When Silence Just Isn't Enough

In Chapter 5 of Safe Spaces-Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGTB Youth, Vaccaro, August and Kennedy argue that we as educators must be vigilant in making sure LGTB students have access to a school atmosphere that is safe both in the curriculum it presents and the communication it fosters. The authors argue that most educators do not fully acknowledge the LGTB community nor do they make a serious effort to discourage derogatory remarks and ideas in the classroom.  "Good intentions are not enough.  Being a fair-minded individual is not enough.  We argue that educators must publicly commit to creating classroom climates of inclusivity and respect with the pledged cooperation of all students"(99).  This statement really got me thinking about my own teaching practice in a way I never have before.  I consider myself to be someone who is completely comfortable with the LGTB community.  I have several gay family members with all sorts of family configurations, so one would assume that I'd feel completely comfortable talking about and choosing literature that covers and embraces these topics.  However, for some reason, homosexuality/transgender topics do not come up all that often in my classroom.  Now I'm asking myself if I am one of those educators who, "shrinks from challenging dominant social patterns and expectations, especially in relation to sexual orientation or gender identity"(86).  The authors, in answer to that dilemma, contend that we are so inundated with ingrained social messages pertaining to traditional sexual roles, that we sometimes (without even being consciously aware of it) ascribe to these notions; as a result, it comes out in our teaching.  "Powerful social messages are responsible (at least in part) for this noncritical allegiance to traditional perspectives"(86).  It's as though we aren't even aware of the fact that we are contributing to the problem.  Now, however, I'm cognizant of the fact that I'm doing it, and I maybe even understand why I'm doing it.  The most important thing I've realized, however, is that I need to figure out a way change.

I think one reason that it's difficult to introduce LGTB topics in the classroom is because of pressure from parents.  When talking about a Postcards From Buster animated series which featured a lesbian couple in one of its episodes, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings expressed opposition to the program by stating, "Many parents would not want their young children exposed to the life-styles portrayed in this episode"(86).  Similarly, in this New York Times article, many parents were up in arms when a California school tried to implement curriculum which included various depictions of same sex families beginning in elementary schools.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/education/04bcgay.html?pagewanted=all&module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As%2C%7B%222%22%3A%22RI%3A14%22%7D&_r=0
In the article, Shih argues that parents in the Vallejo district feel as though they should have control over what their children are exposed to in the classroom.  However, I think in the word "exposure" lies the real root of the problem.  These families obviously think that there is something "wrong" with same-sex families; consequently, they don't feel as though their children should be "exposed" to a type of family that goes outside of what they deem "normal."  We, as educators, therefore, need to act as 'outcubators'(84).  "Teachers and peers usher children from the relative protection and insulation of family life into the classroom, where (perhaps for the first time) children encounter cultural and ethnic norms different from those of their family.  If our homes are incubators, keeping our children safe as they grow into the patterns of family life, schools are 'outcubators'-places that introduce new ways of thinking and behaving"(84). It is a school's responsibility to introduce students to many different types of people and to champion diversity as an essential component to a rich life.  I think that from now on in my own practice, I need to act as a vessel of "outcubation."  In other words, I need to introduce LGTB topics, ideas and families as part of my classroom practice.  I can't be afraid to do so because I need to ensure that students who are homosexual or transgender or come from nontraditional families feel included, validated, and most importantly represented in my classroom. It is my responsibility to do so and I think Vaccaro, August and Kennedy would agree.