Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

I really enjoyed reading Carlson. I thought it was a fairly easy read and I understood alot of what he said and the points that he was trying to make. I agree with what we were talking in class today that the younger you expose the students to different types of things that isn't the "norm" no matter what it is, then they will not think anything of it and not make a big deal when something "different" is brought up. As for me and both of my brothers, I was always brought up to be yourself, and that everyone is going to also be their own indivudials and to respect that because everyone is different which makes the world so much better. I sometimes have a hard time understanding why people are cruel to people that are not in the norm, they have a heart and feelings as well as everyone else does.

1. "While public schools have long been viewed by progressive educators as embryonic communities that should engage young people in building a democratic community of mutual support and respect, gay people have for the most part been made absent, invisible, and silent within this community and at the same time represented as the deviant and pathological "Other"." This quote made me feel sad. I don't understand the deal why gays have to feel left out or feel like they are the "other". I think that maybe if the students were taught at a young age that everyone is different and everyone has their own feelings on different topics then maybe they will be understanding and people that are gay won't feel shut out of the community, instead they will feel welcomed and will feel like they have a voice in their community.

2. "This authorized message - be yourself - has begun to surface as one of the primary codes within commercial popular cultural texts, and it is a message that, like so many postmodern messages and codes, is open to contradictory readings. "Being yourself" celebrates individulism and the autonomy of individuals to construct their own lives according to their own values and achieve goals they set for themselves - a deel foundational value in American culture." This quote goes with what I said before. I think being yourself is so important, if you are gay, lesbian. bi...who cares! that makes you...you and that is all that matters it shouldn't interfer with your lives or anyone else's.

3. "For example, as part of the first-grade curriculum the report recommended that teachers "include references to lesbians and gays in all curriculum areas and....avoid exclusionary practices by presuming a person's sexual orentiation, reinforcing stereotypes, or speaking of lesbians/gays as "they" or "other"." I agree with this, I think that references to lesbians and gays should be included in the curriculum so that the students won't think anything of it when it is brought up.