Blog Post #8: Social Justice and LGBT Students

Using information from a research article conducted by the GSLEN at http://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/Teaching%20Respect.pdf, we can see that LGBT students face a disproportionate amount of bullying and victimization (verbal and physical) in their schools. Part of this victimization occurs from the lack of an LGBT inclusive curriculum, which, like many marginalized students, leaves LGBT students feeling less connected to their schools. In order to have positive LGBT curriculum in schools, teachers must positive representations of LGBT people within history and literature. As educators, it is our job to include the histories and experiences of all students in our classrooms. By default, we should be teaching to not only the majority, but arguably more so the marginalized. LGBT students are not the only ones who can benefit from positive representation within curriculum; for example, students who are straight are more likely to stand up to bullying, and more likely to be accepting of their LGBT peers. Rather than trying to enforce a strict no tolerance on bullying policy, it would be much easier to incorporate acceptance into our curriculum. In my placement classroom, my CT is very quick to shy away from anything that may have to do with shining a positive light on the LGBT community. While I understand that the school district is strict, I think it is important for students to know facts about the authors they are reading, and the acceptance levels in said time periods of those authors. One instance of this issue was during class one day when we were discussing the Holocaust. My CT was trying to get the students to understand that Jewish people were not the only ones victimized in the Holocaust, but refused to mention that gay and people of color were also persecuted. By doing this, we assume that our students are less intelligent and aware of the world than they are. If they can call each other “fags,” they are mature enough to understand the implications behind the word. If they are old enough to bully one another, they are old enough to accept one another. I think the issue with this is that teachers are so afraid of being challenged by students and parents, that they forget that a student who needs them might not be getting that acceptance. All teachers are bound to have LGBT students in their classes throughout their career, so I think it is essential to normalize and humanize LGBT people in our classes. Even subtle differences will stick out to the kids who really need it.