Bisexual and Transgender Equality in the Primary school, I agreed with Laura that the alternative fairy tale lessons the school system used to have the kids develop different understandings of gender roles and sexuality wasn't enough for them. Even though the kids got the chance to discuss the Prince's and Cinderella's sexuality in an open environment, the lesson being taught still felt like it was being restraint by the boundaries of that safety-zone the school system provided. Because of such restraint Laura would slightly feel like she was walking on egg shells if some kids asked her about her own sexuality. Moreover, she tried her best to challenge her students' knowledge of what characterizes lesbian identity without having them think about lesbian stereotypes.
Overall, the project was well taught, but it wasn't informative enough to raise awareness of sexual identity in these young minds. I feel like the earlier you teach a child about sexual identity and sexuality the better. When I was young I wasn't aware of the fact that there were more than just one sexual identity or sexuality for that matter. It wasn't until high school that I began to learn more about the LGBTQ community. The more I learned about the community the more I accepted them as part of my life. I only wish that I was educated about sexual identity and sexuality earlier in my life because if that happened I believe coming into high school, a new environment, I would have felt prepared and confident about living in a new generation where divergent sexual identities are considered common.
When it comes to teaching, Confidence is the key. When the staffroom was analyzed some teachers were confident talking about sexual identity and sexuality within the teachers lounge. However, when it comes to the "innocence of the children", teachers felt obligated to keep those types of conversations on the down low when walking through the hallways. Reason why teachers acted liked that was because they felt like they were threatening that safety zone the school system set up for the children, but wouldn't that be undermining their methods of teaching kids to be open to new and honest topics? "The climate of a school has a direct impact on both how well students learn and how well they interact with their peers," states the article Creating an LGBT-Inclusive School Climate http://www.tolerance.org/lgbt-best-practices.So why not have a climate that is not only welcoming to straight students as well as LGBTQ students?
I agree with you, when I was young I too, was completely unaware that there were other kinds of people who did not identify as "straight". Before reading your blog I hadn't reflected on my own experience like that, so thanks for bringing it up!!
ReplyDelete