After completing this weeks assignment, I concluded that all three of the authors/speakers arguments are that gender identity/expression is becoming more prevalent in society and that needs to be reflected in schools as well.
Olive Earley starts off "Queering Our Schools" by citing the hate crime that occurred in California in 2013. People tend to lash out against things they don't understand and this incident highlights the hate that can occur when people have no education regarding the LGBTQ+ community. The article presents an argument as to why we should have LGBTQ+ incorporated into cirriculum to broaden the minds and understanding of kids to help create an understanding and accepting community in the future. This also provides some comfort for students that come from LGBTQ+ households, that they have some representation in schools.
I watched the video of the person reading "They, She, He: easy as ABC ". This truly proved the point that Professor Bogad made in class about reading children's books to adults can be so beneficial. When I watched this, I immediately wanted to buy this book to keep in my office. The idea of breaking it down into simple terms works for both young kids and adults. It is cultivating a society that is accepting of all walks of life, starting from such a young age.
Seeing the laws and policies that are in place in Rhode Island shows that states are moving forward in attempting to diversify the school system. This provides legal documentation that the state of Rhode Island is implementing gender-affirming care in schools and allows students to be true to who they are.
"People tend to lash out against things they don't understand and this incident highlights the hate that can occur when people have no education regarding the LGBTQ+ community". This point in your post is perfect and so simply puts why education (about these issues) is so important to promote a kind, inclusive, accepting society. Incorporating these topics into school curriculums, like RIDE has called for in their Guidance for RI Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students, would certainly help promote this, but it is difficult to do so since many parents, families and cultures have such varying views on the subject and whether it is something that should be talked about in the academic environment in the first place.
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