Teaching Homosexuality in Schools.. (Page 4)

Thank God for the three pages of content here. When I first read the title I pictured a hot pink colored classroom blaring Village People 'YMCA' in the background, with the teacher instructing young men how to shave their legs. "Well done Johnny. Look how smooth your legs are now. You are an ideal homosexual".

Now what the heck do we mean by teaching homosexuality in schools? I am assuming its not gay boot camp like I pictured above. There are two things that come in mind - actual homosexual content or diversity awareness.

Regarding homosexual content. It is virtually impossible for the educational system to pretend that the homosexual content that will arise in different subject matters does not exist. There is no magic stick that will *poof* make 'gayism' dissappear (Oh how I love the coinage of gayism. It like kicks homosexuality up a notch to an elevated cultural status. Its not being gay, its called following gayism )

In biology we will come across all forms of sexuality in animals, humans, the birds and the bees. If you take mythology you cannot escape supergays/bis like Apollo, Hyacinthe, Gilgamesh, Artemis (she is a virgin though) , Hercules etc. [Boy Raj, you don't ever want to read about Pasiphae] If you take literature you cannot ignore Sapphic literature, Victorian romantic friendships and all sorts of references. If you take history you come across Alexander and Hephastion, his obsession with exotic boys, the ancient Spartan and Persian armies. In fact there is actually a whole thesis book on the success of Spartan and Persian armies because the men were not just soldiers or friends, but actual lovers. In the arts we have Michaelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci both who were bisexual. In philosophy we have Aristotle and Plato and the likes who distinguished between "physical love" and "intellectual love". They thought men would be wiser and successful if they took on a male intellectual lover. So I dont think we will be cutting out homosexuality from education unless we reconvene a global grand council of Nicaea and burn a lot of stuff. In fact dont you have to bring up homosexuality for all moral, legal, religious, political discussions against homosexuality.  Would be funny to morally oppose it without ever bringing it up. I morally oppose it because it says so but I cannot bring up it because it is morally wrong.

Now as far as diversity awareness goes, I agree with AWK that schools are not equipped to deal with such issues. Society is not there yet. Nor was it with racism. Desegregation started with schools. The school is the foundation for the sociocultural attitudes of many people. The school is not there to preach acceptance of homosexuality, condemn or promote it in any way. That is beyond the scope of the school. However, the school has a form of obligation to clear misinformation.

Read following as if a child is being taught by parents, friends. organizations or media that _____ school needs to.

AIDS is a gay disease - make them aware of the true nature of AIDS and STD and protect them
There are gay stereotypes - prevent stereotyping because a non gay could be cast in a mold and be left out
That it is ok to hurt gay people phyiscally or abuse them verbally - stop the abuse because even gay students have rights. That people can morally, legally or politically oppose homosexuality - but the line is drawn by abuse.

Also if students or parents themselves bring pro or anti gay issues to the school - the school has to make room for balanced discussion.

I personally feel that it should be taught....I mean you learn about how wrong it was that in history, other races and such were discriminated. Then why should this be a different case? I mean "live and let love". Also, what I do not understand in the US or anywhere else, how it is so offensive to call someone the n word, yet not many people say anything when people use "gay" in a derogatory term or "fag" as an insult. I mean should we not teach our children, how  wrong it is to assume that to be unpopular or different does not automatically mean "gay". My personal feeling on the matter anyways/

Edited by raj5000 - 26 February 2009 at 10:00am

Interesting topic... In India teachers don't find time to teach ordinary stuff... . Generally ordinary school students will study the reproduction cycle of butterfly, then frog..may be upto 9th standard..then in 10th standard...these lessons about human reproduction...will be skipped by the teachers..even if they teach..they teach it very fast...Imagine folks who studied in missionaries...My biology teacher..who happened to be a nun ..skipped this lesson..so we all studied from text book itself... ....
This is the sorry state of affairs about normal things....wonder how...the extra syllabus about hetero..homo things are dealt...may be its not feasible...in ordinary hours alteast...may be folks need some extra hours ....
Cheers,
Myth

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