When I first heard about the LGBTQ presentation, I was very excited. I was fortunate to have been part of the small "test" group last year that was initially introduced to the presentation, and it very much opened my eyes to the difficulties that students of sexualities other than straight face at KHS.
This year, I was struck mostly by the theme of courage. As a society, education equips us to make a change, but without courage that change will never happen. When Corey Johnson was able to overcome his fears and come out to his teammates, it changed the whole culture of both his school and his community. Our classmates who were brave enough to be a part of the panel amazed me. Sexuality is a topic that everyone has an opinion on, and for those people to be willing to stand in front of a huge crowd of their peers and open themselves up to criticism in order to change the culture of the school, shows incredible strength and conviction.
To change a culture, we as a society need people like the students who spoke at the assembly, and we also need people to be willing to shut down abusive and derogatory comments about those who aren't straight. Even more than just accepting differences in sexuality, I think it is important that as a school we develop into the kind of group that supports each one of its members without any hesitation, regardless of whatever differences might exist person to person. Every living organism has a value and a purpose, and no human being should ever discount another because of sexuality. The courage that our classmates showed in standing up and talking about such a important part of who they are should be met by all of us with an equal amount of conviction in supporting them, and creating a safe environment.
I wholeheartedly agree that everyone should be considered equal and be praised for their differences instead of shamed. Fostering a sense of community and reliability for everyone should be the goal for more than just the school or the US, but on a global scale.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that we need more courageous people. We need people that are willing to defend others, not because they necessarily agree with them, but because they believe that everyone has a right to express themselves and be respected. Change will only begin when the majority of people start to realize that everyone is the same. Minor details such as sexual preference are so trivial when looking at all that people have to offer and all that they are made of. Once people realize this, they will begin to understand.
Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI was also at the test group one last year and can echo your thoughts about it.
I appreciate the way that you mentioned courage. I feel that that is a very important aspect of this assembly. The amount of courage it takes to stand up and share your story is something that I can't imagine.