Gender identity and gender issues are something that have been around forever. In my opinion, it's still something that is largely misunderstood. It's so forced into us that the "right" thing to do is for masculine men to marry feminine women, and to reproduce and have children, if they so desire. In elementary school, we never talked about being homosexual, bisexual, transsexual, or any other orientation/gender identity/gender expression other than heterosexual for that matter. So then, naturally, we were bred to think that this heterosexual, masculine male or feminine female identification is the 'norm', and anything outside of this category is not right. That doesn't even make SENSE to me! How confusing and frightening and intimidating would it be for a student who doesn't fall into this "norm"? How scary must it be for them to think "I'm not normal", and for that to be a bad thing?
It kills me to think what our education system is doing to children and youth. On and on we talk about equal education for all, including students with learning exceptionalities, and accommodating curriculum to the needs of our classes. In my opinion, gender issues is something that is ignored by many teachers, perhaps because it can be a tough subject to talk about. But why are teachers so afraid to address these issues? The fact that they're ignoring it only gives students the impression that it's not important to talk about, or that it's a very taboo subject that isn't appropriate for school. But the truth is, issues around gender can have very serious implications in the school community: on students, colleagues, and family members. Students need to know that it's okay to be who you are, and for everyone else to be who they are, regardless of gender identity.
I remember growing up when calling someone or something "gay" gave it a negative connotation. The worst part is, I'd hear this kind of talk and I knew that it meant something bad, but I never made the connection between homosexuality and the negative usage of the label "gay" to mean something bad. I'm sure that teachers knew that this kind of language was flying around at school. Why did they never tell us that it was wrong? Like Kelly told us in her presentation, we as teachers CANNOT just ignore these things that happen. If this language was heard in the halls or at recess, it needs to be addressed immediately.
I remember the day when I made the connection, when my older cousin who I looked up to was telling off his little brother for using the term. My older cousin isn't that much older than me, but he was enough older to know that it was wrong and to make sure we knew it was. He told us to think about how bad we'd feel if the word "gay" was actually "brunette". If there was something gross or stupid, and someone said "Oh my gosh, that's sooooOOOOOOoo brunette! Nasty!", how would I feel? I can't control the fact that I'm a brunette. I can hide my natural hair, by dyeing it if I want, or curl it or highlight it, but no matter what, I still know that I'm naturally a brunette and that will never change. And every time someone equates a part of ME with something that is disgusting, it makes me feel that I'm disgusting too. If I had dyed my hair blonde and then heard people talking about how "brunette" something was, I'd be afraid to let my roots show.
Now compare those feelings to someone who is gay. They can hide their true gender identity, but the more people equate their true identity with horrible things, the more difficult and embarrassing it is for them to come out. Since that day when I realized what it meant to call something "gay", I've expelled it from my vocabulary and I have been sure to react to it when other people use it.
In my first year practicum, I was put in a very difficult situation, probably the most difficult one I've been in yet. There was one little boy in the room who kept bringing in a doll that he liked to dress up. One day, the teacher took the doll from the boy and told him he couldn't play with it at school. Then she turned to me and said something along the lines of "I refuse to let him be criticized by his peers for who he is. Gay children get picked on all the time, and I won't allow it to happen in my classroom".
And I had no idea what to do. Forcing this child to hide his gender identity isn't going to help him in any way. I didn't know what to do. I knew it wasn't right, but I didn't know what to do about it. I wish that I could go back and reach out to that child and somehow show that teacher that her actions were wrong. Like the group last week mentioned in their presentation, I think times are changing, and that as a society we slowly are becoming more accepting of LGBT students. Often the people who are not accepting are the ones who are older, hold authoritarian roles, go to church, and are not educated in the field.
I think a great way to help all students feel comfortable with their sexuality/gender/gender identity, is to give them role models that they can look up to. Lady Gaga, for example, is a proud member of the LGBT community and her immense value of self-worth makes her a prime candidate for a positive role model. Not only in sexual orientation, but also in other aspects of her life (ie fashion), she is a strong individual, who will not hide who she is. She truly takes good with the bad, stands up for herself and gives all members of the LGBT community a strong voice. Her newly-released single, Born This Way is a positive message for ALL people, to be proud of who they are. I think her values could be a great way to introduce the topic of gender issues into our classes.
P.S. I just came across something that I thought was interesting: http://i.imgur.com/OBTQD.png
Just goes to show the misunderstanding and non-acceptance of people who fall under any category other than heterosexual. It's good to know that there are parents, friends and many others who support those who may be dealing with persecution at school for who they are.
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