>The disturbing nature I see regardless of sexual identity is when teachers have their personal lives involved with students that fall outside the window of appropriate and professional topics.

I'm sorry but I disagree. Just because something is personal does not make it inappropriate.

There is a line of course, but teachers should connect with their students as community members, not cold and harsh authority figures. That was that kind of schooling we had in the 18th and early 19th century-- cruel headmasters and unsympathetic teachers and nuns slapping everyone's wrists. Not an ideal learning environment.

Should we now require all teachers to avoid disclosing their relationship status? Keep their families a secret? Hide their disabilities, never speak of their personal hobbies, never ever *ever" bring up what they did over the weekend?

Or is it only "inappropriate" when gay teachers do it?