold. Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Online. June 2022.
“Nonbinary beginning teachers: Gender, power, and professionalism in teacher education.” Paper presentation [symposium]. American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA, April 2022.
“What works for trans workers? A community-driven interview study of trans workers in PK-12 schools.” Paper presentation [symposium] with Harper B. Keenan. American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA, April 2022.
2021
"Non-binary educators’ strategies for finding school jobs.” Paper presentation. Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Online, June 2021.
“The survey as drag performance: Allowing for openness and complexity when designing a survey for trans workers in K-12 schools.” Paper presentation with Harper B. Keenan [symposium]. American Educational Research Association, Online, April 2021.
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“Imagining a queered, Indigenous, anti-oppressive teacher education at an expert summit: Methodological tensions and possibilities.” Paper presentation with Lucy Fowler and Lisa Loutzenheiser. American Educational Research Association, Online, April 2021.