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.