Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGBT Youth & 11 and Gender Fluid: Hyperlinks

Safe Spaces 

Summary 

  In the reading titled Safe Spaces: Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGBT Youth, by Annemarie Vaccaro, Gerri August, and Megan S. Kennedy, the authors discuss how educators can create a more inclusive environment for their students. The authors argue that by not including the history of LGBTQ, not validating those who are LGBTQ or have family or friends who are, and by not integrating them into the curriculum, educators are marginalizing these students. In the reading it states, "Without the deliberate creation of an inclusive atmosphere, however, what happens inside classroom walls reproduces the prejudices that exist outside these walls: straightness and gender conformity are assumed; LGBT identity is deviant" (August 84). The authors provide examples of teachers who integrate LGBT into their classrooms along with examples of teachers who fail to provide positive teaching lessons regarding LGBTQ history, family or people who identity as LGBTQ. Even though the text only provides a few examples of real life situations that occur regarding the issue of including LGBTQ into classroom curriculum, there are many other current examples as well. I have included various links to other stories that correspond to the examples provided by the authors. 

Hyperlinks 

The Show 'Author' Gets Pulled Down by State of Alabama

The show, Author, is a children's show broadcast by PBS. In one of

the more recent episodes, the character, Mr. Ratburn who is a teacher, is getting married. In the episode, the students were about to object to his wedding with the woman, they assumed to be his fiance, but instead discover the woman is Mr. Ratburn's sister and he is instead getting married to a man. The students then are excited for their teacher to be married. The state of Alabama refused to air the episode, due to the fact that it depicts a gay wedding. The director of the Alabama Public Television (APT), said that airing the episode would break the trust of the parents, because they do not always supervise their children when they watch APT. This situation, relates to the other PBS show from the article, Postcards from Buster, which in one episode, depicts a child with two mothers. The Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings said, "Many parents would not want their young children exposed to the life-styles portrayed in this episode" (August 86). The show Postcards from Buster, was ended shortly after that episode aired. In these two instances, heterosexism was validated but the LGBTQ community was not. 

How to Teach Gay Issues

In the article, "How to Teach Gay Issues in the First Grade", in the Los Angeles Times, by Teresa Watanabe, she discusses various ways in which LBTGQ is taught in Wonderland Avenue Elementary School, but also the challenges and opposition of others that come with it. For my post, however, I wanted to focus on one major component of the article, because it directly reminded me of the teacher Zeke Lerner in Safe Spaces. You are still able to click on the link above to read the entirety of the article, because it is very interesting. In her article, Watanabe explains that Wonderland Avenue Elementary School has lesson plans that directly incorporate diverse families including those with gay parents. A teacher at the school, Jane Raphael, brought together first and second graders to sit in a circle and share about their family. Their was no direct discussion about LGBTQ, but it demonstrated that there are various families. This exercise reminded me of how Zeke Lerner read the book, Tango Makes Three, to his students. The book entailed a story about two male penguins who hatched and raised a baby penguin. Lerner, however, took the lesson further than Raphael did, by interpreting the stories to his students. Lerner described all the various families, from the numerous stories, he read in the same way, which taught "positive values of love and caring were associated with same-sex couples and their families" (August 90).

School Bans Discussion of Homosexuality (Video)

In the state of Minnesota, the school district bans teachers from discussing homosexuality. The school follows a neutrality rule, which consequently leads to students being bullied. In the six minute CNN video, four students, Kyle, Brittney, Damian and Dylan are interviewed about their experiences in the Minnesota's public schools. Each one of the students is bullied for either being gay, having gay parents or for doing activities that go against "gender norms" (I put gender norms in quotations because the video is a few years older and many men and women are doing activities that were once seen as just for men or just for women). In the video, Brittney discusses a situation where she reported to the school counselor that students were calling homophobic slurs. The counselor proceeded to tell Brittney that she should not use those words as they were not school appropriate and to just ignore those students. The students who were bullying Brittney were never spoken to nor received any form of punishment. The instance of Brittney relates to the reading Safe Spaces, where a "seven-year old Marcus was sent to the principal's office and assigned in-school suspension for using the word 'gay' in school. Marcus was not calling one of his classmates gay. Nor was he using the word to refer to something cheesy. No- Marcus was describing his family...he had two moms" (August 95). Even though Marcus's story is not the exact same as Brittney's, the two are similar in the sense that each student was rebuked by the adults in their schools just for using the word to either describe what someone called them or to describe their family. In the video, the actress Jane Lynch was interviewed in which she said that the neutrality of the schools in Minnesota was what she felt a way for the adults to avoid their responsibility to protect their students. There is no advocate for the students in these schools. The authors of Safe Spaces, prove Lynch's statement true in which they state, "In the absence of meaningful discussion that combats homophobia and transphobia, students use and hear language that denigrates and abuses their LGBT peers (August 96-97.)

11 and Gender Fluid

Summary

The article is written from the perspective of Erin Zelle, the mother of Sullivan who since the age of 11 identified as gender fluid. Gender fluid is "a fluid shift between masculine and feminine depending on how one feels" (Zelle). In the article, Zelle discusses her daughter's transformation from when she was younger to middle school. At first her daughter started to express herself by wearing hats and then began to wear more masculine clothing and even cut her hair shorter. Zelle, also showcases the support and admiration she has for her daughter's style and self-expression. Zelle states her reaction to Sullivan's outfit by stating, "I loved the way it looked and felt invigorated by her energy" (Zelle). The article implies to encourage others and allow them to express themselves however that may be, which is shown by Zelle's appreciation and love for her daughter's self-expression.

Hyperlinks

Lachlan Watson and Gender Fluidity

As I was reading Zelle's article, I could tell how supportive of her daughter she was and how much she admired that her daughter was not afraid to express herself. I could not help but make the connection between Sullivan to an actor from the Netflix series Sabrina the Teenage Witch. In the series the character of Susie Putnam is portrayed by actor Lachlan Watson. Lachlan Watson struggled with identity as well, until he realized that he did not hve to conform to one gender. In the article that I have provided a link to above Watson states, "You don’t have to label yourself so quickly, you don’t have to just be one thing or another. You are allowed to forge your own path and you can do it brilliantly and independently" (Prance). In the article Watson discusses his connection to his character Susie Putnam on the show who is also LGBTQ and his personal experience as well. 

Personal Connections

I love my grandmother very much and she would do anything for her four granddaughters, but she struggles to accept that one of them is gay. My younger cousin, who is 15, has recently come out as being gay and has started to gravitate to wearing more masculine clothing. My grandmother is having a difficult time accepting this about my cousin, even though my grandmother loves her unconditionally. My grandmother does not like to discuss that my younger cousin is gay and she tries to encourage my younger cousin that she is not gay and to wear more feminine clothing.  Upon reading the two articles, it made me think how invalid this must make my younger cousin feel and that she is marginalized by my grandmother, who does not discuss homosexuality or gender fluidity with her. I want my grandmother to read the articles try to understand what my younger cousin is feeling or thinking.  

Talking Points

After finishing reading the texts, my mind began to wonder a multitude of things. I began reflecting on my past encounters and wonder if I ever made anyone ever feel like they were invalid, due to the fact that I may have just not said anything. I could not think of a specific time off the top of my head, but the article is making me more aware of what I say or do not say in the future. The article also asked questions after the end of each section which made me reflect on my education and if homosexuality was ever discussed when I was younger. I do not ever remember learning about homosexuality or ever hearing about it from a teacher. I am left wondering how many students feel invalid during school or marginalized, since LGBTQ history is not taught nor is homosexuality discussed.


Works Cited

August, Gerri, et al. Safe Spaces: Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGBT       Youth. Praeger.

Aviles, Gwen. “'Arthur' Character Mr. Ratburn Comes out as Gay, Gets Married in Season Premiere.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 14 May 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/arthur-character-mr-ratburn-comes-out-gay-gets-married-season-n1005436. 

CNN. “School Bans Discussion of Homosexuality.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Oct. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=wKQq2hfhs24. 

“Pin by Ali on Res Life: College Bulletin Boards, Ra Bulletin Boards, February Bulletin Boards.” Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/309904018100251858/. 

Rachel, et al. “10 Ways Educators Can Make Schools Safer for LGBT 
Prance, Sam. “Susie Was Originally Going to Come out as a Trans Man in 'Sabrina' Season One.” PopBuzz, PopBuzz, 1 Nov. 2018, https://www.popbuzz.com/tv-film/chilling-adventures-of-sabrina/lachlan-watson-susie-putnam-trans-non-binary/. 
Youth.” Autostraddle, 2 Oct. 2015, https://www.autostraddle.com/10-ways-educators-can-make-schools-safer-for-lgbt-youth-309996/. 

Watanabe, Teresa. “How to Teach Gay Issues in 1st Grade?” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2011, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-oct-16-la-me-gay-schools-20111016-story.html. 

Yasharoff, Hannah. “Airing 'Arthur' Gay Wedding Would Be a 'Violation of Trust,' Alabama TV Station Says.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 21 May 2019, https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2019/05/21/alabama-tv-station-cut-arthur-episode-gay-wedding/3750852002/. 

Zelle, Erin. “Commentary: 11 and Gender Fluid: Suits, Ties and Other Staples from My Daughter's Closet.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2016, https://www.latimes.com/fashion/la-ig-new-gender-fluidity-essay-20160815-snap-story.html.