"Within normalizing communities, some individuals and subject positions (i.e., white, middle class, male, heterosexual, etc.) get privileged and represented as "normal" while other individuals and subject positions (i.e., black, working class, female, homosexual, etc.) are disempowered and represented as deviant, sick, neurotic, criminal, lazy, lacking in intelligence and in other ways "abnormal"." This quote immediately caught my eye because of its strong relation to Johnson's article, "The Trouble We're In" and other classroom activities like, S.C.W.A.A.M.P. My high school experience concerning gays and lesbians was very minimal. People hid their sexual orientation for the most part. It was not until after high school that people came out and I think its because they knew that "coming out" was frowned upon and that people would just rather not know. I think that as the issue become popularized, hiding "difference" will become more open and accepted.
To back up my optimism, Carlson states in the very next paragraph, "However, as those marginalized within this normalizing discourse on community have begun to "speak out" and challenge their marginalization, and have also begun to develop collective movements and communities of support, the modernist idea of homogenous, normalizing community is being more disrupted than ever before." This article confronts a serious problem that traditional and conservative Americans are at odds with. That problem is change! Over the past few years, the rights of homosexuals have most definitely increased I mean to say that they can now marry in certain states, adopt children legally, etc. The gay community is very active in their fight to obtain rights and privileges and it seems they refuse to be ignored and marginalized.
The very last sentence in the article struck me as a very important message that all teachers should consider. "We cannot and should not attempt to impose "politically correct" beliefs on students; but we have a responsibility as public educators in a democratic society to engage them in a dialogue in which all voices get heard or represented and in which gay students and teachers feel free to "come out" and find their own voices." This point reminded me of Delpit's, "The Silenced Dialogue". She writes about different accounts and experiences of those who have been ignored and overlooked. We can't learn anything or expect to progress as a society if we cannot even listen to new or different ideas!
I found this article very interesting. What I liked most about it was the fact that the author did not just focus on gayness. He incorporated issues concerning blackness, feminism, poorness, etc. I also liked how he suggested materials like, "The Bird Cage" that incorporated a learning experience considering different sexual orientations. While reading the article, I was able to make many different connections to past articles that we have read. Finding any fault with this article is difficult because I had such an easy time reading and understanding what, exactly the author tried to point out to the reader. I liked his ideas and the fact that he made suggestions backing them up!
I agree with you that no one should be able to impose political correctness on others. It should be their own choice what they want to believe or how they want to feel about something.
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