My Jumbled Thoughts

I was offended by the Senator's words. For him to blame homsexuality as explanation for "what's wrong with America" is an oversimplified and uneducated comment that targets a group of people. If he would have said, "Black people are what's wrong with America", people would be in an uproar. However, another minority, the lgbtiq, lacks such championing voices. The three pieces, the video, Swartz and Fecho discuss what happens when experienced teachers talk about homosexuality. Kids are hearing homosexual language in the media, with the parents, and from other students, teachers are not talking about this topic. As teachers and as community, what do we want them to think of the topic and not just mistakenly accept hallway lingo as the canon for homosexuality issues because no one is telling our students anything else. One parent expressed concern that permission slips were handed out for this topic. She made that point that this made her feel uncomfortable because why is this topic different than doing a unit on Mexican Americans? I agree with this concept; I don't send permission slips for other units that deal with minority groups, so why is my intention to teach acceptance and understanding for the lgbtiq community. The video discussed that schools need to give facts so students can decide how they feel about this topic. One of the teachers asked, are our students ready for more than we give them credit for? I don't know. I honestly don't. As Swartz said, I am afraid of handling the situation of possible namecalling and parent outrage, but I have come to the understanding that I owe all my students the chance to see themselves in my classroom, to be validated. I validate that they are valuable and that I care about them, but I don't validate this aspect of a student's identity. And oh, the misperceptions the students in the video held, Aunt was not "regular" and she was "nasty", and gays molest children. Someone made the comment that students often say "it" out of ignorance School hallways are full of "it" but why is that tolerated when bitch and nigger would not be acceptable? If we don't educate against this behavior, it won't stop. This isn't about recruiting students to be lgbtiq, it is about a healthy way to understand each other and resolve crisis, if the education system doesn't deal this and then there is bashing on the street, how much of this responsibility is mine/ours when something like that happens? How do we want them to go out into the world? Can we assume that they will learn it somewhere else? Why do we teach tolerance of religion and not homosexuality? The statistics are telling a scary story of suicide, alcohol, drugs, dropouts--don't we owe these kids something too? How would I feel if next year a student committed suicide because they didn't know how to handle being gay? What would I feel is my role in that? The truth is that I would feel guilty. I would play the "what if" game. So why am I not doing more? But what do I mean by doing more and what is my school and students ready for? I don't think I hold the heterosexuality viewpoint yet. I get Sherri's point about a size 11 shoe. I do. But I am ashamed to say that when I see a lesbian couple holding hands, I notice in a way that I don't notice a heterosexual couple holding hands. I don't get mad or angry or homophobic, but I still notice. Just like one of the earlier authors stated, just recognize that I am "racist" and though this is not the right word for the situation, it encompasses the concept I am trying to share. I guess where I am at this moment is that I want to incorporate the topic into my classroom. But I am not of the belief that I am going to teach a full unit on this topic. Rather I plan to add some short stories and poetry related to this topic to open up conversations of tolerance on this topic, but I not yet at the point of teaching that the lgbtiq is one of absolutely normalacy. What I do teach will be a part of a larger unit. I don't know if it is me I am still afraid of or my fear of administration and parents. I am not going to teach a Gay Pride Day or an Interacial Relationship Day etc. I believe the immediacy is there and I must act but I guess I am still going to wade into the water and not just jump into the water. This is my first step.