Homophobia is Real

Anyone who took 663 with me knows that my review was written on the inclusion of gay themed literature into today’s classroom. Actually, I’m an advocate for YA literature in general, because I believe that every student can find representation in the wide variety of genres. I can’t say that I was shocked when I came across this article, but it saddens me to see that religious organizations’ opinions are still weighing down heavily on the introduction of the topic of homosexuality into the schools. With the influx of same-sex marriages, same-sex parents – how can schools deny what’s going on in the world around them?

This article, was especially upsetting because they dismantle the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN)’s 2003 National School Climate Survey, which is GLSEN's second national survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. It is a crucial tool in the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) mission for fighting anti-LGBTQ bias in K-12 schools across the nation. This report provides details on the experiences of 887 GLBTQ high school students who were surveyed nationwide. Also, this study showed that school performance, grade point average, and college aspirations of GLBTQ students were also negatively affected among those who experience harassment.

In the article, they claim that that terms such as “homophobia” and “heterosexism” are bogus. The idea to incorporate gay themed literature into the classroom is to combat homophobia and reconstruct the heterosexist curriculum. Religious fanatics claim there is a pro-homosexuality agenda, which pushes students to experiment with their sexuality. The pressures on gay teens can be overwhelming--to keep secrets, tell lies, deny who you are, and try to be who you're not. No one has an agenda other than letting our children know that they can feel safe as they come to terms with their identity.


It is our duty as teachers to understand the needs of our students. We are responsible for their emotional well being as well as their academic standing. Adolescence was a difficult time with the onslaught of hormones – imagine if your feelings are not taken into consideration because they are not considered “normal.” No one should ever have to feel alone. If we could alleviate some of the stress that our gay youth experiences, perhaps they would feel comfortable enough to ask for help, rather than turning to self-destructive measures to deal with their misery.

Almost all schools have a heterosexist curriculum in that course content almost never recognizes that some of the most influential figures in art, literature, and history were gay or lesbian. The only image that most schools will allow is representations that focus on the negative aspects of homosexuality; oftentimes the negative stereotypes are reinforced as well, such as feminine males and butch females. But by excluding the topic of homosexuality and reinforcing negative stereotypes in the school system are we only harming GLBTQ youth? Homophobia affects all young people, regardless of sexual orientation. I as an educator want to promote a classroom where everyone feels free to express his or her true identity in a safe environment. By incorporating YA literature with gay themes and characters, we are offering representation to our GLBTQ youth, and we are educating our straight teens on an important issue that has long been in the closet.

Chrissy