sexeducation-yp-blog

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

The small classroom

Once upon a time there was a school in a small suburban area with diverse students. In the school there were students who were Black, White, Latino, etc. The faculty in the school had been giving basic information in sex education towards a heterosexual community. The teacher for sex education was black and the classroom had the majority of minority students. Since she was a minority she understood some of their struggles. The school thought everything was going fine until one day a couple of students questioned the teacher. She had been giving them information and then she asked if the students had any questions. One day after asking if they had questions a student asked what a person who felt like they neither belonged in the gender binary would be considered. This brought more questions from other students on gender issues and gender identity. From some of the knowledge she had she began to tell them what she knew. She realized this caught everyone’s attention. She felt like this information along with the information given in sex education was being useful to the students. A few weeks later a student who identified as a gay Latino entered the classroom. The school faculty was not sure how other students would treat him, since he would be the new kid with a different identity it could lead him to being bullied. However they were happy to see the rest of the students welcomed him for who he was without judging him and discriminating him. The teacher was happy to see how talking about gender issues and identity in sex education had helped the students and she received an award from the school.

I created this short story to try to show how having in depth inclusive information could be beneficial. As I found in my research “sex education breaks the silence”. Schools should require sex education to give in depth information as to how to protect oneself and also talk about gender issues and identity. The way sex education is being taught now seems to reinforce the idea that heterosexual is the best way to be rather than also understanding the LGBTQ community. Although this short story just gives a small example on a identity, I want people to see that all identities should be accepted, whether they are heterosexual or LGBTQ. Whether they are people of color or not and whether they are from a lower class or not. As a society we should be understanding how everyone’s experiences are different. I hope this short story shows how by having inclusive sex education people would be more accepting of the LGBTQ community if they understood more. The LGBTQ community would not have to struggle as much to try to be accepted.

-Yesenia P.

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

Reflection

Sex education begins to be given to children and if children knew there is more than just a gender binary they would be more understanding of people who are LGBTQ. Those who are LGBTQ would feel more confident in being themselves as they are growing up and once they become adults they will be able to face more obstacles in a more confident way. By being educated on issues of gender identity people would be more sensitive towards each other. Based on the program in Massachusetts to try to help sexual minorities I think other schools in the United States should be doing the same. I feel like all schools should try to talk these important issues to create an environment where students are able to enhance their learning without fear of being discriminated or being bullied. The environment they are in can affect their performance therefore schools should make it feel like a safe place by including important information in sex education.

    Doing this research I feel like I learned how people who identify as heterosexual might not see much of a problem in sex education being taught towards a heterosexual audience. They might feel like it is something normal. However this allows the continuation of this idea that there is just a gender binary and that anything different is not normal. They might not realize how this continues to marginalize the LGBT community. I feel like people should not be so quick to judge and let others be who they want to be.

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

Annotated list of additional resources

Bittner, Robert. "Queering sex education: Young Adult literature with LGBT content as complementary sources of sex and sexuality education." Journal of LGBT Youth 9.4 (2012): 357-372.

Fields, Jessica. Risky lessons: Sex education and social inequality. Rutgers University Press, 2008.

Irvine, Janice M. Talk about sex: The battles over sex education in the United States. Univ of California Press, 2004.

Mayer, Kenneth H., et al. "Fenway Community Health’s model of integrated, community-based LGBT care, education, and research." The health of sexual minorities. Springer US, 2007. 693-715.

McGarry, Robert. "Build a Curriculum That Includes Everyone: Ensuring That Schools Are More Accepting of LGBT Students and Issues Requires More Than Passing Mentions of Diversity in Sex Education Classes." Phi Delta Kappan 94.5 (2013): 27.

Rasmussen, Mary Louise, Eric Rofes, and Susan Talburt. Youth and sexualities: Pleasure, subversion, and insubordination in and out of schools. Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.

Szalacha, Laura A. "Safer sexual diversity climates: Lessons learned from an evaluation of Massachusetts safe schools program for gay and lesbian students." American Journal of Education 110.1 (2003): 58-88.

Talburt, Susan. "Constructions of LGBT youth: Opening up subject positions." Theory into practice 43.2 (2004): 116-121.

http://www.ngrguardiansnews.com/2015/08/how-moral-sex-education-can-enhance-teenagers-life-worth/

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

Your recommendations

    I would recommend for schools to require more in depth information in sex education. They should be giving important information on issues of gender identity and protection against aids. They should give this information to open people’s mindsets so that they can be more sensitive towards each other. Another recommendation would be that schools should have programs like the one in Massachusetts to create a safer and diverse environment for the students. Another recommendation would be for schools to create programs where parents attend to learn more on sex education so that they can try teaching some information to their children.

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

Summary

    Researching how sex education plays a role on the discrimination of LGBTQs shows how conservative ideals have served in the past to shape how many people still behave today. Conservative people such as doctors and religious figures have tried to impose this idea that there is a gender binary, that a man and a woman must be together. However they felt like the ideal was abstinence until marriage. Since they expected people to be abstinent until marriage they felt like by preventing them from important knowledge they would accomplish this. However preventing people from important knowledge like protecting themselves they are likely to get AIDS. People who are LGBTQ have the highest rates with AIDS which leads them to be even more marginalized because many people continue to have the mentality that LGBTQ people have a problem. This traces back to when doctors use to try to find body measurements in order to solve their questions as if something was wrong with a person. If sex education is very limited people continue to be oppressed and within the LGBTQ community transgender women of color are the most oppressed.

The problem is far reaching because if sex education is not being taught in a way that is inclusive of all gender identities it leads the LGBTQ community to continue being marginalized and discriminated. They will have to keep struggling to be accepted into society for being who they want to be. People will continue to judge them for having different preferences rather than being more sensitive to their feelings. LGBTQ people will continue to struggle to be accepted into society. This relates to the course in many ways, the issues of intersectionality are seen and how sex education keeps shaping the ideas of people as to how they view LGBTQs.

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

Description of how the problem is an intersectional issue

    The race, class, and gender people are from affect the people’s experiences. Since sex education is aimed for students who are heterosexual, those who are not are more discriminated. Within this group of LGBT their economic status and race also takes on a large role on the discrimination they face. Those who are from a lower class face more discrimination than those who are from a higher class. People of color face more oppression than those who are White even if both identify as LGBT. White people always have more privilege than those of color. Transgender women of color are the most oppressed amongst the LGBT community. 

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

Discussion of power structures

    One of the power structures that relate to the topic of sex education and the discrimination of LGBT is public education. Although public education is meant to teach the students important information they have set policies that create an environment within the schools that is primarily heterosexual. They do not try to include information in regards to gender identity that could benefit the students, especially those who identify as LGBT. The information in public schools is limited to some extent.

    Another power structure relating to the topic is the employers of places. Sometimes some employers are heterosexual and have just learned that there is a gender binary often times choose to hire people who also identify as heterosexual. They might have a close mind set or homophobia and might not want people who identify as LGBT working for them. They might reject these employees because of their gender identity more than based on if they have the required qualifications for the job.

    The medical establishment is also a power structure that relates to the topic because they kept trying to impose the idea that there was a gender binary. They would use body measurements on people to try to figure out what was wrong with them. They would see those who were different as abnormal or like if something was wrong with them. They started to see them as if they had a problem for which they could find a solution for. Since doctors are seen as experts people believed them, leading to more discrimination on LGBT people. 

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

Discussion of a real example

    I decided to interview a friend who identifies as a gay Latino man. This person is from a lower working class who works in a hair salon where he does hair and makeup. This individual said that when he came out to his parents, his mom was more understanding because as a mother she felt like his gender identity did not change his nice personality. However his father was not as accepting because he felt like there was just a gender binary. He said his father felt like only a man and a woman were meant to be together. It took him a while to accept his son’s identity and support him.

    This person said that he felt like students in the school he attended to were not receiving enough information on gender identity. Like in other schools it was aimed towards students who were heterosexual. He felt like because the information was just focused more on them he had to find other ways of learning information that would help him. He learned many things from the internet and from his friends, some who also identified as LGBTQ. Since he is a friendly and humorous person who works in a field where he has many clients he is accepted within these places. However when he is in certain places like a woman’s clothing store he still feels a little uncomfortable purchasing items because he feels like people around him will look at him and judge him. 

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

The article discusses how Massachusetts is the only state that has addressed the safety on sexual minorities, they have the program Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students (SSP) which was created in 1993. Their goal is to promote a safe environment in schools to enhance the students learning. Another goal they have is that all the members of the school are informed and sensitized to have a sexual diverse climate (SDC). The article is based on a study done in Massachusetts to see if the SSP programs implemented in schools in the state have helped in having a sexual diverse climate. Based on their findings they concluded that in all the schools that had at least one of the recommendations the SSP had felt like they had a safer school with a less sexually prejudiced environment than in those that did not have any. They said that researchers had come to conclude that the environment students were in affected their learning. They found that schools that were more prejudice of nonconforming students had lower school performances, had high dropout rates, faced physical violence and psychological stress.

I agree that there should be more programs like this one to help have schools that are more diverse so that people can be more sensitive towards each other, especially to those who identify as LGBTQ. I feel like if they have programs like these and sex education classes students will be informed and they will not judge others for their identity. If they learn to have a sexually diverse community in schools they can learn to do the same outside of school as well. One of the things I disagree with was that the program seemed to focus more on gay men and lesbian women. I feels like there should be programs that encompass all LGBTQs and looking at racial minorities as well because everyone’s experiences are different.  

Why do other states not follow this state’s example and try doing something similar? Why do they focus more on lesbian women and gay men?

http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/10.1086/377673.pdf?acceptTC=true

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

Analysis of a Scholarly Article

    In the book Talk About Sex: The Battles of Sex Education in the United States it stated “Sex Education breaks a silence” (Livine”. The book discusses reasons for the United States does not teach enough information in sex education. It said that the conservatives did not want to disturb a child’s innocence with sex talk. The article refers to the “Roman child” as a child who is innocent and does not know know about sex. The conservatives felt that by having too much information being given to them it would be a way of corrupting that  innocence. Since sex education breaks silence on important issues the government wanted to constrain this information from students. However in the sixties the openness of sexuality increased and communities in the U.S began to debate whether or not to talk about sexual options in schools. They said that an open discussion on the topic would leave students with an active curiosity. The article says that “sex education’s story is part of long-standing efforts to regulate sexual morality through control of sexual speech” (Livine). They wanted to focus on abstinence until marriage.

    I agree that the conservatives take on a large role as to why schools are not giving enough information to all students. Since they are conservative they try to keep everything in silence and sex education breaks that silence they expect. The conservatives expect people to be abstinent until marriage and feel that the way to get to do that is by preventing them from knowing important information. I disagree on them not wanting to give enough information because by people being unaware of important information it leads them to not have enough knowledge to protect themselves from diseases. Especially people who are LGBTQ because if there is not enough information being given to heterosexual people there is even less to them. Some questions to ask is why do conservatives or religious people try to impose their ideals and values on others rather than being open to others? I feel like they have a closed mindset and feel uncomfortable looking at other views and try to defend themselves by choosing to say things must be done a certain way.

    This source’s approach is different than the web source because the web source was more about as to why there should be comprehensive sex education. The web source talked about the consequences of not having comprehensive sex education in which gender identity is discussed affected LGBTQ students. It also talked about the positive effects it would have to have comprehensive sex education. In this source it talked about all students not receiving enough information. It talked about different reasons for which schools were restraining themselves from giving all basic information to students. It discussed how it was a way of breaking silence within all the community.

https://books.google.com/books?id=jBWYvXt18CwC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

Analysis of a Web Source

   In the article LGBT- Inclusive Sex Education Means Healthier and Safer Schools from  Center for American Progress. In 2013 the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg and Rep. Barbara Lee reintroduced the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act in both the Senate and the house of Representatives. It discussed the importance of including information for the LGBT students. It said “it would require comprehensive sex education to cover sensitive and respectful discussions of gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation, among other topics.” The article discusses the negative consequences sex education aimed towards just heterosexual students and the benefits it would have to pass the act which includes information for those with a noncomforming gender. It discusses how this would benefit all youth more than what abstinence-only programs do. It said sex education was legally mandated in 22 states, from those states 12 are mandated to teach about the contraception, from those only 7 are mandated for the information to be medically accurate. This allows for people to not be well informed which makes them vulnerable to diseases.

    The article said that people face bullying because there is not comprehensive sex education. This pushes people who are LGBT to get involved in drug or alcohol abuse. They are the ones with the highest rates in this. Many times they do not want to suffer discrimination anymore and commit suicide. The article said that among the transgender people, HIV is four times more prevalent than the average. From those, transgender women are color are the most affected. It said that transgender and noncomforming people have the highest rates of sexual violence. The transgender and nonconforming youth of color are the most affected.

    I agree with all the claims they make about having inclusive sex education in schools because it would benefit everyone. If people are more informed that there is more than a gender binary I feel like people will be more open to understanding other people’s situations. I think that it would allow for people to not be as judgy and instead accept others for who they are. If people do not know about important topics many times they will not pay attention to them because they feel like they are not being directly affected. However as a whole population if people have a closed mind set it allows for people to be more judged and discriminated. While reading the article a question that came to mind is how many states would actually pass this act? Maybe just a few and depending on the results they will require it in more states. Another question was how come not all the states require their schools to teach as much possible about sex education to the students? They should be required to give important information.  

“All youth deserve education that empowers them to make healthy, informed decisions about their relationships and their bodies.”

[sexeducation-yp-blog]

Introduction:

Role of Sex Education in the discrimination of LGBTQ's

I will be looking at the role of sex education in the discrimination of the LGBTQ community. Looking at why there are certain issues that schools refrain from teaching all the students. In schools the sex education being taught is mostly towards heterosexual people. Why not explain how there is more just two genders, male and female? The school system is in a heteronormative structure and therefor the sex education is as well. This seems to reinforce the idea that there is a gender binary. This is a significant problem because it leads to the LGBTQ community to continually struggle to be accepted in a heterosexual society. This is an issue that matters because there is not only a gender binary. Maybe if people were informed about this through sex education there would be a broader understanding of gender and people would be more accepting of one another. Maybe the LGBTQ community would not have to struggle as much to try to be accepted into society. This is an interesting topic because in many instances it seems like even with sex education towards those who are heteronormative seems to not give enough information to people. They focus more on abstinence as a way of not getting pregnant or getting sexually transmitted diseases rather than thoroughly explaining how to protect one's self.

-YP 

http://www.ngrguardiansnews.com/2015/08/how-moral-sex-education-can-enhance-teenagers-life-worth/