Current Connection Blogpost4

Part 1

1. Some themes from the during reading that I chose to emphasize were how students part of the LGBTQ+ community feel unwelcomed/not accepted and are experiencing bullying and harassment because of their way they identify.
2.  In the during reading article we have learned about the effects of homophobia and heterosexism. For example, the issues with bullying and harassment of LGBTQ+ students have been receiving growing attention from the media, yet we never hear about the root of the problem. The root behind every act of harassment and violence on the LGBTQ+ community is homophobic/ sexist people that do not want to accept anyone “different from them”. I was able to relate this issue to the issue in my current connection where we see that LGBTQ+ students, specifically in their middle school years, feel as though they aren’t accepted in school primarily because of the homophobic-related harassment received by other students and even teachers.

Part 2 | Self-Reflection

1. My prior knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community is slim to none because of where I grew up and the schools I attended. I never was exposed to people of these varying identities at my private catholic schools, therefore I was never really educated on the LGBTQ+ community.
2. I have learned so much about this community and the oppression that they have had to face, especially in school. I’ve learned that the media often does a poor job of broadcasting the root of the problem behind the harassment and bullying that the LGBTQ+ community faces. I have also learned that when students don’t feel accepted or welcomed in the school environment they will have a decreased level of academic performance, poor mental health, social isolation, and lack of necessary resources for support.
3. This topic matters to me because I strongly believe that everyone must be valued in society and treated with love and respect no matter their identity or sexual orientation. The root of the problem behind harassment and bullying in our schools is homophobia and sexism- they do this because they aren’t comfortable with people who are “different”. The only way to end this hate against identity is to educate our schools and fill them with the proper resources- promoting inclusive language, providing safe spaces, and providing comprehensive workshop training for educators to be equipped with the essential knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community.

References:

Wall, P. (2023, November 9). ‘Unsafe, unwelcoming’: LGBTQ students report facing hostility at school. Chalkbeat. https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/10/25/23421548/lgbtq-students-mental-health-school-safety-survey/

Meyer, E. (2007).  “But I’m Not Gay”: What Straight Teachers Need to Know about Queer Theory. In N. Rodriquez & W. Pinar (Eds.), Queering Straight Teachers: Discourse and Identity in Education. (pp. 15-32). New York, NY: Peter Lang.

Google Slides Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14ylpfITQm-DczZYjalGvWhu7NNKmEo4tz0nXlhsMEC4/edit#slide=id.p