Hi all,
I'd like to reiterate a question I asked in class a few weeks ago.
Are issues prevalent because we discuss them or do we only discuss issues because they are prevalent?
Why is it that LGBTQ concerns aren't discussed in our society and our classrooms on a more serious, regular basis? We talk so much (in fact, we frequently talk so much that we usually forget/are too exhausted to act) about race and class in this country. We are bombarded by images, articles and newscasts about those realities on a daily basis. Momentarily putting aside the question of whether most Americans are truly conscious of the systems of inequality surrounding these seemingly more prevalent concerns, I'd like to ask why we don't discuss systems of inequality pertaining to gender and sexuality on a more frequent basis -- or for that matter, of age or ability, etc. etc.
Why is it that today was only the second time I'd ever paused to seriously reflect upon how I'd incorporate LGBTQ history into my own curriculum (the first being in college, after a friend of mine shared a rather powerful anecdote about students walking out on their openly gay professor)? Why don't I know more about California's recent mandate to include these topics in their curriculum, and why aren't the efforts of other states (are there any?) being publicized as well?
To ask my initial question in a more Freireian light: Which comes first - lack of justice or lack of dialogue? Just food for thought ....
Cheers,
Ryan
wow ryan!!!!! awesome awesome awesome questions. does the lack of discussion also reflect the priorities of our society? what we are comfortable talking about and what we're not?
ReplyDeleteplease lets continue the discussion.