Talking Points #3

Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

By: Dennis Carlson

Quote #1: “While public schools have been viewed by progressive educators as embryonic communities that should engage young people in building a democratic community of mutual support and respect, gay people have for the most part been made absent, invisible, and silent within this community and at the same time represented as the deviant and pathological “Other”.”

How society hides all those that are not SCWAMMP is becoming even more clearer to me with all the articles we have been reading.  Growing up I feel so sheltered. Why am I only learning about this now that I’m in college... It makes no sense to me. Wouldn’t, shouldn’t we be teaching our children that it is okay to have different families at a young age... that two mommies and two daddies are not wrong.  Being gay is just who you are. It doesn’t effect your personality, its just your sexual orientation so why are so many people against that fact that gay people are apart of our community. Rather then trying to hide the fact that they exist we should embrace the fact that they are different.

Quote #2: “Early in this century, the dismissal of gay teachers was legitimated as a way of keeping young people from being exposed to improper role models, lechery, and child molestation.”

This is wrong. They are teachers just like the rest of us.... Honestly I bet that there  are more straight child molester teachers out there then gay teachers.  They are normal human beings and just because they choose to have relationships with the same sex it is none of our business and it is not our right to judge.  They aren’t contagious.  By society hiding the fact that there are gay people out there it gives the impression that being gay is wrong.

Quote #3: Straight teachers often participate in silencing practices because they are fearful of raising a controversial issue that might provoke conflict in the classroom.”

Why? Shouldn’t children be taught that there are different people out there? That not everyone is like them? Or for that one little kid that knows he is gay, shouldn’t he feel accepted and know that its okay to be gay? 

Reading this article has just made me more aware of the fact that children need learn at a young age that it is okay to be gay.  It should be taught in classes that it is okay to have two moms or two dads... Children shouldn’t be sheltered from a fact of life that is perfectly normal. It doesn’t change their personality and maybe if taught at a young age then people will be more accepting of other that are different from them.  Why does society try and protect us from gayness? It is not a disease... you can’t die from it.