Teaching Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues (Essay Sample)

Teaching Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues
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Teaching Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues
Introduction
The core aim of teaching lessons on gender identity/sexual orientation is to remove the common stereotype that lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are different from heterosexual people. Anti-LGBT stigma is real and it exists across different societies. Enlightening students who are cisgender and heterosexual to perceive their LGBT peers as human, can help to reduce/eradicate the harassment they engage in, and learn on how to accommodate them. Research has revealed that, mostly, heterosexual students are normally bullied by the LGBT peers as gays or lesbians. Such harassment puts them at risk of involving themselves in sexual acts in order to prove to others as heterosexual. As a result, bridging the gap between LGBT, and heterosexual students can help to avoid such instances (Irby & Brown, 2011). This and many other instances concerning gender identity issues justify why sexual oriented lessons are necessary in learning institutions.
Before embarking on any lesson that touches issues pertaining LGBT people, the teacher should set up some ground/class rules that must be adhered to in course of the lesson. These rules assist learners in understating the expected behavior during the lesson. Moreover, the teacher should encourage the students to propose their own rules, in order to establish a sense of ownership among the students. These rules should be posted in a prominent location in the classroom, so that everyone in the classroom can refer to them as needed.
In addition, it is imperative for the teacher to come up with relevant definitions on the common terms associated with transgender issues prior to the material day. Some of these terms include sexual orientation, gender identity, bisexual, lesbian, gay, transgender, heterosexual, and cisgender. The definitions should be succinct and self-explanatory, in order for the students to comprehend every aspect of the lesson without difficulties.
On the material day, the teacher should start by explaining the purpose of the lesson using simple words. Briefly remind the students about the ground rules, and emphasis that it is a free open exercise, where every student must respect the others views without laughing or interrupting, and everyone’s opinion is equally valued, and no idea is irrelevant. The teacher should then distinguish among common fallacies such s myths or stereotypes, and the existing facts concerning LGBT people. Later on, the teacher can invite personal contributions from the students, and integrate all the opinions given in his/her final conclusive remark.
It obvious that no one can have answers to all questions, and that some of the answers at hand may not be conclusive enough in clarifying the asked questions. Similarly, a teacher handling sexual related topics may not be able to answer all the asked questions. In such situations, the teacher should note down the question, and let the students know that he/she will provide them with a comprehensive response the following session. Moreover, he/she can encourage the students to carry out their own research, and organize for an additional session in order to ensure that their research yielded a factual answer. In the conclusive remark, the teacher can describe several strategies that should be adopted to bridge the gap between LGBT people and the heterosexual ones.
Lessons dealing with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues, have a great impact on the learning community. For instance, they assist in combating discrimination, and prevailing stereotypes, enabling bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender students to be authentic, and never to false their gender identity/heterosexuality, in order for t...