Teachers committed to breaking the silence on lesbian and gay issues in college-level writing classes can consult a growing body of literature by teachers similarly committed. None of this literature, however, has yet identified ways to bring readers in "queer" theory to the undergraduate writing class. Examining the work of four teachers who are progressive in their use of gay and lesbian issues in the classroom can provide suggestions for teachers as to how they might use "queer" theory to enhance their approaches. doris davenport, for instance, deliberately employing a challenging style that some of her colleagues call "confrontational," creates a tumultuous and transformative experience for her students, from whom she demands and often gets honesty and a willingness to confront cultural institutions. Any theory students get in her classroom, however, comes from her, and because no teacher, maverick or mainstream, is credible to all students, she encounters resistance. Three other teachers, L. E. Hart, S. H. Parmeter, and Sarah Sloane, stress the importance of a classroom where it is safe for students to write authentically--an objective that theory can be useful in furthering. Judith Shapiro's work on transsexualism is an excellent example of theory with which to engage students with gay issues. Questions for discussion and writing in the college classroom can be based on Shapiro's book. (Contains 7 sources for pedagogical use and 10 references.) (TB)