Talking Point #3--Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

Dennis Carlson: Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

Premise:

• gay
• lesbian
  
• silent
• American culture
• invisible
• dominant ideas
• "normal"-straight
• struggle
• respect
• education
• democracy
  
• stereotypes
• maturity
  

Authors Argument:
Carlson argues that teachers need to engage young people in making a democratic society with respect for gay people and that public schools should build a new democratic community recognizing differences in gender, race, and sexual identity.

Evidence:
1. "Homosexual is an ostensibly neutral category, one designed by scientists; and yet is usage may involve a scientific distancing from the homosexual object of study and a refusal to see the political and cultural elements of sexual identity. 'Gay' and 'lesbian'../ are the most 'politically correct' labels, although their usage tends to further divide and separate men and women when in fact homophobia and oppression are directed against homosexuals as a group"(235). -- This quote states that people use these types of words to stereotype others without knowledge of what the words really mean.

2. "At the level of state educational policy, it is noteworthy that no state currently recognizes gay and lesbians as legitimate minority or cultural groups to be considered in textbook adoption or to be included in multicultural education; and a number of states explicitly prohibit teaching about homosexuality" (236). --This quote bothers me because if we are teaching in a democratic society, in that case, "we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

3. "These abuses get tolerated because gay teacher and students operate in an environment where they feel afraid to stand up for themselves, and because any discussion of gay people continues to be absent in the curriculum so that homophobia is not interrogated" (239). -- Students need to be taught respect for everyone, it is hard to believe that people can be so harsh and arrogant. At the same time I feel horrible for teachers or students that are afraid to stand up for themselves and are intimidated by other people's beliefs.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:
This article was very interesting and like all the other class readings, very eye opening. I liked how the author used specific examples, such as the male substitute teacher who was called "Mr. Faggot" and the student changing classes who dropped his books and then another student kicked them around. It bothers me that people who are homosexual have to go through struggles such as this (so does people of color, handicapped, etc.). Another thing that came to my mind when reading this article was the word "fag." In school a few years ago (I don't remember what class or when), a teacher was talking about the word "fag" and how it is used incorrectly. The word "fag" refers too a type of cigarette, I don't get how those two are connected!! In conclusion, I agree with Carlson, since we live in a democratic society teachers need to teach that we have to respect EVERYONE.