I found Anderson’s article on gay and lesbian youth to be quite interesting. It really is terrible that these adolescents have to hide or change who they are to be accepted. It really bothers me when people say that being gay is a choice. I have a few gay friends, and seeing what they go through and have gone through, it is really obvious that they did not choose to have to struggle with who they are. One part of the article that really saddened me was the part about how sometimes, gay and lesbian students will feel sad when they see a heterosexual couple holding hands down the hallway, because the gay and lesbian students will not be able to express their feelings of affection that way with such acceptance. I everyone wants to love and feel like they are loved, and it is just really awful that society condemns a love that is as harmless as homosexuality. I was also surprised by how little support there is for gay and lesbian youths. I do not know if things have changed since 2005, but I am hoping that there are more resources now for adolescents struggling with their identity.
After reading Fine and McClelland’s article, I was really puzzled as to how the government thought that the Abstinence Only Until Marriage approach was a good idea. Not educating youths about contraception and safe-sex just seems naive. I think it also crosses the separation of church and state because no sex before marriage is often seen as a religious appeal. In my high school, there were about three pregnant females in my four years there, and we were a relatively small school that did teach about safe sex practices. I wonder what those numbers would be like if there was no sex education class that taught about contraception.
I also thought Dance’s article “On Being Hardcore” to be very insightful. I especially liked the part on comparing fictional stories to a real life story. It is true that these sources of media do not show these teenagers in a multidimensional light. I am in no way saying that what any of these teens did was acceptable, but I am sure there are more complexities to their lives than what is portrayed. American History X, one of my favorite films, does a great job examining the complexities of hardcore life. It is a fictional film, and there are certainly cinematic elements to it, but it does a good job portraying these hardcore people as people. The part of the article with the “Jacket Incident” was absurd. I feel like it was really based on immaturity. Who was he trying to impress by freaking out over a jacket like that? And where will it get him in life? I do not see a point in any violence, but in invoking an attack based on something as nonsensical as a jacket, I have to admit, it actually annoys me.
Denise-I certainly agree with your first two blogs as those are the articles I focused on the most. I think it is terrible that for many high school students who are gay or lesbian, they have to worry about how that will affect people's views of them. The fact that many try to lead heterosexual lives or the other various ways they try to hide it was very unfortunate to read. I think part of it certainly is related to the other article by Fine and McClelland. By having better and more comprehensive sexuality education courses, issues from contraception to orientation could be covered in a variety of ways. Under curriculum's put forth by AOUM, both of these things, and others, are considered wrong and are things to be ashamed of. They preach both sex after marriage and that the proper marriage is heterosexual marriage over homosexual marriage. But if sexuality education classes could discussed openly these topics and teach understanding and acceptance, then perhaps these issues would lesson over time. At the very least, it would create well balanced and prepared students.
ReplyDeleteI think I am fortunate to be working at a school with comprehensive sex education. In addition to sexuality development, a full unit on contraception methods is taught to all freshmen. Additionally, I can tell you that many gay students feel completely comfortable displaying affection in our school. I truly believe that the school environment can be healthy for all, but it takes an administration and faculty to set the tone. In my classroom, I do not allow any anti-gay slurs, even if said between friends in a joking manner. Same goes for racial comments. If students are consistently guided, a healthy environment can be attainable.
ReplyDeleteBrad- What a great point that relating the two articles together. Perhaps if sexual education included a unit on orientation as well as contraception, and safe sex practices, more gay and lesbian students would be more comfortable with themselves. Adolescence is a confusing time in itself; adding homosexual feelings would definitely cause more confusion in a gay or lesbian student. Addressing these issues might make them feel unashamed of something that is normal.
ReplyDeleteKaren- I am SO GLAD to hear that so many gay students feel comfortable enough in your school to display affection. Good job not allowing any anti-gay or anti-race comments in your classroom. That is definitely something I want to enact wherever I end up teaching. I think it really makes a difference to gay and lesbian students to know that they have the support of a teacher, because they might not be getting that support at home or with their friends.
I also agree that it is terrible that these students feel the need to hide their true selves. A close family friend did this throughout high school and he was miserable. Once he was able to come out as being gay he was so much happier. I think schools need to do more to make their students feel comfortable. I know there are new groups like the gay and straight alliance but i think more still needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard enough growing up in itself and even harder if you are gay or lesbian. Why? I don't think it should be that way especially in this day and age where it is much more open than a few years ago even. Still, there are misconceptions and bullying that are still prevalent in schools.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I do not understand why the state feels like they should implement abstinence only when it is clear that many teens are sexually active. They cannot prevent sex and therefore their program doesn't make sense. Sex education should not have a bias at all, especially when it comes to assuming that everyone will wait for marriage, everyone will have a heterosexual marriage, everyone will get married at some point, etc.
I had a hard time reading Anderson's article as well. I didnt like the idea of a gay or lesiban student making themselves the hyper-male or hyper-female just to try to prove that they arent gay.
ReplyDeleteI do believe though, as i stated in my entry on this article, that the U.S. seems to be going in the right direction a little. With marriages slowly being allowed and more schools having gay-straight alliances, my hope is that within the next generation, we as a country can drop the homophobia. It is such an old fight to be having after all these years.