Today in class we discussed Queer Analysis. Andre brought up a point that really got me thinking. If more people were educated about homosexuality, just as we our educated on heterosexuality would more Americans be less sensitive about the topic? Would they be more open to the idea? Would they still think it is a choice?
I feel as if today many people think of homosexuality as the "cool thing to vote on", when in actuality it is a topic that seems to get pushed under the rug. Many Americans think that we live in a post segregated society where all types of people are welcome, but this is indeed false. Today's society is full of great ideas and concepts on equality, but none of these concepts are ever acted on or talked about amongst the average American culture. If more Americans were educated at a young Age on minority topics such as homosexuality and immigration, more and more people would be able to make educated decisions on there stance and there would be less segregation or homophobia.
Many people today think that homosexuality is just a choice, it is not. A person is a person no matter who they like or how they act. If more people were educated on the facts, this would be less and less of an issue in America or in the world. In schools today children are constantly preached to about slavery and civil rights, but one very important civil right that is left out is homosexuality. So my question to you is... If more people were educated on homosexuality, like they are on civil rights and segregation, would we as Americans be more accepting of homosexuality and all it can offer society?
Jordan,
ReplyDeleteYou have posed really interesting questions. I do believe that if people were educated on the subject of homosexuality, they would be more open to it. At one point I wasn’t open to the idea of homosexuality. I blame this partly on attending a Catholic high school. It was a place which tried to make it seem like everyone was welcome, but at the same time in the four years that I went to this school only one same sex couple was ever seen. In several instances, teachers were actually asked to resign because of their sexual orientation (which was none of their business in the first place). When graduated from high school and entered real world, I realized that I was being brainwashed. Not long after graduation some of my really close friends “came out of the closet” and I began to realize that people should be allowed to love whoever they want. The more educated I became with this subject the more I understood, that it’s not a choice.
Jordan,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you are saying here, and had some similar thoughts in class this day. I especially agree with you when you talk about how it could be a good thing to integrate topics like homosexuality, or immigration into the early education systems. To answer you question, I say absolutely it would benefit the discrimination on these groups of people, that some see as foreign or alien to our societal norms. One big thing to keep in mind with this is that a lot of the discrimination stems from the older generations; whether it be our grandparents or parents, they all come from a very traditional time in our world. The traditional views they all know is that it is immoral because it's a choice. On the contrary, I know there are plenty of people from these older generations that don't discriminate and are very open to the idea of homosexuality. But the fact is this, the traditional people that cant be open to this new way of life/love are eventually going to die out, and that leaves the younger generations, who will eventually be the voice everyone listens to. So for the topic of homosexuality to be integrated into early education will diminish any negative thoughts or feelings towards same sex relationships.
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ReplyDeleteJordan,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. I watched a video of a group of 13 children, they watched two gay marriage proposals and one heterosexual marriage proposal. Almost all of these children thought that all 3 proposals were adorable. The was only one child who could not even want watch the proposals. After the interviewer asked the child why he felt the way he did he reply that it was because his parents told him so and he just couldn't change the way he thought about it because it was "not right". This video illustrates that the way we are raised and the ideals that our parents press on us as children has a large affect on the way that we think about sexuality in our society. Though the child did not have a reason other than "thats just not right" or "because my parents said so" he was getting frustrated with the interviewer because his beliefs were being challenged. The interviewer asked him what is so wrong with it and the child responded with "well I don't know". I believe that as we grow older and more educated (outside of what our parents teach us) we start to gain our own opinions on the topic. I was raised believing that being gay was a choice, and a wrong choice at that, because of my very conservative grandparents would not have me think any other way. Once I came to college and left my little small town world where everyone thought the same I started forming my own opinions. If I was raised in the mindset that I now have about homosexuality I don't think I would have been so shell shocked. But as Hannah commented above the older generations are dying out and the younger generations are moving forward.