LGBTQ post

The novels The Misfits and Totally Joe were incredible! They were quick reads, entertaining, and the characters were very relatable. Even as a college graduate, I felt myself being taken back in time to South Forsyth Middle School. Joe, Bobby, Addie, Skeezie, Colin, Aunt Pam and even the notorious bully, Kevin, suddenly became members of my own language arts class. I think that this was the beauty of these books. I almost immediately connected with the characters. I was quickly reminded of how I was embarrassed by silly things, how important my friends were to me, how some teachers really did impact my self-esteem, and how fellow students had potential to make or break an entire year in middle school. Image was everything, and the need to belong somewhere was real.

One of the most impactful moments in these books for me was how Joe’s parents handled the news of him coming out. Granted, it wasn’t a shock, but still, they were supportive, respectful, and made sure that he knew that their love for him did not change. So often, the press, media, etc. tell stories of parents badly reacting to news like this, so it was refreshing to see a positive example of supportive parents. I also loved the relationship that Joe shared with his Aunt Pam. I hope that every student, regardless of sexual orientation, can have a caring understanding adult like that in his or her life. Of course, I am definitely not naive enough to think that this is a reality for even half of the population. But, I think that this is a reason why Joe was so sure of who he was.

Bullying was another big theme that I noticed again and again. I recently had a conversation with one of my best guy friends and he revealed how the bullying he had experienced as a seventh grader continues to affect him and the way that he sees himself. I love that in Totally Joe, bullying was combated so fiercely. I also appreciated that the book was not a “fairy-tale” ending so that their party won in the election. I think that this was more true to real life. It is not easy to fight for what you believe most of the time. But, that shouldn’t stop you from fighting. I think that a lot of middle schoolers would benefit from learning that.

As for the articles that we were supposed to read, I couldn’t help but get upset with some of the accusations that the authors were making. I hate that students have succumbed to society’s view of “heteronormativity” and that there are practices, which promote thinking like this, but I found some of the examples that were listed as a little much. The rock painting incident for example: the students SHOULD be punished for using language like that, but to say that this was “metaphorical rape” was a little much. And, to be honest, I was frustrated that they would insinuate something like this from school rivalries. As a future teacher, I know that I will definitely have a strict rule about using terminology such as “that’s so gay” just like I will not tolerate “that’s retarded” being mentioned in my classroom. I think that as teachers, we cannot combat all of the negativity that is in society, but of course, I will definitely fight for the freedom of ALL students to express themselves, LGBTQ students, and straight students. I also think that our culture has become MUCH more accepting in general. There will always be people who are “stuck in their ways” and who will disagree with everything, but there are also LOTS of students, teachers, and administrators who are fighting for equality. So, don’t assume that just because I am not LGBTQ myself, I don’t want to help end bullying, or inequalities within the school system and beyond.

Sorry, that was totally a rant.

I did however love the article about self-censorship. I think that it brought up a lot of interesting points. And I appreciated that it provided more literature opportunities for school libraries. Even if I personally won’t be teaching students about the different lifestyle choices that are around all the time, I want to be able to have resources for students who do have questions. And I’m glad that I have a place to start reading for myself (I wouldn’t ever refer a student to a book that I haven’t read myself). Students will have questions, and I want to do my best to provide them with a place to ask them. And I’m sure that I won’t have the answers that they are looking for, but I’d like to be able to point them in the right direction.

References:

Blackburn, M. V., & Smith, J. M. (2010). Moving Beyond the Inclusion of LGBT Themed Literature in English Language Arts Classrooms: Interrogating Heteronormativity and Exploring Intersectionality. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(8), 625-634.

Howe, J. (2001). The misfits. New York, New York: Atheneum Books For Young Readers.

Howe, J. (2005). Totally Joe. New York, New York: Atheneum Books For Young Readers.

Stewing, J. (1994). Self-Censorship of Picture Books about Gay and Lesbian Families. New Advocate, 7(3), 184-92.