As a middle school teacher in New Jersey, I was fortunate enough to work in the most diverse city in the nation and had little worry about my students finding out about my sexuality.  When I got married a few months into the school year, my 7th graders quickly found out it was to a woman.  As a middle school teacher, fostering relationships with each of my students was a crucial aspect of classroom management.  The more I was able to connect with them beyond the curriculum, the more likely I was to be able to focus on my curriculum during class hours.  So much of this connection, I quickly realized, was based on the intrinsic knowledge that my classroom was a safe space.  I had no idea how many students would crave the safe space that my classroom offered, or how many students I would encounter who were questioning, coming to terms with, or struggling with their sexuality.  I am honored to have been able to offer my students a judgment-free zone in...

Q: How does a woman who doesn't realize she's a lesbian, woo another woman who doesn't realize she's attracted to women either? Or how does a presumably straight woman entice another presumably straight woman?

A:  Just like any woo-ing, it's all about the humor.  We all know that laughter is the predecessor to love, regardless of gender and sexuality.

Early in our relationship, before the fateful first kiss, all I knew is that I wanted her to look at me, talk to me, laugh at my jokes.  Her laughter, you guys!  It was like the best buzz on earth, making her smile and laugh at me.  

It was a few weeks in that I finally realized how big basketball is/was in her life.  She had played all through childhood.  By high school, she was on traveling club teams in addition to her school team.  She received multiple college offers and it paid her way through her bachelor's degree.  

But I was in trouble with this realization.  I...