LGBTIQ Curriculum

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To Whom It May Concern,

 

While there are a variety of well-structured classes within the (SCHOOL NAME) curriculum, I propose the addition of a new class which provides a unique insight into teen literature by examining a topic that is certainly relevant, but generally not well-addressed.  This new class would be an English Literature class about LGBTIQ topics in Young Adult Literature.  I believe that in addition to providing students with the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion about a number of controversial and often negelected texts, the materials within this new curriculum will also fulfill (SCHOOL NAME’s) student learning objectives and benchmarks.

 

The reason this class is so important is that recently issues relating to the LGBTIQ community have been very prominent in the news and have affected persons on both sides of the current political debates.  However, due to the topic’s controversial nature, it has been rarely taught or discussed within high schools.  There is a vast amount of misinformation circulating both inside and out of schools and the prejudices caused have real consequences for gay and straight teens alike.  LambdaLegal.org shares some startling statistics from a recent survey:

 

As more and more youth at earlier ages recognize and accept their sexual orientation or gender identity, their presence in schools has grown. Yet harassment of LGBTQ students remains a common problem across the country. According to a 2005 GLSEN survey, 75.4 percent of students heard remarks about lesbian or gay students. The same survey found that one-third of students experienced physical harassment at schools because of their sexual orientation, while one-fourth of students experienced physical harassment because of their gender expression. The average grade point average of LGBTQ students who experienced frequent physical harassment was a full point lower than students who experienced less harassment, according to the GLSEN survey.

 

Even more recently, “Over 60% of LGBTQ students report feeling unsafe at school. Nearly 40% have been physically harassed and 18.3% assaulted. Bullying has terrible consequences: academic performance is often compromised, and LGBT students who are subjected to discrimination are at higher risk for depression” (GLSEN 2011 National School Climate Survey).  Bullying and harassment from both teachers and classmates continues to be a problem.  I believe that by ignoring or being unprepared to assist LGBTIQ teens in schools, the challenges they face will not vanish, but rather raise questions that could be better addressed in the safe forum of a classroom than elsewhere.  This topic not only affects teen who identify as part of the LGBTIQ community, but others who question or oppose the associated lifestyle choices.  There is evidence that when schools deal with these issues head-on, such as with the addition of a Gay-Straight Alliance as well as PFLAG involvement, it significantly reduces bullying and general student antagonism as well as raises awareness about a topic that relates to many in the student body and faculty in various ways.

 

By having a class that has this topic as the central theme, not only would the students be encourages to explore it further, but also use literature as a way to facilitate their learning.  A GSA is a great way to start opening up purposeful discussion about this issue, but students must take time out of the schedules to attend and do not receive useful school credit for attendance.  By combining these two subjects, LBGTIQ social justice issues and literature, students will be able to understand this and related issues not just from a literary perspective in a safe, school sanctioned environment, but they will begin to see the underlying social, cultural, and political perspectives that are being presented in the literary texts.

 

The specific texts in my proposed curriculum will help facilitate this new learning as well as enable student to meet the schools district’s reading and writing benchmarks.  The curriculum includes a variety of texts and narrative styles including (novels, poetry, graphic novels, film, etc).  These texts encourage close and critical reading and student progress in these areas will be accessed by various writing assignments and oral discussion that utilize the students’ knowledge of the text as well as the tools of critical thinking and literary concepts.

 

This class would be open to any student who is interested in learning more about the literary genres that expose this topic, as well as discussions about how it applies to the society they live in.  While the class will concentrate on literature as a medium through which to survey issues of teen sexuality identity, there will also be a broader emphasis on creating a community based on understanding and acceptance.  This is inevitably a subject that teens will encounter and this class is created to prepare them for the challenges they will face.

 

Thank you for your consideration of my class curriculum proposal.  I look forward to hearing from you soon, as well as answering any additional questions or providing clarification.

 

Sincerely,

 

(NAME)