The Core Issues
To really break down barriers facing young LGBTI people, we must get to the heart of the matter, implores Ben Cooper.
So another Wear It Purple Day has passed and we hear reports of all the great things that have been achieved by the day: students making a pledge not to use homophobic terminology in school; school leaders and politicians embracing diversity; and more people than you can poke a stick at wearing purple. Whilst these achievements should be celebrated, it is important that we acknowledge that Gay Pride days and anti-homophobia education programs are not the whole solution.
It certainly isn’t any secret that despite the increase in the visibility of, and support for, LGBTI youth, and the broad support for marriage equality amongst young people, homophobic bullying is getting worse, particularly in our schools. As illustrated in 2010 Writing Themselves In Again 3 report, we have seen an increase in verbal, physical and sexual violence towards LGBTI students by their peers. LGBTI youth still remain 6 times more likely to attempt suicide.
If we are going to bring about change then we need to do more than just teach students to accept LGBTI youth and explain how homophobia is harmful. We need to actually go to the root of the problem and replace the heterosexist beliefs around gender, sexuality and evolution that normalises the idea that we aren't normal.
When students sit in an anti-homophobia workshop and then walk into a biology class and are taught an understanding of evolution that simply has no place for same-sex attraction, how can we truly expect young people not to view homosexuality as abnormal and unnatural?
When kids are ingrained with an understanding of gender, sex and sexuality that is built on the belief that your biological sex determines which sex you are attracted to, how can we expect young people to view same-sex attracted men as men and same-sex attracted women as women and acknowledge us as cis-sex (people who identify with the biological sex that they are born with)?
When kids are not taught about the history of the LGBTI civil rights movement, how can we expect them to understand the discrimination and persecution that we face and where our communities have come from?
When kids have not heard words such as ‘gynosexual’ (people irrespective of sex and gender identity who are attracted to women) and ‘androsexual’ (people irrespective of sex and gender identity who are attracted to men), how can we expect them to discuss sexuality in ways that are inclusive and accurate?
And if kids are unaware of the diversity of sexualities that exist amongst trans and intersex people, how can we not expect people to conflate sexuality with gender and sex?
The simple answer to these questions is that you can’t expect them to. They cannot possibly accept same-sex attracted people as normal and equal when they have, and continue to have, misinformation installed into them on a daily basis. Without major changes to the curriculum in schools, these kids will continue to be taught the misinformation that breeds homophobia. Equality isn't going to be won by only challenging homophobia with humanitarian arguments.
Some homophobic students are fully aware of just how cruel their behaviour and attitudes are and they know that the gay kid they are bullying is contemplating suicide and they simply don't care. The battle against homophobia in our schools must also be won logically and that cannot happen as long as we do not challenge the cultural and scientific inequalities and misinformation that currently exist in the curriculum in our schools.
We can celebrate purple wearing pride and hold anti-homophobia workshops until the cows come home, but if we don’t eradicate the heterosexist beliefs that are embedded in curriculums, the Marriage Act and many other areas of society, then not only will homophobia remain a reality for LGBTI students, but so will the idea that accepting LGBTI people as normal is nothing more than just a case of adhering to political correctness.
We as a community have to ask ourselves: do we want people to treat us equally or as some sort of politically correct cause?
- Tags: Ben Cooper, Blaze, Discrimination, Education, LGBTI Community, LGBTI Rights, MCV, Queensland Pride, Schools, Science, SX, University, Wear it Purple
About the Author
Ben Cooper
Ben Cooper is a former co-convener of Community Action Against Homophobia and currently co-administrates the Facebook page ‘Gay Marriage Rights in Australia’ which has over 200,000 followers.
Comments (12)
I agree that education is the key, but it's not only the schools that need to educate people. Each of us can play a role by living an open and honest life in our community. My own experience is that when people see you're more or less like everyone else, with similar hopes, dreams, challenges and life issues, then they start to accept you as a person. In my case, this is reinforced, because I see many of the same people in my local community on a daily to weekly basis as part of my normal activities.
The answer to me is an integrated approach within society. Legislation, from anti-discrimination laws through to marriage equality sends a message that LGBTI people are equal and should be respected as members of society. Formal education in schools can help the next generation to see the basis for equality, and the informal, day to day interactions show the wider community that we really are the same as everyone else, down to dealing with the same life issues - work, money, career, community, family, etc.
We also need to address discrimination within our own community. There is still a lot of biphobia and transphobia that need to be addressed. I personally find this shameful and hypocritical in a minority group looking for acceptance in the wider community.
Agree fully Tony,,especially in our community we need education. I find the biphobia and transphonia completely illogical and deeply saddening...
Good article Ben;naturally, special thanks for raising points such as gynosexual and androsexual as part of issues re sex and gender.
I totally agree with this, and I think that it's really perceptive of you to identify sex education as a major issue. I feel like the people who are so strongly opposed to this are the same type of people who were strongly opposed to any sort of sex education back in the day. Even though I'm straight (and was therefore lucky enough to receive education that was relevant to me), learning about all types of sexuality at school would have been a very positive experience, and definitely not offensive or imposing as some people suggest. When I have kids I will teach them that there are many natural expressions of sexuality, so they will know about other people's feelings rather than just their own. Having said that, I sincerely hope that their schools will have progressed enough to teach them the awkward bits so I don't have to! :)
Hi Ben.
Well I must say not much is done in public schools these days. To be honest slot of private schools are doing their part but not many have come into terms with public schools. I was a student in the Western Suburbs in Melbourne and it took them alot to change school policies and to enforce rules that would keep same sex attracted safe. I even tried to establish a HAS and that went down hill. I must say if schools want to be apart of it..they do it for their students not merely due to the fact of publicity or just because they are scared of what their community will think
As a casual secondary teacher I can safely say homophopia is rampant. I hear 'that's so gay' on an hourly basis and someone called a 'faggot' daily. When I name the behaviour as homophobic it usually spurs them to even worse language and comments. Without a 'whole school' approach anything I may do is merely a drop in the ocean.
Cant you see you are doing excatly what you say we are doing You people say we are forcing our views on you Well sry I see it as other way around You people are forcing your view of the world on the rest of us.
Next thing Shane will be putting on his white cape and calling for only whites, as the rest force their skin colour on him also.....
Well done, Ben, for raising the issue of what we need to do protect our rights - and safety
- into the future. We are a minority and will always be a minority. As a small minority, we will always be vulnerable. We need to develop a longterm strategy to ensure that our rights are maintained and that we are treated with care and respect - even valued - within the wider community.
I agree with the thrust of your article that education should be a core component of this strategy. However, this will require longterm change by 'those people'. What are we doing within our own community to ensure that diversity is valued and everyone is treated with care and respect? Should we not be leading from the front?
I venture to suggest that racism, sexism and ageism (to name but a few) are issues at least as serious in the LGBTI community as they are in the wider community. We think it is up to 'those people' to value diversity but it is not our responsibility within our own community.
I would further suggest that, within the LGBTI community, we have a serious problem with homophobia and with ignorance of trans and intersex issues.
It will be a long time before we can change the school curriculum. We can start to educate ourselves whenever we wish. Let's lead from the front!
As a university student, i'm appalled at the level of hetrosexism and homophobia I experience everyday on campus. Sadly higher education is also becoming more expensive and more privileged.
Thanks to everyone who has read this. I really feel that it is important that the activist community have this discussion. Winning equality in is the education system is key to achieving our goal of eradicating homophobia, bi-phobia, intersexphobia, transphobia, sexism and heterosexism.
Hi Ben, as a public speaker who talk about living with HIV, letting people see we r no different to negative people, let gays address the situation, it seems to me things are worse now for gay people than it was when I came out in 1989.