Talking Point #3

Dennis Carlson

"Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community"

Premise: (What is this About?)

1. Gay, Lesbian, Homosexuality
2. Ignorance
3. Individuality
4. Silencing
5. Invisibility
6. Stereotypes
   

Argument:

Carlson argues that homosexuals are discriminated against because of their appearance and/or effects in society. They are given less "power" in the community because they are seen as abnormal.

Evidence:

1. "In such an environment, it should hardly be surprising that major textbook publishers avoid gayness like the plague."


2. "To the extent that gayness is recognized in the curriculum, it is likely to be in the health curriculum, where it is associated with disease."


3. "Homosexuality and communism were closely linked as threats to the "American Way of Life."

My Thoughts:

After reading Carlson's article it makes me wonder why the American society views homosexuals as abnormal. This also reminds me of the SCWAAMP piece we did in class were Straightness and Christianity are so woven into "American Culture" that gayness is looked at as wrong in some sense. Evidence shows that slowly, homosexuality isn't as taboo as it once was, as their are marriage laws (only in some states) that legally acknowledge two people of the same sex wanting to live their lives together as one. In addition to the clearest sign, that gayness is collapsing in the mainstream (TV, media,) and their finally discussing issues of homosexuality as it was once completely ignored.

I believe that if homosexuality wasn't ignored to begin with then maybe it wouldn't be seen as abnormal. In this case ignorance isn't "bliss" because obviously something like isn't going to just go away. If by making homosexuality visible to the communities, people wouldn't classify nor judge against others as being "normal" or "abnormal" due to the fact that it would be more commonly known of.