Sexuality: An Analysis Of Homosexuality

In the article “Core Values and the Identity-Supportive Classroom: Setting LGBTQ Issues within Wider Frameworks for Preservice Educators” by Michael Sadowski, Sadowski discusses the issues and research on LGBTQ+ in education and a school environment. He focuses on both the students’ and teachers’ behavior towards LGBTQ+ situations. For students, more often than not, there are many forms of verbal harassment that take place such as slurs and derogatory language. For teachers, it is the lack of intervention when this harassment takes place, “38.6 % of the students…indicated that their teachers never intervened when they hear students use homophobic language…44% indicated that teachers intervened only ‘sometimes’.”

Amid the previous decade antigay viciousness has turned into a conspicuous social issue (Berrill, 1990). The National Gay and Lesbian Team reported 7,008 grievances of brutality and badgering against gay people in 1987 contrasted and 4,946 in 1986 and 2,042 in 1985 (Herek, 1989). Over various overviews Berrill (1992) discovered badgering and viciousness to be boundless and developing. Learns at the Colleges of Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania State, Yale, Rutgers, Oberlin, and Oregon have chronicled antigay scenes extending from verbal affront to physical roughness.

I believe teachers innately assume a corrective role in their interaction with students who exhibit gay or lesbian tendencies. Teachers are so accustomed to assuming roles and wearing various hats when dealing with their students. Teachers spend countless hours helping students learn to problem solve. Gay and lesbian tendencies are view as a problem especially in the elementary school years when students are at their purest and are naïve about the world and its expectations of them. In a teacher’s eyes boys should be playful, rough, and tough. Girls should be cute, prissy, and giggly. When teachers encounter children who are outside of their assumed roles they automatically try to correct them by saying things: “little girls/boys shouldn’t behave that way or little boys/girls shouldn’t walk like that or wear their clothes like that.” Teachers unconsciously and some consciously, devote a great deal of time trying to correct those undesired tendencies, which often leads to embarrassment or berating of the student(s). How teachers interact with these students is an area that needs to be explored.

The 10 Percent Problems and The Social Construction of Sexuality were definitely my favorite two articles that I have read for this class. I have learned no matter how advanced our world is, there are still people that are afraid to come out and admit they are gay. Even in 2016, there are people that would be against LGBT communities. After the election, a large number of crimes have been committed towards the LGBT community. It will influence my thinking by being more sensitive towards LGBT people. In the past, some of the ideas I had about LGBT effected the way I communicated with them. After reading this article, it made me realize how rude or insensitive that was. This year I have personally met my first Transgender individual. It gave

“I don't know how I'd live with you if you were gay, you'd be gross." This blunt statement caught my attention as I exited a local ice cream parlor the summer prior to entering high school. This remark, while radical, was not abnormal for the old fashioned and rural town I had grown up in. At first, I told myself not to let it get to me and that this mother had every right to believe what she wanted. After all, I didn't want to overthink what could have been the misinterpretation of a crude joke. When I saw the look of pure disgust at the simple thought of being gay on her daughter's face however, I felt weak and without dignity. As a lesbian myself, my esteem seemed to deteriorate like paper thrown into a fire. Nevertheless, I was inspired by this experience to analyze the state of society and to search for justice in situations where it is lacking.

Public views regarding certain people can be built quickly and the amount of criticism that people with a different sexual orientation receive mutilates their demeanor. Being a heterosexual, there are no misinterpretations, but being a homosexual has fingers pointing at them constantly. “The US Department of Justice reports that homosexuals are probably the most frequent victims of hate- motivated violence in the nation” (Reis). Those with a different sexual orientation who witness harassment of gay peers often reacts by hiding their sexuality even more vigorously out of fear or self- hate, while heterosexuals who observe the affliction may have remorse due to their silence and powerlessness similarly experienced by their bisexual or homosexual

The first outcome that I felt the most personal growth in was outcome number nine. This outcome is stated as, “Enhance your personal life by formulating a Personal Sexual Policy – an ethical/moral foundation for making decisions regarding an individual’s sexual rights and expectations.” I felt the overall focus in the class gave me the opportunity to explore and learn new ideas and perspectives on sexuality. While my personal outlook on my own sexuality remained unchanged, I did gain knowledge about the other views of sexuality. I feel this experience will help me as I look for significant other to settle down with and raise a family. For example, I’ll be able to except her views on sexuality and when we engage in sexuality related conversations

Sexuality and culture is also not something I had readily connected before. I work with adolescents and sexuality is something that often comes up and because of the diverse population of Winnipeg often cultural beliefs among families cause conflict around sexuality. I think up until now I had thought of sexuality as a belief system that could easily be changed with information, such as safe sex or average age of having first intercourse. After reading the chapters and your posts I am starting to understand that it is more than a belief system it's a schema developed from years and years of cultural practices and ideologies.

Compulsory heterosexuality is defined as the dominant norm for sexual orientation, thus to take on any other form of sexual orientation outside the norm is seen as a deviant act.1 This means that everything we perceive and everything we process in the world around us is seen through a heteronormative lens. My question is, does society play a role in creating this heteronormative views, or are humans naturally inclined or already born with such ideologies? Feminist theorist Judith Butler states that binary gender roles are outdated, and then develops the a feminist theory in which she merges gender and performativity. In an interview with XYZ, Butler stated in an interview suggests that gender performativity or gender in general proves to be

It is therefore crucial that teachers and schools at large possess the knowledge and understanding to transmute current discourses and their effects through effective teaching curriculum, policies, and strategies. Current secondary curricula fails to respond directly to the needs of LGBT students, and there is a failure to recognise that it has an impact on the beliefs, knowledge and norms instilled in all students, and therefore society at large (Robinson, Bansel, Denson, Ovenden & Davies, 2014; Ullman & Curwood, 2014). The exclusion of knowledge and experiences specific to LGBT students not only communicates to students that homophobia is accepted and considered the norm, but also perpetuates heteronormative discourses by neglecting to offer an alternative view on sexual diversity. This, in turn, marginalises LGBT students and prevents them from accessing information that could enable secure emotional and mental development throughout their adolescent

Discrimination is defined as the unjust or prejudicial treatment towards certain groups or categories of a specified entity. Encompassed within the scope of discrimination is the pertinent subject matter, Discrimination Against Homosexuals in Today's Youth. As the dynamic generation of the current world grows exponentially vocal with their standpoints, certain folds in the society today express their negative outlook pertaining to homosexuals, leading to the ostracized generalization of the already shunned minority. Therefore, the subject matter of discrimination against homosexuals is rather apt as a form of oppression.

In both of the texts, they cover the topic of homosexuality, but in very different ways. In text A, the idea of lesbianism is described by Evelyn as an ‘abnormality’, suggesting that being a lesbian is frowned upon, and considered strange. Evelyn also uses a euphemism to describe lesbianism, showing that the topic of being gay is a very taboo subject that most people don’t want to hear about, suggesting again that lesbianism is considered bad in this time. Because homosexuality is described as a negative thing, we can understand that this text was most likely written a while ago, as societies attitudes towards homosexuality has changed in recent years, and is now viewed as a positive thing. However, in text B, there is also mentions of lesbianism, but in a more direct way, as a dysphemism. The questioner states in the question that she thought that she ‘was

said he was making unwanted advances at them. I do not believe that environmental surroundings or social settings play any role in determining sexual orientation. While there may be an influencing atmosphere, I believe that it would have more of an impact on your personality and expression rather than your actual sexual preference. I think that if you are gay, then you are born that way. There is no time in your life in which you sit down, weigh the pros and cons, and then make the conscious decision of whether you want to be homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual, that is just not plausible. Sexual orientation is an aspect of life that is determined before birth.

The targeting of the LGBTQ+ community has often led to the dehumanization of the community. “[...] assault our democratic sensibilities and the foundations of fairness and equality that theoretically.” (Montgomery). This dehumanization and oppression of the LGBTQ+ community strikes fear into the hearts of those who aren’t sure of who they are. It makes it frightening to try to come out into the world as gay, bisexual or anything other than straight because of the stigma surrounding the community. Seeing

even though sexuality can be considered universal, the sexual behaviors affiliated with it offer different attitudes in various communities. Sexuality is aligned to sexual attraction where individuals can identify themselves with a broad range of sexuality that is bisexual, gay or being lesbian. Sexuality can change over time in a person depending on the circumstances surrounding him or her. It may be affected by the social circle and emotional imbalances that may occur in an individual. Interestingly there exists sexual inequality among many societies in the world. As observed, many societies encourage men to have multiple sex partners but forbid it in women. Moreover, pre-marital sex is promoted in men, but women are flaunted if they participate in pre-marital sex. Across the globe, Western Europe has embraced certain norms in sexuality such as homosexuality whereas African society embraces a negative attitude towards the same.