lgbt+ topics in classrooms — should they be covered?

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Hey guys! Cidney here back at it again with another post. Today we are going to be discussing lgbt+ topics in classrooms.

Please note that these are just my personal opinions! I will address some claims against LGBT+ topics in education, but for the most part I will be arguing for it.

With that being said, let’s get on with this post!

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so, why should we cover these topics?

Throughout society in general, the LGBT+ community has been a touchy subject for most people. As the community has continued to fight for rights, many people have posed the question: “should we be teaching our youth about the community?”

For many people, the answer is “yes”! However, it isn’t always that easy. To come to a good conclusion, one must look at both sides of the argument. One might have their opinions on the subject, but at the end of the day, the answer isn’t always so clear.

So, let’s go over some of the arguments for both sides, and see some of the possible solutions.

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With the community growing and more people discovering their identities, it helps to have more representation throughout school and other areas. Things like GSA’s and other LGBT+ clubs can and often are helpful in helping young people in the LGBT+ community.

However, one might ask what should and should not be covered? Things like debating same-sex marriage or gender-neutral bathrooms can be good for engaging students’ minds and encouraging them to think about what they believe in and why. Involving kids in politics can be beneficial and exposing them to these real-world problems and issues.

But when does it go too far?

While it’s important to talk about the community as a whole, it’s also important to educate other students about hazing and bullying going on within and outside of the community. According to this article, 75% of middle school and high school students have reported harassment and bullying based on their sexual orientation.

It’s not only important to teach about the community itself, but some of the problems that folks in the community face. By presenting not only information on relationships and identities, but real-world problems as well, it’ll help students realize that the people in the community aren’t so different from them after all.

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what is appropriate to teach for each school?

A lot of school curriculum is based off of what grades/ages are being catered to in a particular school, along with the subject(s) being taught. For example, Geometry is usually taught in middle school and high school, whereas the alphabet and basic grammar would be taught to elementary kids and younger.

In a similar sense, education in the LGBT+ community should be dealt with in the same way.

For younger grades, discussing and normalizing same-sex couples and households with same-sex parents helps children in those households feel more normal. It helps those that aren’t in those households too in a sense that it also helps de-stigmatize the taboo society holds today of same-sex couples.

For the older grades, one might teach about the legalization of same-sex marriage, different gender and sexual identities, as well as about LGBT+ historical figures and past events leading up to today.

One might also include LGBT+ inclusive sex education into the curriculum for middle school and high school students, so that everyone has a fair opportunity to be safe and to learn.

At the end of the day, no matter what you think, this is a topic that’s going to be important to think about and discuss. Both sides should have a chance to be heard, and hopefully in the future our society will come to an agreement on this issue.

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That is the end of my post! I hope this opened your eyes to something new, and hopefully you learned something too!

Let me know what your thoughts and opinions are down below!

Stay safe, and I will see you all next time!

All photos were found on WeHeartIt.

#curatorreview