joe acanfora (born july 6, 1950 in jersey city, new jersey) is an american educator and activist. acanfora, who is openly gay, fought to become an earth science teacher in the public schools in pennsylvania and maryland in the early 1970s. his fight between 1971 and 1974 over a series of transfers and dismissals by authorities from his public school teaching assignments based upon his acknowledged homosexuality involved litigation through the federal court system; expert witness court testimony on the effect of an openly gay teacher on his students; extensive media coverage, including an appearance on cbs "60 minutes"; a "morality investigation" by the penn state university teacher certification council; and active participation of his parents in the public debate.