talking points #3

Talking points #3 on Carlson

PREMISES
Gayness
Schools
Communities
Secrets
Misunderstanding
Hidden feelings
Classrooms
Stereotypes
Hate
Lesbian
Culture
Life
Struggles
Respect


AUTHORS ARGUMENT
Carlson argues that public schools should build a community which recognizes and supports not only different genders and races but an individual’s different sexual orientation.


EVIDENCE
1.”gay people have been for the most part been made absent, invisible, and silent within this community and at the same time represented as the deviant and pathological ‘other’”

2. "Homosexual is an ostensibly neutral category, one designed by scientists; and yet is usage may involve a scientific distancing from the homosexual object of study and a refusal to see the political and cultural elements of sexual identity. 'Gay' and 'lesbian'../ are the most 'politically correct' labels, although their usage tends to further divide and separate men and women when in fact homophobia and oppression are directed against homosexuals as a group"

3. “Three techniques of normalization and (hence) marginalization have been of primary importance in this regard: (1) the erasure of gayness in the curriculum, (2) the “closeting” and “witch hunting” of gay teachers, and (3) verbal and physical intimidation for gay teachers and students”

POINTS TO SHARE

At times this article was easy to read and at time I found it to be quite challenging. I found myself having to look up a few words and going back and rereading more then a couple times. I thought the ideas the author suggested were really interesting. I thought this article gives great background knowledge to us as future teachers. And many of these ideas I will keep in mind for when I become a teacher in my own classroom.