Talking Points #3

Dennis Carlson
Gayness, Multicultural Education and Community
Carlson argues that in today’s society that the gay/lesbian community is invisible to the public, and that the “normal” people or people who are straight try to keep gay/lesbians invisible. Although people who are gay/lesbian aren’t persecuted it is still widely frowned upon and tried to be kept secret.
“In 1993, for example, the gay rights movement claimed a major victory in the signing into law of a Minnesota bill that makes it illegal to discriminate against lesbians and gay men in employment and housing. Yet what got ignored in all the celebrating was a provision in the bill that prohibits teaching about homosexuality in the public schools”
This contributes to the article because it is a prime example of how the government throws the gay and lesbian community a bone, but there is a detail that makes it so that homosexuality can’t be talked about in schools. Although they did have a victory they are still losing because society doesn’t want homosexuality to be in schools and fully in the open in society. In the article it said too there have been progressive steps for lesbians/gays. Like ten years ago people who were gay were very quiet about there sexuality because they were afraid of being subjected to violence and abuse. Today people aren’t condemned for their orientation, but people who are Gay/lesbian still aren’t considered fully equal to those who are straight.
“Today, witch hunts against gay teachers are (for the most part) a thing of the past and many lesbian and gay male teachers are relatively “out” among a select group of co-workers. Yet the intimidation continues, much as it does in the military. The official policy in most school districts is in fact identical to that of the U.S. military, namely: Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
This quote puts shows how in education too we want to mold the teachers into what is what we think is right. That all teachers are not straight there are some that are gay/lesbian. If a teacher comes out and says that they are gay then they get condemned and people make up preposterous excuses like they’ll have a crush on students and won’t be able to control themselves. Our society says equality for all, but we pressure people into making themselves invisible because if they showed that they are gay then people would get mad because being gay isn’t the norm.
“One of the most powerful of these symbols, featuring a pink triangle under which is written the slogan “Silence=Death” is associated with most militant and itself marginalized group in the movement, ACT UP. The call, then, is to speak out and be seen.”
This quote is very good because it reinforces the author’s main point. How the gay community needs to rise up and not be silent. By being silent you are not being yourself and you’re letting other people dictate how your life is run. Today gay culture is becoming more prominent in society and in popular culture so by sitting by and being invisible, some people might not know about the gay community and how there not different than anyone else.
I thought this article was very good. It opened my eyes to another part of society we never see the gay culture and how they feel invisible because we make them feel like that. For example most of the stuff I knew about gay people is what I saw in movies or TV. , and many people do base there image on the stuff they see. Although being gay today they are taking many strides forward at times they are getting pushed back. For example in the reading in the education system how they prohibit talking about homosexuality in some schools, and they frown upon teachers who are gay. It is sad to see because just because someone is gay doesn’t mean there going to have a crush on someone in there class or in general. People just make very farfetched assumptions because there afraid of change.