Talking Point #3

"Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community"

By: Dennis Carlson

In this article, Carlson argues that there should be more diversity within schools including sexual orientation, gender, and race. He also states that even though there is some respect for different cultures and genders, there i not so much respect for the gay community.

1.) "Finally, I want to distinguish between a homosexual orientation or preference, and gay identity. The former I take to refer to the more-or-less natural direction of one's sexual desires while the latter refers to the active construction of a gay self identity and visible gay presence within culture-what I am referring to as gayness. "

I do not understand what he is trying to say about gay identity. Is he talking about people acting like a "gay" person. Ex. wearing flamboyant clothes, talking with a lisp, etc.

2.) "In recent years, popular cultural representations of gayness have moved
beyondthe stereotypesembodied in La Cage aux Folies, much as representa
tions of blackness have moved beyond the stereotypes of Amos and Andy. Vet
in both cases we may legitimately question just how much progress has been
made. "

I really do not think that there has been much progress made. As Carlson says shortly after, we still have stereotypes, they are just different stereotypes. We joke about these issues, but they seem to show up in the media, and therefore is the reason why these issues are the blunt of our jokes.

3.) "Let me then identify some of these concerns and their implications for the study of gay identity. First, and at the most basic level, multicultural education is linked to
the protection and extension of certain democratic "virtues," including the
protection of minority rights and individual freedoms, equity, respect for difference, and (in its fullest form) the development of interlocking webs of caring, supportive relations among individuals. This implies at the very least that educators involve young people in a discussion of gay identity within the context of a discussion of human rights in a democratic community, and it may extend to a discussion of caring for others, including the gay Other, in community. Second, democratic multicultural education must challenge "essentialistic" worldviews that take categories such as gender. sexual identity, and race for granted as "natural" categories having fixed meaning, While our race, gender, and sexuality may, at least to a good degree, be fairly fixed or given, what we make of being gay or straight. man or woman, black or white, is very much cultural as well as personal."

We should include talks that are not opinionated in anyway about the gay community just as much as we should talk about race and gender. They are serious topics that young people may not know much about, but haveto be informed about because it is all around them.

This was a long, but fairly simple piece to read. It was a different topic, but a similar area as our other pieces. It talks about diversity in the sense of the gay community. The other pieces talked more about race and gender. I think that Carlson almost indirectly shares his opinion a little too much on this topic. He seems to put it into a point of view that feels bad for the gay community. I think that it is fine to have whatever opinion you want, but I also think that when you are dealing with any diverse subject, that you can not offer an opinion because people get offended.

As Americans, we tend to judge people when they are different. We like to point out what other people are doing wrong, but think that we are doing nothing wrong. EVERYONE has their own issue! In this respect I can see why Carlson seems to feel bad for the gay community, because, to excuse the phrase but, "there is no love" for the gay community. They are different than typical America. People do not like this. These are the facts, but I think that we definitely should inform the young community about this subject, because they do not understand yet.

Why is being "gay" such a big deal? Why is it bigger than being black, or white, or a man, or a woman? I think it is because it is a relatively new subject to us? What do other people think?