Bridging multicultural education: bringing sexual orientation into the children's and young adult literature classrooms

The article by Patti Swartz discusses the difficulty that students go through at school being in the GLBT(I) group and how important it is to discuss topics like this in school and in doing so will help to eliminate stereotypes and lessen the bullying at schools. She discusses that bringing literature about multicultural issues is the best way to bring out awareness of certain topics as well as tackling the hard issues in a less threatening environment. Not only does Swartz suggest to teachers to bring GLBT(I) literature into the classroom, she also discloses what may happen if it is not. “When such intervention does not occur we face…highest teen suicide rate of any group….hate crimes…abuse or murder GLBT people…” (Swartz) Additionally, Swartz notes the importance of stopping word use of gay, faggot, dyke, and homo in the classroom environment. Because these words are always used to bring someone down, kids automatically begin associating these words with a negative condensation. Also, it is brought up how similar the GLBT group is related to other multicultural groups who are not represented in literature. By examination the stereotypes of groups, you are essentially eliminating them when they are proved wrong. By discussing gays and lesbians, you are informing students about what it really means to be in that group, as well as making them more familiar. Swartz discusses that students always make fun of or are afraid of people who do things that are unfamiliar to us. By exposing the real truth about being gay, the students will have a better understanding and may stop bullying. Swartz final note is that if we include GLBT literature into our classrooms, our kids will become more accepting which will result in a more accepting community as a whole.

Patti Capel Swartz: Bridging multicultural education: bringing sexual orientation into the children's and young adult literature classrooms

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JVP/is_2003_Spring/ai_102119710/pg_2?tag=artBody;col1