Space has been opened to question heteronormativity and to address the assumption that each student in k-12 schools identifies as heterosexual. Is anything happening in this space? What affective behaviors, attitudes and beliefs do teachers who teach LGBTQ+ topics demonstrate? Conversely, what affective behaviors, attitudes and beliefs prevent teachers from teaching LGBTQ+ topics? These questions guided this qualitative research study. Data were collected with document analysis, interviews and measures of affect. This study measures affect by exploring the attitudes of teachers who include or do not include LGBTQ+ within social studies courses. Particular focus was given to teachers who implement course content that relates to LGBTQ+ civil rights within socio-historic contexts. For this study, educator affect means the emotions that influence whether to or not to include LGBTQ+ in middle and secondary school social studies curriculum.