#glsn

Just like Spiderman said in Captain America: Civil War, “Hey everyone”! So recently I was reading around about LGBTQ in our classrooms, specifically the junior high and high school classroom. Whether you are in junior high, high school, or maybe just graduated you know that in your classrooms the issues of the LGBTQ community were rarely mentioned or maybe not even mentioned at all! Shocker, right?? Why shouldn’t all students know about the history and issues of people who are LGBTQ? While I was browsing the endless possibilities for articles, I came across a PDF written by the GLSEN. For those of you who aren’t familiar with GLSEN, they are an organization that’s meant to make schools safe for 6-12th graders. They even do cool events for LGBTQ kids and their allies, I’ve been to this cool event called MOP, Models of Pride. We did all sorts of workshops for LGBTQ+ and allies, not to mention dinner and an awesome dance after! If you’re a part of the LGBTQ community or an ally I highly recommend looking them up. But that’s beside the point. In the article the authors mention how schools don’t really put LGBTQ into their curriculums, whether that be health, history, or other subjects. The authors mention how including un bias curriculums into classes that involve LGBTQ issues. According to the authors, “For LGBT students, attending a school with inclusive curriculum is related to less-hostile school experiences and increased feelings of connectedness to the school community”. This means that adding these lessons will open a more positive outlook into the LGBTQ community, not only will the LGBTQ students feel more welcomed but the students who don’t identify with the queer community will also be able to become more open minded and understanding of the issues and history of the LGBTQ people. The GLSEN article mentions how the slightest things in a curriculum can change for the better. For example, they mention the fact that in history they could teach about the civil rights leader Byard Rustin, who was an activist for gay rights. In addition to this they can mention things such as the laws that made it illegal to be gay, and all the riots and police harassment the LGBTQ people got back then. Things like this can really make a difference in kids in these junior high and high school levels. It can open doors to make the LGBTQ community feel more included and open the minds of people who might not be able to understand the LGBTQ community. Not to mention… history is history… people are people, math is math, social studies is social studies and it should involve all students, even the LGBTQ ones. Including more LGBTQ elements will make all the difference.

Until next time, 

Adri(:

Say you're a student, and you're walking to your class, and you're a relatively young student, say sixth grade. And suddenly you see these older kids wearing these tshirts, and at first glance it looks like they're wearing math tshirts, but upon further inspection, you realize the shirts say "Day Of Silence" and you go all throughout the day wondering and watching and thinking, "Hey, what is that?"

And then you go home. You get online. And after you do your little research spiel, you nod at your computer.

This was me at eleven year old. And I liked the idea of this! It seemed really great and it looked like it helped a lot of people. And, at the time of being eleven, I'd already known I liked girls, as I'd figured this out around two years before. This was a day that promoted action towards non-bullying against LGBT students! A whole day just for non- bullying. It seemed great.

And it is! Day of silence is like a huge communal acts us as as students can take to help eachother! Everyone, even if you're not LGBT. I mean we aren't animals and we have animal rights. i doesn't mean it works like that, but it's the general ideal.

First I want to give a little background. My name is Jason Barker. I am twenty years old. I have grown up in a very strict military family. Ever since I was five I had dreamed of joining the army and working with my dad. I found out that as I got older, I wouldn’t be able to be with him. It discouraged me, but my dad encouraged me to keep going with my plans. 

Straight out of high school, I joined the U.S. Army and now I am a Corporal. My dreams had come true, I was in the military, I was serving my country like my family has for hundreds of years but, there is one thing my dad never knew about me. I am gay. My dad would joke with me about how I have so many “Boyfriends” come over. Well, only one was, and his name was Alan. Luckily, for the sake of secret holding, my grandmother died the week we broke up. I had an excuse to cry.

Today is June 23rd 2011, and I’m about to knock on his door. I knock loudly upon the door, like “Real men” do (as my father once said). The door opened quickly and my father (all Six feet, four inches and two hundred and five pounds of him) embraced me tightly. I held to him too, I drew back and shook his hand as we always do. We sat and talked about life and Germany and the military and drank coffee. Dad looked at me “Son, you’re hiding something.” My heart skipped “I’ve known you for as long as you’ve been alive. You’re not making eye contact. Talk to me.”

I took what seemed like the deepest and most drawn out breath ever and then started to speak “Dad, I came here to see you and I did come to tell you something important…” He smiled and cocked his head to the left slightly, his inquisitive look. “First, I need to ask you something. Do you promise to always love me no matter what?” He moved forward to the edge of his seat, “Of course Jason, nothing will ever change that.” I took my deep breath again

“Dad, I am gay. I have known for years but I have been so afraid of how you would react. I cant hold back anymore. I Cant.” I was shaking and scared. My father rose from his seat and told me stand up in an entirely serious tone. I slowly rose, fearing what was next. He walked over to me and I saw his arm move and I just knew he was going to hit me. But then I felt his arms around me, warm, loving as always. He told me something that I will ever forget. “Jason, you are the most excellent young man I have ever met, you were the top of your class, a member of the armed forces and an all-around fantastic person. Though, you are a little forgetful.” He let go and looked me in the eye.