Students from Mater Academy Lakes Middle School understand the impact of gender and orientation bullying on a visceral level. During our community dialogue, I was astonished to hear the questions and responses these students were giving us. When asked about the gender expectations for boys they yelled “Boys don’t cry!” and for girls they yelled “Look pretty!” Their insights about gender expectations were unfiltered and honest.
Immediately they understood that orientation slurs are about gender. They also understood that when we use slurs like “That’s so gay,” they can make others depressed, and even commit suicide. When asked how often they hear anti-gay slurs, most of the students raised their hands and said, “Everyday.”
It reminded me of when I was in middle school. I couldn’t conceive of going one day without hearing an anti-gay slur in school. What if all the students at my middle school had this education presented to us? I can only imagine we would have grown up less fearful and with a new way to talk about gender and orientation that doesn’t put others down.
One student wrote, "I used to be homophobic so I never liked gay or transgender people, but after the dialogue I have changed the way I think of gay and transgender people." - 13 year old male student
No comments:
Post a Comment