14 July 2012

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation


This week we have solely been focusing on identity development, cultural influence and how family bias may have illustrated as the correct way to be in childhood.  We have also spent time on discussing sexual orientation and how we feel about this subject.  We were asked choose topics to discuss related to our resources this week and I chose to discuss my response to a parent or family member who stated that they would not want a homosexual or transgender to care for their child or interacting with their child.  I really had to do some thinking on this matter because it is my job to respect the wishes of parents and make them as comfortable as possible in the environment, but it is also my job to not be bias toward any other staff or colleagues that I partner with.  In this situation, having a productive one on one conversation to discuss reasons why he or she feels that way is my first step.  I would then discuss the goal of the learning community and express that sexual orientation has nothing to do with how well you teach, care for, and interact with children.  I would respect everything that is discussed but could not make promises as to who the child’s teacher would be.  The ultimate goal for our children is to provide a productive, progressive and healthy development for advancement in education and life.                                                     



I have not witnessed terms such as “fag”, “lesbo”, “sissy”, etc in my childhood years, but I heard them greatly in my high school days.  Where I am from and during that time, homosexuality was rising to the charts in the schools and other peers would definitely reveal biases toward these individuals.  I had friends who were homosexuals and I did not feel uncomfortable around them because I never publicly saw them do anything disrespectful to others.  They just dressed different from others or walked different from others.  I have even heard teachers in the classrooms make comments such as these.  These comments can definitely make children think that homosexuals can be harmful and it could make them curious to what it is being a “fag” “lesbo” “sissy”, etc. It hurts their view on people in general and teaches them that it is fine using that type of terminology.