LGBTQ

After having read this weeks articles in addition to David Levithan's "Boy Meets Boy" I realized how difficult GLBTQ issues are to confront in the classroom. The topic is so controversial that I still am not quite sure how comfortable Iwould feel teaching this topic. It is not that I have negative feelings towards anyone who may fall under one of the categories of LGBTQ, or that someone's sexual preference violates my religious beliefs. These are absolutely ridiculous reactions to LGBTQ in my opinion. The young student in the video we previewed mentioned something along the lines of: it's how they want to live their life, so just let them do it. I think that this should be everyone's mindset when dealing with such issues, but obviously this is not the case. Rather it has been a topic that has caused many uprisings, controversies, and heartfelt debates. While many other forms of culture exist and have resulted in similar reaction, the LGBTQ scene sets itself apart from the other forms of diverse and multicultural literature we have discussed so far in our class. I think that it is the uncertainty of the matter. While most LGBTQ claim that it is not a decision that they make, but rather a part of their identity and who they are; it is not something that they can fake or change. However, on the other hand many non-LGBTQ find this difficult to understand (personally, I must say that I can not relate and therefore have difficulty comprehending their experiences, but I also believe this for many cultures that I am not a part of) and many believe that it is a decision that the person makes themself. This is different from many other forms of diverse literature because those are all mostly aspects of a person that are evident from the surface. Saying that they are things that a person can not change about themselves would be incorrect as LGBTQ people can not change this either, but they are are visually evident so people are forced to accept them. I suppose it is to the point where I am rambling, but after our class I have come to realize that this is a very difficult topic and is one that I need to further educate myself in. This weeks class has helped me to realize the importance of LGBTQ literature astheir voiced are very unheard. There are so many experiences out there that are waiting to be heard and to provide all people, LGBTQ and heterosexual alike, with an additional perspective on how our lifes are similar and how they are different.

Latino/Latina Museum Display

I found the museum exhibit to be pretty neat. I really enjoyed going around and reading about each persons history and especially enjoyed the unique photographs of each. I found it even more interesting to walk around and observe the photographs after having the docent speak about the how the person being photographed got to decide where and how they wanted the shot to be taken. I found each photograph to be a lot more meaningful and found that a lot of the time the picture was able to say just as much as the short little blurbs.

My only issue with the exhibit, as I mentioned towards the end of last week's class, is that a lot of the class was very accepting of each of the persons chosen to be represented in the exhibit. My point is not that these people are not deserving, they all very much are; they each did an amazing thing by conquering stereotypes and prevailing through some very difficult times. I found this to be somewhat problematic because the only voices shown in the exhibit were those that had succeeded, bringing about a sense that if you come to America then you will triumph which clearly is not always the case. The majority of Latino Americans do not always prove to be as successful. It bothered me some that this voice was left out.

I think that the exhibit had very good intentions, as I mentioned I did really enjoy it and it is very powerful, but I think that if it is the Latino American voice that they are trying to present then they must present that voice from as many angles as possible. It is possible to showcase Latino American culture, and accomplishments that have come about as a result of that culture, without only showing those who have made a fortune or those who have succeeded in terms of corporation or business. Maybe I am asking for too much, but I think that more voices could have been represented if the exhibit was displayed in a different manner; one that attempted to reach out to, and portray, the lives of all Latino Americans.