Blog #1- Gender and Sexual Orientation
There are hate crimes and problems of bullying seen everywhere, especially in the education system. Students find themselves being discriminated or hated on for their race, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Changes need to be made, because there is no reason a child should fear to go to school because of who they are.
The issue is inequality. People need to understand that before anything else we are at first human beings. The color of one’s skin should not determine the education they receive or the person they are. Stereotypes and bias thinking cannot be made against anyone of different race or ethnicity. Education Weekly says "In a review of 472 verified accounts, we found that most incidents that took place in schools between January 2015 and December 2017 targeted black and Latino students, as well as those who are Jewish or Muslim." (Vara-Orta, 2018). "Most of the incidents—some of which were formally reported to school personnel—involved hate speech, spoken and written. Reports of bodily harm were relatively rare." (Vara-Orta, 2018). It is important as future educators that we bring attention to these things. We should not let any issue occur by taking it on before anything can happen.
Our students no matter their race or sexual orientation will look to us for help. It is our job to make each student feel safe and comfortable. It is important to talk about these things with students. Talking about movements like Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ movements and so much more is important for all students. Students of color will feel a sense of belonging and companionship if it is talked about. Students who are part of the LGBTQ+ community will too. “Students aren’t the only ones who’ll be learning from new materials about LGBTQ history. Few teachers learned it in school themselves. Newsela addresses this by including a glossary of terms and guidance for moderating classroom discussions, but some teachers are hoping for more professional development training before they bring the subject to their classrooms.” (Waxman, 2019). I agree with this completely. While I feel it has been brought up more nowadays, when I was a younger student, it was rarely brought to my attention. I believe educating ourselves is important for us to understand better. Watching films like “The Laramie Project”, was really eye opening. Yes I knew discrimination and horrible things have been said and done to people part of the LGBTQ+ community, but watching it makes me want to make a change even more.
The Laramie Project film is based on the true story of Matthew Shepard. Matthew Shepard was a gay man that lived in Wyoming, who was brutally beaten. He was robbed, tortured and left alone to die tied to a fence post. Children, students and any human being should not have to live in fear because of race, gender identity or sexual orientation. A change needs to begin somewhere and the education system should be part of that change. It should be brought up and talked about in schools. As future educators of the children for the future, it is our responsibility to create a better tomorrow for all people. Allowing children to express themselves and be there true selves without fear and living in peace is our goal. While things have been positively been changing, more still needs to be done.
Kaufman, M. (Director). (2002). The laramie project [film]. Good Machine, HBO Films.
Vara-Orta, F. (2018, August 6). Hate in schools.Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/hate-in-schools/2018/08
Waxman, O. (2019, December 13). As More States Require Schools to Teach LGBTQ History, Resources for Teachers Expand. TIME Magazine. https://time.com/5747670/lgbtq-history-resources/
Barnum, M. (2021, July 8). As states place new limits on class discussions of race, research suggests they benefit students. https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/7/8/22569197/critical-race-theory-bans-racism-schools-research
