"Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community"

Kimberly Boghossian
Talking Points #3
October 9, 2007
Gayness, Multicultural Education,
and Community

Content/Premise: gayness, community, multicultural education, queer, silent, invisible, public schools, homosexual, lesbian, normalizing, real, identity formation, heterosexual, disempowered, deviant, sick, neurotic, criminal, lazy, unintelligent, abnormal, popular culture, popular culture curriculum, straight, AIDS, bar culture, rainbow flags, pink triangles, “Other”

Argument: Dennis Carlson argues that teachings about gay practices are increasingly hard to maintain. He points out some of the ways gay people and gayness have been kept in their place in the school community. Public schools can play an important role in helping to build a new democratic, multicultural community.

Evidence: This reading “Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community”, by Dennis Carlson, talked about gays. People in society, that aren’t gay, like to separate them out as “Others” just say the word. “Others” seem to have their own little gay community set up, especially gay bars. The gays have a thing called “bar culture”. This is where they like to hang out together with friends and to have their own space. Sometimes you can tell where gays like to hang out by gay symbols such as the rainbow flag or pink triangles. But, what about the people who aren’t gay in society? How are they carrying on with all this “gay” talk? Dennis Carlson provides us with many real life situations, because gays are all around us. Not just in schools, but in the media, we are pulled in about the subject of gays. Society wants to try to normalize itself by avoiding talking about gays. “It was such a sin and they should be condemned” (Sears 1991, 390). “I think gay guys are just sick. How could they do that? It’s wrong!” (Sears 1991, 391). The lesson Carlson would like to make is “Be yourself no matter who or what you are.” Dennis Carlson says a democratic multicultural education must become a dialogue in which all “voices” are heard and all “truths” are understood. In addition, all voices get heard in which gays feel free to “come out” and find their own voices.
Though I am not gay, I believe that a democratic multicultural education is the best method. Being teased and even being attacked for being who you are is just wrong. I have heard the hurtful word “faggot” in school. Everyone is different in some way, whether it is by sexual orientation, color, gender, or religion and everyone should be respected.