Week 3 EDUC 6357

QUESTION #1 How you would respond to a parent/family member who informed you they did not want anyone who is perceived (or self-reported) homosexual or transgender to be caring for, educating, and/or interacting with their child. I actually had this happen. My husband has a very large Catholic family. Some of his aunts and uncles are very strict in their religious beliefs and frown upon homosexuality. I am also Catholic, but am very liberal in my views. At one Christmas gathering, one of his uncles was talking to several of his siblings and their spouses. Several of Brian's aunts and uncles are in the education field. His uncle knew that I was a teacher and simply stated that he did not want "gays teaching his only child". I simply asked him why he felt that way. He stated that he did not think sexual thoughts should go into a school setting. I told him that just because someone is homosexual it does not mean that they think about sex all the time. I asked him if he would rather have a caring, creative homosexual teacher or a rude, careless heterosexual teacher for his child. He responded that he guesses that he would want the caring one. I know that I did not change his overall views, but maybe he opened his mind for a bit. QUESTION #2 If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms such as "fag," "gay," "homo," "sissy," "tom boy," or "lesbo" as an insult by a child toward another child? Or, by an adult toward a child? Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all children? I taught 5th-8th grade students. When I taught in the junior high school setting, I had all boys in my classroom. I taught in a self-contained Emotional Disabilities classroom. Calling each other "gay" was something that I heard a lot. One day, one of my students, Damien, came to school after a long break. He was in 8th grade and many of the other boys looked up to him. Damien often remarked that the other boys were acting "gay" or an assignment was "gay". The remarks always had a negative connotation and were meant as an insult. Can you imagine if your lifestyle was to root of insults? That would make one become so ashamed of who you are. Damien and I had a good rapport and he trusted me. One day it was his turn to eat lunch in my classroom with my male assistant and myself. Damien told me that his older brother had told him over the weekend that he was homosexual. Damien was having a very hard time with this. He told me that he loved his brother, but thought it was so gross. He did not want the other boys to find out. Later that afternoon, he got into a fight defending another boy (on the bus) that the other students had called "gay". Although I do not condone fighting, I thought it was a good step for Damien in accepting his brother.