Should the Texas State Legislature Pass the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act on a State Level to Teach Children About Non-Heteronormative Identities?
Prepared by Donovan Cape Submitted to Beth Eakman CAPS 4360.20 Fall 2015
ABSTRACT In June of 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is constitutional and therefore legal across all fifty states. Making it legal is a large step in making it more commonplace and accepted widely so that it eventually becomes a part of common public schooling. This has helped breed understanding of nonheteronormative identities in America. But should education curricula be affected? This paper answers the question with reasons as to why it should be done.
Table of Contents Capstone Final Submission ………….. 3 Endnotes …………………. 11 Works Cited ……………… 13 Bibliography ……………… 15 Previous Submissions Submission One …………. 17 Submission Two …………. 26 Submission Three ……….. 32 Submission Four ………… 39 Submission Five …………. 44 Appendices Appendix One …………… 51
Am I real? Well, of course I am, otherwise none of this would exist. And since I’m real, I obviously exist, as do you and every person you see on the street. Then why do so many thousands of people feel like they don’t after attending a sex education class in Texas? To put it simply, a core part of who they are is neglected in the curriculum of the class; they are invisible and nonexistent.
That is where the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act comes into play. i Earlier this year it was reintroduced to the United States senate (it was initially introduced in 2013) and hasn’t made it past the introduction to the house. The bill would restrict funding to schools that acknowledge the existence of nonheteronormative identity possibilities, which is things like homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender identities. Given that it was introduced months ago, it seems highly unlikely the bill will go very far, so why wait? ii Why not pass it on a state level and see how it could affect the quality of sex education? The answer to that question is complicated and difficult, but one that is necessary if we are to ensure the best outcome for future generations. The bill does mention contraception and dating advice (like how to understand signals that clearly say “no” to sex), but those will not be discussed here. They are very important topics that deserve their own discussions at another time and place, but I will be focusing on the inclusion of gender identities and sexual orientations. There are many things covered in any sex education class, but there are times where there’s even more not covered. Among the lengthy list of these ignored topics (which varies by state and area) are the topics of non-heteronormative sexual orientations and gender identities. “Non-heteronormative” refers to orientations and identities that are not in line with the most common ones, namely heterosexuality and biological gender. One can quickly assume, then, that this can include things like homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender. This is correct. But that’s not all there is to it. What most heteronormative people aren’t aware of, though, is just how vast the term really is. For starters, there are more sexualities than just hetero- and homo-. There’s the obvious bisexuality, but that isn’t defined as being sexually attracted to both genders. Rather, it means sexual attraction towards one’s own gender and another gender.iii If the phrase “one’s own gender and another gender” is confusing or seems redundant, please bear with me for a little longer; I’ll get to gender after orientation. In addition to bisexuality, there’s also pansexuality, which is being sexually attracted to all genders and orientations, and asexuality, which means experiencing little to no sexual attraction to any group of people. iv Asexuality is often erroneously believed to be caused by having low libido; low libido is a medical concern, but it is possible to have a healthy amount of the chemical and not have sexual attraction. Now for the more complex part of non-heteronormativity: gender. To grossly oversimplify things, there are two camps when it comes to gender. The more common of the two believes gender is the same as the sexual organs one is born with, known as binary gender, while the other camp believes that gender is how one identifies themselves regardless of their sexual organs. For example, one could have the anatomy of a man but identify as a woman and vice versa. But there’s also the
possibility of other genders, such as third gender, which is when one doesn’t identify as man or woman but instead a third one altogether, and genderless, or agender, which means one doesn’t identify with any gender at all.v There are also transsexual people, or those who change their body via surgery to match the gender they identify with, and intersex people. Intersex used to be known as hermaphroditism, which means one was born with male and female sexual organs. Hermaphroditism, however, has become an outdated medical term because it implies that someone is completely male and female, which is a human impossibility.vi Head spinning? If so, good; that means you’re more likely to remember that gender is more complex than it seems. But if you’re also still a little confused, I recommend looking at the genderbread person, an infographic created by Sam Killermann that visually explains some of the concepts I listed above. vii If your head is not spinning, though, that’s just as good, as you are likely more informed and/or initially open about all of this. I still recommend looking at the infographic, though. It’s really well done and worth showing all your friends even if they don’t care about gender and orientation. Put all of this together and you get the more common term for nonheteronormative sexual orientations and gender identities: LGBTQA+. Okay, you get most of that, but I won’t skip on explaining it all. L is for lesbian, G is for Gay, B is for bisexual, T is for transsexual and transgender (though which it is currently depends on who you ask), Q is for queer, A is for asexual, and + is for all the other aspects possible in non-heteronormative existence. I will be sticking with LGBTQA+, however, as it more easily sums up the spectrum for this discussion. Just know that transgender is not meeting all criteria to belong to a binary gender, namely having biology and identity match, queer used to be a derogatory term against the LGBTQA+ community but has been reclaimed as a symbol of pride for members of the community, and the A sometimes also stands for ally, which is someone who does not belong to the community (i.e., someone who is heteronormative) but supports its members as best they can. But what does all that have to do with Texas sex education? Well, most of Texas’ sex education is notorious for being abstinence-only and is accused of promoting gender stereotypes that haven’t been the standard since the 1950s; boys are boys, girls are girls, boys can only love girls, and girls can only love boys. viii Some feel this needs to change so LGBTQA+ members aren’t being treated as nonexistent during a child’s educational career, while others believe it shouldn't be changed because it doesn’t need anything non-heteronormative to be included. Those who support a change in the curriculum include groups like Austin Pride, the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), Human Rights
Campaign (HRC), and Equality Texas. Though not a group himself, Samuel Killermann, an author and activist of gender and sexual orientation rights, is a notable individual in support of the change. He and all the organizations listed find the current state of sex education in Texas to be depressing and unacceptable. They feel that by only mentioning heterosexuality and binary genders those who identify or will identify with non-heteronormative options essentially face erasure. They are never given the time of day in the curriculum and as a result are treated as though they don’t exist, a feeling that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. And at the same the time they are forced to fit into predetermined personalities that are not always true to the child. Or, to give an example of what kind of problems they see in the curriculum, the materials in sex ed classes can sometimes compare men to knights in shining armor and women to princesses. Then they urge girls to that they need to remember that “maturity attracts maturity[,] class attracts class[, and] ladies attract gentlemen.”ix For the children who aren’t lucky enough to get an analogy for such an important topic, the roles are usually portrayed/explained as women needing “‘financial support’ and ‘family commitment’” while men instead need “‘domestic support’ and ‘admiration.’”x With gender equality having made the idea of a woman bringing home the bacon widely accepted, this kind of education for any age is like closing the barn door after the horses get out; the right action, but too late for it to be acceptable. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are also issues of giving misinformation about contraception, not giving instructions on proper condom use, the list goes on. Proponents see this as a dismal excuse for sex education and should be changed to include all the advances that have been made in science since the 1950s. The biggest problem they face in achieving their goal is that abstinenceonly education is so ingrained in our education system that it is a tremendous hurdle just to get small changes made. Opponents to the change, obviously, disagree. Included in the category of opponents are groups like Texas Values, Aim for Success (an organization that gives sex education classes to public schools), the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA), and other conservative organizations or groups who teach abstinence-only education at schools. They believe sex education shouldn't include non-heteronormative topics for a variety of reasons. One of the most vocal reasons, however, is that homosexuality is a sin and should not be taught to children for risk of them wanting to be gay when they get older. This is most often backed by citing the Bible for evidence, which instantly makes the whole situation religious and even more complex and awkward than the average person is willing to attempt understanding. Since asexuality is the only other orientation that does not involve
being sexually attracted to one's own gender, this excludes almost every nonheteronormative orientation and usually tends to not be included in religious discussions over this topic. To them, what is most important for children growing up is a solid base that has worked for generations to help develop healthy adults who fit the needs of their community. Tradition in education is a major part of what they believe to be necessary for achieving whole generations of stable adults; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix. So, since the curriculum in Texas sex education has been the same for decades, clearly it’s working just fine and doesn’t need to be changed. On top of that, there is no legislation requiring what is taught in school beyond abstinence, so each school district is in charge of what they include in the curriculum. Opponents argue that this helps ensure students develop in ways that fit their community with little to no problems adjusting, which is just as important if not more so than helping someone find their community-harming identity. Imagine for a moment that these two sides are in a large room fit for debate. It could be just a large room with chairs and tables of cookies and punch or it could be a stereotypical lecture hall with stadium seating that Hollywood seems to think is the only room that colleges use for teaching. Just make sure you can firmly place proponents on one side, opponents on the other, and both are debating about the topic. The first issue that you might recognize is minor but still important: is there a place for tradition in modern education? Proponents will argue that it doesn’t, claiming that everything about today’s society is ever-changing and already much, much different from ten years ago. The Supreme Court has ruled that gay marriage is legal. xi Homosexuality is becoming more and more accepted and commonplace. And, in a report on the state of sex education in Texas from 2011, the number of schools using abstinence-plus education rose from 3.6% in the 2007-08 school year to 25.4% in the 2010-11 school year.xii This shows that tradition is no longer relevant to contemporary values and a new tradition should be created to replace the outdated old one. Bringing statistics and current events into the discussion strengthens the proponents’ case greatly, giving them the leading edge in the debate. Opponents disagree, saying that tradition in education gives students a solid foundation to develop on that has been adapted over the generations to fit what is most valued at the time. Countless people have gone through the same curriculum before and they all turned out healthy and productive. What this contradiction argument does, besides not offer evidence to support the opposite case being given, is ignore the small minority of students who did not turn out healthy and
productive. Those students did not benefit from tradition. In fact, they were harmed by it. Some attempted suicide. Some succeeded. Blatantly ignoring these students weakens the opponents’ argument tremendously. The second, and most important, issue that you’ll hear discussed between the two sides is whether or not it is right to ignore minor identities in schools. After all, doing so causes institutional erasure while enforcing the norms and values of a particular group of people. Opponents argue that it is right to ignore them in school because including them will only make children want to become them in the future. This would cause a significant rise in the amount of homosexuals and homosexual activity, which they see as immoral and a threat to society. The slippery slope nature of this argument instantly weakens it. Just because something is taught doesn’t mean all kids will want to have that lifestyle. Some will, sure, but odds are they are already in that group anyway; opponents often overlook the now-common knowledge of nonheteronormativity literally coming from birth and not choice. So, to summarize a pop idol’s famous song, they are born that way.xiii Proponents believe it is wrong to ignore the minor identities in school because it harms the students who have those identities. Not only are they treated as being nonexistent, they are also bullied because they are different and nothing is promoting an understanding of this different group. In 2011, 82% of LGBT students surveyed by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) reported having problems with bullying the previous year. xiv Even if there aren’t that many LGBT youth to begin with, having that high a percentage in any group is not right and needs to be changed. Looking at both issues, I find myself seeing the arguments as being each side’s version of Michael Sandel’s communitarianism, which champions good as something that benefits the whole community, in this case Texas. It seems to me that opponents think the community is stronger without non-heteronormativity being taught despite history showing that this harms the small minority that is ignored. I cannot agree with that, as they are merely being selective in who they consider to be a part of the community. Instead of seeing members as everyone around you, as proponents do with their desire to help the erased in being visible and understood, they would rather pick an ideal person and force children to grow into that person. If you are not that person, you are not an ideal member of the community. This is the completely wrong way to go about it. If this is for the sake of the community, you need to embrace everybody for who they are and help spread understanding so no one is harmed just for being different. That is why I find the proponents to be the
strongest side, ethically. They consider the minority in everything they do and strive to help others not be confused about it any longer. To be absolutely blunt, I believe Texas should pass the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act on a state level. It is clear that both sides want what is best for children in public schools, but I have to side with proponents. If we want our children to be able to make smart decisions about their body and sense of identity, we need to make sure they have as much information as possible to use as early as possible. We need to allow people to be comfortable with who they are and to not feel judged because of it; what we need is full equality. And the best way to ensure full equality at any point in time is to make sure children learn from a young age as much as possible about all the non-heteronormative options. Giving one set of information from childhood only for all of it to be proven false very quickly in the real world makes it even harder for youth to be comfortable with who they are or these “new” alternatives to what they thought was black and white. Supporting the act or just the idea of eliminating the erasure of nonheteronormativity in sex education can range from being politically active to participating in local events or with like-minded organizations. That last one can range greatly on your skills and what the organization needs, but trust me, they will be happy to get as much help as possible. To prove it, I designed a poster for my civic engagement.xv Being an English Writing and Rhetoric major, I have experience in designing documents and wording them with what I hope to be amazing sentences. The poster is for Out Youth, an Austin-based organization that gives LGBTQ+ youth a safe haven to hang out without fear of being bullied; they were particularly fond of the tagline. So whether your talents are centered on public activism, or paperwork, or underwater basket weaving, if you truly want to support the cause, talk to an organization to see what you could do to help them to the best of your abilities. For my interviews, I managed to get two for the proponent side, but none for the opponent side. I tried my hardest through emails and phone calls, but either they flat out said no or just didn’t get back to me, even if I kept calling or emailing them. I tried my best to give what I see the opponents arguing, but I am aware that I may be completely wrong as a result. My first interview was with Sam Killermann, who I have discussed in length already. The process was very relaxed and enlightening about just how far language itself can be embedded with gender bias. xvi My second interview was with Daniel Williams from Equality Texas. He helped me understand more of the legal aspects of the situation and bill itself, especially that the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act’s format is its biggest obstacle in being passed, rather than the content.xvii
Sex education is never an easy subject. We as a society still can't agree on whether or not it is fully the parents' responsibility to teach their children about sex. But what is easy to understand is that everybody just wants what is best for children as they grow up and figure out who they are. The Real Education for Healthy youth Act gives an opportunity for there to finally be some standards across the board in sex education, and for those same standards to be geared towards giving children all the information adults know so they can make smart decisions as they grow and to be comfortable with those decisions. To prepare for a better future, we need to use as much contemporary discoveries and knowledge as possible at the earliest feasible points during development. Doing so will help children also learn that inclusion is a necessary thing by no longer forcing institutional erasure on them; developing with everything and everyone considered will help make erasure less prevalent and inclusion more of a cultural value.
End Notes
bill, see https://www.congress.gov/bill/114thcongress/house-bill/1706/text?q={%22search %22%3A[%22real+education+for+healthy+youth+act+2015%22]}&resultIndex=1 i For the full body of the
ii The bill’s largest hurdle to being passed is not its content but rather that it is presented as
a list. Daniel Williams, in the phone interview I had with him, explained that listing things in a bill implies that whatever is not stated in the list is not important or not existing. For example, giving a list of sexual orientation rights without mentioning the rights of straight people implies that straight people don’t have an orientation. iii Killermann itspronouncedmetrosexual.com iv Ibid. v Ibid. vi
Ibid.
vii See Appendix for the infographic viii Texas isn’t the only one with such a focus on abstinence, either: “23% of American
schools teach only abstinence, according to 2012 findings by the Guttmacher Institute” (Sprague). ix Wiley and Wilson 33 x Ibid. xi See http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/27/us/supreme-court-same-sex-marriage.html?
_r=0 for the ruling and some background on it xii Sex Education in Texas Public Schools 4 xiii I am of course referring to Lady Gaga’s single, Born This Way xiv http://nobullying.com/lgbt-bullying-statistics/ xv See Submission Four xvi See Submission Four for a Q&A of the discussion xvii See Submission Four for a Q&A of the discussion
Works Cited Killermann, Samuel. "Comprehensive List of LGBTQ+ Term Definitions | It's Pronounced Metrosexual." Its Pronounced Metrosexual. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. "LGBT Bullying Statistics." NoBullyingBullying CyberBullying Resources. N.p., 09 May 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. Liptak, Adam. "Supreme Court Ruling Makes Same-Sex Marriage a Right Nationwide." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 June 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. Sex Education in Texas Public Schools: Progress in the Lone Star State. Rep. Texas Freedom Network Education Fund, Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/Report_final_web.pdf?docID=2941>. Sprague, Carolyn. "Sexual Revolution and Counter Revolution." Research Starters: Sociology (Online Edition) (2015): 1-6. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO]. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. "Text - H.R.1706 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2015." Text. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. Wiley, David, and Kelly Wilson. Just Say Don't Know: Sexuality Education in Texas Public Schools. Rep. Texas Freedom Network Education Fund, Jan. 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/SexEdRort09_web.pdf?docID=981>.
Bibliography
"Aim for Success." Aim for Success. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. "The Asexual Visibility and Education Network | Asexuality.org." The Asexual Visibility and Education Network | Asexuality.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. "Celebrate Austin PRIDE 2015 - Saturday, August 29, 2015." Celebrate Austin PRIDE 2015 –Saturday, August 29, 2015. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. "Community Action Kit - Default Home Page." Community Action Kit – Default Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. Hasenbush, Amira, Andrew R. Flores, Angeliki Kastanis, Brad Sears, and Gary J. Gates. The LGBT Divide: A Data Portrait of LGBT People in the Midwestern, Mountain & South States. Rep. The Williams Institute, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. Killermann, Samuel. "Comprehensive List of LGBTQ+ Term Definitions | It's Pronounced Metrosexual." Its Pronounced Metrosexual. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. "LGBT Bullying Statistics." NoBullyingBullying CyberBullying Resources. N.p., 09 May 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. Liptak, Adam. "Supreme Court Ruling Makes Same-Sex Marriage a Right Nationwide." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 June 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. Lugg, Catherine A. US Public Schools and the Politics of Queer Erasure. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Miller, Andrea, and Betsy Lucal. "The Pedagogy of (In)Visibility: Two Accounts of Teaching about Sex, Gender, and Sexuality." Teaching Sociology 37.3 (2009): 257-68. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO]. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. Motschenbacher, Heiko. "Focusing on Normativity in Language and Sexuality Studies: Insights from Conversations on Objectophilia." Critical Discourse Studies (2014): 49-70. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO]. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. "NAEA - National Abstinence Education Association." NAEA – National Abstinence Education Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. Sex Education in Texas Public Schools: Progress in the Lone Star State. Rep. Texas Freedom Network Education Fund, Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. <http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/Report_final_web.pdf?docID=2941>. Sprague, Carolyn. "Sexual Revolution and Counter Revolution." Research Starters: Sociology (Online Edition) (2015): 1-6. Academic Search Complete
[EBSCO]. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. "Text - H.R.1706 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2015." Text. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. Wiley, David, and Kelly Wilson. Just Say Don't Know: Sexuality Education in Texas Public Schools. Rep. Texas Freedom Network Education Fund, Jan. 2009. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. <http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/SexEdRort09_web.pdf?docID=981>.
Previous Submissions
Submission One
Donovan Cape Professor Eakman CAPS 4360-20 21 September, 2015
Foundational Research Outline 1. Should Non-Traditional Sexual Orientations and Gender Identities Be Taught in Texas Public School Sex Education? 2. Underlying Social Problems a. The overarching social problems involved in the topic question are the role of tradition in modern society and if it is the role of legislation to decide the content or necessity of sex education. Proponents believe that modern society does not need to remain as traditional as it has in the past because changes are being made that alter the idea of what tradition is. They also think that legislation should play some role in sex education to ensure that students get unbiased and broad knowledge about what kind of person they can become while undergoing the biological stresses of early adulthood. Opponents, on the other hand believe that modern society should remain traditional because those traditions have served as a solid base for many generations of growing citizens to use as they discover themselves in a way that is fit for society. They also think that legislation is not necessary for sex education because it is a subject that should be left to the parents and individual communities to decide how their children should be taught. Not everyone agrees on the subject, therefore each community should have the ability to go about teaching the subject in a way that fits best for them. b. According to the report “Just Say Don’t Know,” most Texas school districts use texts that reinforce gender stereotypes from the 1950s while assuming that no LGBTQA students exist in the state via only using ideas, terms, and knowledge that would apply to heterosexuals of traditional gender identities. During the 2010-11 school year, 74.6% of Texas schools were still solely using abstinence-only education, according to the report titled “Sex Education in Public Schools: Progress in the Lone Star State.” 3. Proponent Stakeholders a. Proponents hold the position that non-traditional orientations and identities should be taught in public sex education classes because modern society has changed to one that no longer needs to retain the tradition being pushed in classes, thus classes need to adapt to society and not the other way around. b. General Proponent Stakeholders i. Parents ii. Members of the LGBTQA community iii. Students c. Specific Stakeholders
i. AVEN, the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network ii. Paul Huddleston, president of Austin Pride 4. Proponentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Issues, Arguments, Evidence, and Plans/Actions a. Tradition i. Proponents argue that traditional ideas of orientation and identity
are outdated and need to change to match the changing modern society so that all paths are represented equally from an early age and never with prejudice or misinformation. b. Legislation i. In order to ensure non-traditional ideas are taught at all (as well as in an unbiased manner), legislation is necessary. Without legislation, there would be no standard to keep communities from spreading misinformation or outright ignoring the existence of different ideas. c. Examples of Pro Plans/Actions i. Pride parades ii. AVEN publishes a bimonthly newsletter and collects research data about asexuality for anyone to use 5. Examples of Proponentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Values a. Freedom of Self; being able to be oneself without social stigma from being non-traditional b. Equal representation in education; teaching children about all the changes going on so they will not be blindsided by the information later in their life when it might be too late for the information to make a difference. c. Adapted roles; no one will be restricted to a role that does not suit them because of tradition, e.g. men do not have to be the one to make the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s income, women do not have to stay at home and tend to the house, and marriages can be between people of the same gender. 6. Opponent Stakeholders a. Opponent stakeholders disagree with the topic question because they feel the traditional standards for sexual orientations and gender identities have helped modern society be what it is and will continue to give people firm bases to discover themselves with and be able to find a fit in society easily because of these traditions. b. General Con Stakeholders i. Parents ii. Students iii. Traditionalists c. Specific Con Stakeholders
i. Marilyn Morris, founder and president of AIM for Success, an
7.
8.
9.
10.
abstinence-only organization ii. Valerie Huber, president and CEO of NAEA, an abstinence-only organization Opponentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Issues, Arguments, Evidence, and Plans/Actions a. Tradition i. Opponents argue that traditional ideas of orientation and identity are the correct ones and have provided a solid base from which children are able to find themselves with while still being able to easily and efficiently find a place in society. Removing the foundation would change society drastically and potentially ruin what has made it so great in the first place. b. Legislation i. Each community and family is unique from others, therefore no one knows better than parents and the community as a whole. Legislation should not be enacted because it could alter how a community acts by forcing them to adapt to standards that do not fit them. c. Example of Opponentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Plans/Actions i. Abstinence-only education ii. Dissuading children to seek information about non-traditional roles and values Examples of Opponentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Values a. Traditional families; male husband has children with a female wife b. Men act manly and women act womanly c. Communities decide what is best for them without any interference from legislation Definitions/Explanations: Non-traditional sexual orientations are any orientation that is not heterosexual, such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and asexual. Non-traditional gender identities include intersex (formerly called hermaphroditism), transgender, and agender, along with others. LGBTQA stands for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer and Asexual. Limits: At this point in time I do not believe there is a similar topic that will not be touched upon in my final piece.
Donovan Cape Professor Eakman CAPS 4360-20 21 September, 2015 Annotated Bibliography "Aim for Success." Aim for Success. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. Aim for Success is an abstinence-only educational organization. Their programs are centered around the Dallas area, going to schools and teaching students to avoid sexual activity. I will use the organization as one of my con stakeholder websites and to help show that abstinence-only education is still a profitable business in Texas due to their frequent bookings during the school year. 11. "The Asexual Visibility and Education Network | Asexuality.org." The Asexual
Visibility and 12. Education Network | Asexuality.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
13. This is one of my pro stakeholder websites, run by AVEN, or Asexuality
Visibility and Education Network. AVEN is dedicated to giving asexuals a community to be a part of as well as research and research participants to help the public understand asexuality. They would answer the topic question positively because it would promote visibility not only to asexuality but also to the other forms of LGBTQA and gender identities. 14. 15. "Celebrate Austin PRIDE 2015 - Saturday, August 29, 2015." Celebrate Austin PRIDE 2015 – 16. Saturday, August 29, 2015. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. 17. This is my second pro stakeholder website. Austin Pride is a volunteer-run non-profit organization dedicated to the maintenance and running of Austin’s PRIDE events. They would answer positively to the topic question because it would promote visibility and equality, which is the goal of their organization overall. 18. 19. Huber, Valerie. "Possible Interviewee." Personal interview. 20. Valerie Huber is the CEO and president of NAEA. Interviewing her would provide excellent information about the state of abstinence-only education and what it does and does not entail. She can also help give great insight into the ideas, values, and beliefs of the opposing side of the topic question. 21. 22. Huddelston, Paul. "Possible Interviewee." Personal interview. 23. Paul Huddelston is the president of Austin Pride. He could be one my pro stakeholder interviews, as he would be able to provide better information about what it is like to be LGBTQA in Texas and how education towards nontraditional sexualities and identities could potentially be made better. 24. 25. Miller, Andrea, and Betsy Lucal. "The Pedagogy of (In)Visibility: Two Accounts of Teaching 26. about Sex, Gender, and Sexuality." Teaching Sociology 37.3 (2009): 257-68. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO]. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. 27. The source is an academic article written by Andrea Miller and Betsy Lucal. Miller is a lecturer in Webster University’s Anthropology and Sociology department and Lucal is a professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Indiana University South Bend. The article discusses how non-normative sexualities are perceived and adapted to when someone has come out or has been perceived as coming out, as well as the relation between the gender of the person coming out and how that alters the perception and adaptation of the people observing them. Ultimately it is not just coming out that changes
perceptions and behavior patterns towards the person, it is also their gender. Whether they come out or not, they are giving invisible cues to their personality based on their gender and mannerisms, and coming out can complicate those perceptions or change someone’s belief in how someone of the coming out sexuality behave normally. This article will be used to show how ingrained non-normative stereotypes can be, especially in regards to the gender of the person who is non-normative. Giving accurate facts early in a child’s development may help prevent confusion and inequality later in life when they are confronted with situations involving non-normative people. 28. 29. Miller, Kathy. "Possible Interviewee." Personal interview. 30. Kathy Miller is the president and executive director of Texas Freedom Network (TFN). She will be able to provide quality information about the evolution or lack thereof of sex education in Texas since she first became the president of TFN in 2005. 31. 32. Morris, Marilyn. "Possible Interviewee." Personal interview. 33. Marilyn Morris is the founder and president of Aim for Success. I am including her as a possible interviewee because I feel she would provide quality information about why the topic question could be best answered negatively. Running a business around such education will also give more insight into how it works and the quality of that education overall, and its demand from Texas schools. 34. 35. Motschenbacher, Heiko. "Focusing on Normativity in Language and Sexuality Studies: Insights 36. from Conversations on Objectophilia." Critical Discourse Studies (2014): 49-70. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO]. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. 37. This journal article was written by Heiko Motschenbacher, a researcher of English linguistics and sociolinguistics, as well as editor of Journal of Language and Sexuality. It discusses how normativity can influence language in subtle ways that ultimately favor the normative and demean the nonnormative. To demonstrate the argument, Motschenbacher includes a case study of speakers talking about and to people with objectophilia, a heavily non-normative sexuality. This article will be used to show how normativity affects even language and thus needs to be set early on in a developing child’s life so that they can grow within those roles and tasks. 38. 39. "NAEA - National Abstinence Education Association." NAEA - National Abstinence Education 40. Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
NAEA is dedicated to the practice of abstinence education. They will serve as a con stakeholder because they emphasize traditional roles for sexual orientation and gender identity. Medical accuracy is a top priority, however. 42. 43. Sex Education in Texas Public Schools: Progress in the Lone Star State. Rep. Texas Freedom 44. Network Education Fund, Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. <http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/Report_final_web.pdf?docID=2941>. 45. The source is a report conducted in 2011 by Texas Freedom Network Education Fund with the purpose of determining the progress made in Texasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; public school sex education programs since the last report in 2009. Results showed that there was a significant increase in the number of schools implementing abstinence-plus education, 25.4% in 2010-2011 compared to the 3.6% in 2007-2008. It was also seen that these changes were not initiated by state and local policy-makers, who refused to budge on their beliefs and as such did not change anything themselves. This source will be used to show a more modern representation of sex education in Texas public schools and highlight the differences between abstinence-only and abstinence-plus. 46. 47. Sprague, Carolyn. "Sexual Revolution and Counter Revolution." Research Starters: Sociology 48. (Online Edition) (2015): 1-6. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO]. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. 49. This is an article published in a journal article found on Research Starters: Sociology. It was written by Carolyn Sprague. The article is a historical overview of the modern sexual revolution and its counter revolution, starting in the late nineteenth century and ending in the modern era. It discusses not only the changes in attitudes and opinions towards sex and sexual behaviors, but also the possible factors for the attitudes and opinions. I will be using it as a source of historical data to show that non-traditional sexual behaviors and preferences are not all that new and should stop being kept in the dark. 50. 51. 52. Wiley, David, and Kelly Wilson. Just Say Don't Know: Sexuality Education in Texas Public 53. Schools. Rep. Texas Freedom Network Education Fund, Jan. 2009. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. <http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/SexEdRort09_web.pdf? docID=981>. 54. This source is a report conducted in 2009 by Texas Freedom Network Education Fund with the purpose of investigating the quality and content of sex education in Texas public schools. Results showed that in the 2007-2008 41.
school year very few students received education about sexuality beyond abstinence, materials in the programs often contained factual errors and distorted information or numbers about contraceptives, most used fear or shaming to get students to avoid sexual activity, instruction was sometimes promoting gender and orientation stereotypes from as far back as the 1950s, and some Texas schools mixed religious instruction with sexual education. This source will be used to show that the problems with the execution of abstinence-only programs still persists and is outdated in its methods and information.
Submission Two
Donovan Cape Professor Eakman CAPS 4360-20 30 September, 2015 Submission Two Introduction
All across Texas, public schools give sex education that is considered by many to be outdated and incredibly biased by means of abstinence-only education, which is often debated as using misinformation to scare children away from any sexual activities before marriage and only discussing heteronormative sexual behavior and gender identities. This Capstone project will investigate the question of should nonheteronormative sexual orientations and gender identities be taught in Texas public school sex education. Those who answer the question "yes" believe abstinence-only is outdated and perpetuates gender stereotypes that can harm students who do not readily fit into those categories, whereas those who answer the question "no" believe that abstinence only is the best option because it provides a solid base for students to learn who they are from in a way that will help them blend into society better; some opponents cite religious reasons to oppose teaching children about nonheteronormative identities and orientations. Exigence In June of 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is constitutional and therefore legal across all fifty states. Making it legal is a large step in making it more commonplace and accepted widely so that it eventually becomes a part of common public schooling. Kris Jenner came out in April of 2015 as a transwoman and has since gained increased popularity and recognition for the transgender community. Starting in 2014 and continuing presently, the show Transparent is about a family with a transgender father. The show has been awarded several awards and has increased the visibility and understanding of transgender people. Key Terms All of these terms (except for Asexuality) are paraphrased from Sam Killermann’s list of LGBTQ+ terms on his website itspronouncedmetrosexual.com. Asexuality – Experiencing no sexual attraction towards any person. Can still be romantically involved and participate in sexual activities, but they do not seek such activities in a relationship. Bisexual – Someone who experiences sexual attraction towards people of their own gender and those of another. Gender Identity – The gender one identifies with, even if it does not match their biological sex. Heteronormative – The standard of identities and orientations, namely one being the gender their biological sex determines they are and heterosexual only. Queer – A term used to describe someone who does not fit into heteronormative orientations or genders. Sexual Orientation – The people whom one is sexually attracted to, most often the opposite gender.
Transgender – A term used to describe someone who is not cisgender and thus falls out of heteronormative gender identities. Scope This project will cover sex education in Texas public schools for the purpose of keeping the topic local and narrow. Private schools will not be discussed because they are in full control of what they do and do not teach with most legislation not applying to them due to their nature as a private organization. Narrative In recent years, the United States media and public consciousness has seen a surge of awareness towards people in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Asexuality community (LGBTQA) and what they’re actually like. With many celebrities coming out as gay, bisexual, or even transgender, it’s no wonder that it is becoming more and more common to see people being open about their orientation and/or gender identity. This is facilitated by Kris Jenner coming out as Caitlyn Jenner and the Supreme Court ruling gay marriage as constitutional, both in 2015 and within a few months of each other. But sex education is very slow to adapt to this progress. There is currently no federal law requiring that any sex education (sex ed.) be given to students in public schools, nor is there anything requiring medically accurate or unbiased information to be taught should a school participate in giving sex ed. To make matters more confusing, most schools or districts have the freedom of choosing what they will and will not teach in sex ed. regardless of whether or not other schools in the same district or other districts in the same state are teaching the same things. In Texas, this has culminated in a monopoly on abstinence-only education, which teaches children to not have sex until they’re married and has even been known to reinforce outdated gender stereotypes, use highly inaccurate information about contraceptives for the purpose of further “proving” that abstinence is the only safe option to avoid STDs and unwanted pregnancy, and only considers heteronormative identities and orientations. Proponents of my topic question cite these negatives as some of the main reasons to get rid of abstinence-only education and replace it with education that is medically accurate about contraceptives, includes accurate information about non-heteronormative orientations and identities, and does not reinforce outdated gender beliefs. A report conducted in 2009 found that “condoms is by far the most common type of factual error in sexuality materials used in Texas,” with 40.1% of schools in the state making that error (Wiley, Wilson 17-18). The same report also found that these same texts also often reinforced gender roles from the 1950s, with one set of materials making an analogy to men being knights in shining armor and women being ladies who will only attract said knights by remaining pure (33).
Opponents to my topic question, mostly abstinence-only organizations and religiously-inclined parents, believe that teaching non-heteronormative orientations and identities would increase sexual activity and STDs in young adults and teens due to the knowledge that homosexual sex cannot cause pregnancy. Some believe that even admitting that contraceptives are effective would make matters worse, even more so if there is a guaranteed way that doesn’t require contraceptives. (Not all abstinence-only organizations or religious parents believe this. In fact, there is a growing number of people wanting abstinence-plus education, which urges abstinence but includes medically accurate information and avoids threats and scare tactics to get children to follow it.) Parents and abstinence-only organizations, like Aim for Success, believe that teaching and urging abstinence “encourage[es] the development of self control, self respect, and self discipline” (http://www.aimforsuccess.org/#!whoweare/cxda). It has long been believed that belonging to non-heteronormative orientations, namely homosexuality, and to an extent gender identities result in a high frequency of sex, which would by default be a lack of self-control, thus it would not be right to teach children about these avenues. Plan of Work Dear Beth, I am writing so I may provide you with a general overview of my plan of work to finish my Capstone project on time for the Fall 2015 semester. To achieve this I will need to research the sides, analyze the ethical arguments (as well as the source of those arguments in terms of theology, sociology, etc.), and write the piece over the course of about ten weeks. Luckily, I have the resources to finish everything on time. Project Overview My project is to investigate and determine if Texas public schools should be required to teach non-heteronormative sexual orientations and gender identities. With LGBTQA communities becoming more visible in the media and factual information about them being more readily available, now is the best time to decide if public education should progress with what seems to be a new era of equality in society or if it should remain rooted in tradition as what may be a fad fades over time. Making the right decision can help children identify who they are earlier and without fear of harm from others or themselves for being different. Tasks • • •
Research what each side is arguing Research who specifically is on each side Analyze both sides' arguments ethically and rationally
• • •
Contact interview subjects Interview subjects Write piece
Work Completed • Research what each side is arguing • Research who specifically is on each side Work Remaining • Analyze both sides' arguments ethically and rationally • Contact interview subjects • Interview subjects • Write piece Discussion I am currently a little behind schedule, in my opinion. I have not yet contacted interview subjects, but will be doing so as soon as humanly possible. As such, I plan on catching up by contacting them and trying to get the interviews done as soon as they are able to speak with me. The largest obstacle I can foresee possibly occurring is that the subjects will not be available to be interviewed early enough for me to get it all done before submission four is due. Conclusion I am confident that I will finish the project on time with proper time management. I have not done as much by now as I had hoped at the beginning of the semester, but now that I am fully aware of my tasks remaining, I know that taking care of the interviews, will allow me to tackle everything with gusto and give it my best effort. Sincerely, Donovan Cape Works Cited "Aim For Success." Aim For Success. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015. <http://www.aimforsuccess.org/#!whoweare/cxda>. "Comprehensive List of LGBTQ+ Term Definitions | It's Pronounced Metrosexual." Its Pronounced Metrosexual. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015. Wiley, David, and Kelly Wilson. Just Say Don't Know: Sexuality Education in Texas Public
Schools. Rep. Texas Freedom Network Education Fund, Jan. 2009. Web. 28 Sept. 2015. <http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/SexEdRort09_web.pdf?docID=981>.
Submission Three
Sub 3 Worksheet Name: Donovan Cape Normative question: Should the Texas state legislature adopt the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act in order to improve equality of non-heteronormative orientations and identities? Issue #1 Does tradition hold an important role in modern education? Proponents argue Tradition is no longer an important part of modern society. Changes have been made that have altered what is and is not traditional, therefore sex education should also change to keep it from being left behind and becoming outdated. Opponents argue Yes, tradition does still hold an important role in this day and age. Society should remain traditional because those traditions have allowed many generations prior to discover who they are in a way that fits with society and causes little to no issues to the greater good. Critical analysis Proponents are arguing on the basis that things have become acceptable today that were not widely accepted and often ridiculed in previous decades. Times have changed and so should sex education. Firing someone because of their race or gender is no longer acceptable or legal, for example, and we are constantly learning new things about the world and humanity. If we are to progress further, we need to teach these new discoveries to children while they are still in school. Opponents see the change in modern society and argue that not maintaining a solid foundation for youth to grow off of in a way that helps strengthen society as a whole would bring unrest and could harm a large number of people, if not everyone. While some changes have been necessary in the past, we must stop making minor changes if we wish to have a strong identity and community to flourish in contemporary times. With new discoveries being made frequently and cultural
values being unstable, now more than ever our children need something stable to develop from if we want them to be stable, competent adults. I believe proponents have the stronger argument for the critical side of this argument. While I can agree with opponents to a point, I still think it is better to make changes to prevent stagnation. Humans constantly change as they age and meet other people, thus society is also changing frequently. Trying to prevent this change would only make cultural negatives worse through constant reinforcement without any desire as a whole to make them better. Ethical analysis Proponents invoke Nielsen by arguing that following traditions does not provide the necessity of ensuring equal opportunities of self-determination. Following outdated rules and norms only harms the individual when they need to figure exactly who they are and thus goes against the value of uninhibited selfdetermination. Requiring children to adapt within a set of rules and taboos confines them to a set amount and types of person they can be instead of who they are; not letting tradition dictate this process is ethical and necessary in order to ensure everybody has an opportunity to actually be themselves. Opponents counter with their valuing the stability of the greater good over the needs of the individual, especially if that individual would go against the norms of their community in drastic ways. Allowing tradition to influence oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development is ethical because it allows them to be productive members of their community with little to no risk to the community as a whole. The community can change on its own, but it should not be done at the risk of its own stability nor should it be done for the sake of a single individual or a small number of individuals. I value a strong, understanding community as well as opportunities for individuals to fully understand who they are without worrying about how they fit into predetermined molds. Proponents have the stronger argument to me, however. Striving to find some sort of balance would be preferable, but the ability to help people determine who they really are and not how they fit in a community is more important to me than to help a community remain completely stable. Sometimes a little instability and change can help a community grow and strengthen, as well, therefore allowing children to seek out their personality uninhibited also helps the community overall. Issue #2 Should legislation have a role in the content of sex education? Proponents argue Yes, because legislation is necessary to ensure that students are getting unbiased and broad knowledge about human sexuality instead of a singular, focused view that may contain factual errors. Opponents argue
Legislation should not hold a role in sex education. It is a subject that not everyone can agree on, therefore it is up to parents or individual communities to decide what to include so that it best fits the community the children will grow up in. Critical analysis Proponents reference the factually-lacking information in some current abstinence-only education programs. If we want our children to make the right decisions, they need to know the truth and be able to make the decision themselves. Legislation would guarantee information to be medically accurate, further improving the chances that Texan children would be able to make the right decision before making an irreversible mistake. Opponents make note of how each community is different from each other in preferences and customs as well as geography. Some communities are more accepting than others and should teach in a manner that helps them. Not all communities are, however, and they should not be forced to give information that would only needlessly complicate the lives of the children growing up there. They also mention that abstinence is proven to be the only way to absolutely guarantee no teen pregnancies or STDs and therefore should hold the most importance in sex education. The strongest argument here, in my opinion, belongs to proponents. Scare tactics and deceit through misinformation should not be a standard for teaching children to do something; it should be done through giving them the right information so that they can make their own well-reasoned decisions when the time comes. It is true that each community will have its own taboos and accepted practices, but it is also true that scientific facts do not change by region and that education teaches children these facts. Ethical analysis Opponents start the argument by invoking Sandel: they argue that the relationship between members of a community is what defines who we are, thus community should be valued higher than individual determination and importance. Living in a community, in this case a school district or geographical community, helps us develop what our sense of justice is and what kind of person we are. In this way we are inherently shaped by our community to fit within that group so that we can participate and be good citizens; legislation would force communities to adopt values that do not suit them and can bring a chaotic and unstable development to anyone within those communities. Proponents rebut that while the opponents are true about oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community shaping their identity, this is a matter of a national community versus a district community. Reinforcing local community values is no longer all that is necessary for one to be successful in the modern age. With advances in technology like the internet and the widespread communication it brings, we are no longer in secluded communities. Rather, we are in a national and global communities more than we are
in local one, thus we need to adopt values to be applied across the board so that we can be prepared to be productive in this large new community when we reach adulthood. I believe proponents once again have the stronger argument. While local communities will always be the ones we are born into and participate in daily, both directly and indirectly, times have changed. Supporting local communities will always be important, but humanity is no longer secluded to just those communities. If we want our children to be fully prepared to take on the world around them with strength and confidence, we have to consider values and norms that would apply to and benefit the national community, if not the global one as well. Having the ability to communicate with people across the world in a matter of seconds has given every person in first-world countries the responsibility of being a member of the global community. Issue #3 Is it necessary to include minor differentiations from the norm in education? Proponents argue Yes, because equality should be given for all regardless of who or what they are. Teaching children about these differences can help bring understanding and normalcy to people who are in that community. Leaving information about people who belong to the minor differences out of education stigmatizes that community and makes it more confusing and harder to achieve equality for those people. Opponents argue It is not necessary because it is a waste of time and money to include such small numbers when a majority of children will not fall into those categories at any stage of their life. If a family finds it important to discuss these differences, it is up to the parents to educate their children on the subject. Critical analysis Proponents cite that there are over three million adults in the South who are LGBTQA (approximately thirty-five percent of the total adult population in the South), and thus who are marginalized in sex education from lack of visibility. Opponents argue that while there are over three million LGBTQA-identified adults in the South, that only amounts to about 3.8% of the total population of the South. There are not enough people belonging to this demographic to warrant spending time and money educating Texan children about it, regardless of whether or not it marginalizes them. The concern towards cost is what gives opponents the stronger argument for this issue. Inclusion for everyone is an admirable position, but it is still a small portion of the overall population, and one that still is not widely accepted at that. Cost is a necessary evil to consider, and in this instance it is more important than ensuring equal representation for a small minority. When the LGBTQA community
as a whole is more widely accepted as a whole the cost issue will no longer be as much of a problem. Ethical analysis Proponents begin the debate by invoking Boylan with the argument that the lack of the minor differentiations violates some of Boylan’s goods most embedded in his second level of basic goods. Respect, equal opportunity, and being able to follow one’s own plan in life are ignored without including information about the LGBTQA community in sex education. Members of the community are little more than invisible in sex education, if not outright disrespected with heinous misinformation, and as such are not given equal opportunity to be validated. Nor are children who may be members of the community and not know it allowed to fully develop and pursue their own plan due to not being able to even consider it as an option. Opponents counter with the argument that not including these differentiations actually incites Boylan’s goods, and from the same level no less. Active and equal participation in one’s own community is on the same level as respect, equality, and following one’s own life plan. However, a community is characterized as a group with shared values, thus it is more important to maintain the values already shared than to add new ones that could split the community because of opinion on the new values. Maintaining pre-determined values strengthens a community and allows children to grow into healthy, active adults who know how they belong in said community. Both sides prevent strong arguments, but in my opinion proponents are just that much stronger, albeit because I believe in the importance of the individual slightly more than the importance of the community. Communities change and adapt as the individuals within it do, thus however an individual sees themselves will strengthen the community in some way. All groups should be represented fairly and justly regardless of whether or not it shakes up some old traditions that have been around for generations. Discussion and Conclusion I believe the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act should be adopted by the Texas state legislator. The side I lean most towards is the proponent side, however I do also see the validity of the opponents’ arguments and wish to include some of their values and ideas in the project. The LGBTQA community is growing more and more visible each year and as such are becoming more and more visible and accepted among mainstream media and communities. They should not be ignored by public schools, nor should they be marginalized because they are different. The Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage in the whole country was a major first step in bringing the LGBTQA community into normalcy, but more needs to be done. Children need to learn about these identities openly and unbiased so that they can understand the full extent of the possibilities before it is almost too late for them to have made the necessary steps to better understand themselves. I agree that it probably would cost more money to change the programs than most people would
like, but it needs to be done. My recommendation is to do small test runs to ensure the viability of the program before releasing it on a large scale; use the new program in several select districts and monitor the progress over the course of at least five years. Nor should communities not be allowed to make some decisions on subject matter. The Real Education for Healthy Youth Act includes a list of subjects that are optional for school districts to choose, and while I would prefer they be required, it is best for them to remain optional at this time. As the success of the districts that use the optional subjects becomes widely known, more districts will start using it and over time non-heteronormative sexualities and gender identities will become more normal and accepted. This is a subject that needs small examples to add up before a big change will occur; forcing it all at once will only have disastrous effects.
Submission Four
Donovan Cape Professor Eakman CAPS 4360-20 2 November, 2015 Submission 4 Proponent Interviews Sam Killermann, owner of itspronouncedmetrosexual.com: 1. What do you think about the current state of sex education in Texas? “I try not think about it, to be honest. It’s really abysmal. It’s really sad that people are so terrified about kids learning about their bodies and their desires and their physiology that we are preventing people from being able to be healthy.” 2. How could it be made better? “I’m a huge fan of comprehensive sex ed. It would be age appropriate; what is taught to kindergarteners would be different than what is taught to high schoolers.” 3. How do you feel about the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act? I explained the Act with the small error of saying that school districts have the option of teaching about non-heteronormative identities and orientations when it is actually mandated at all levels below higher education. He initially did not react too positively to the act because if this information, but I corrected this in an email and he responded with, “Ooo! So that's even better than what we were talking about. (at
least from my perspective)” 4. What is the biggest struggle LGBTQA children face growing up in public education? “One of the biggest would be erasure. When you have sex ed that never acknowledges that people have attraction or relationship interaction or gender identities, you’ve been erased. To never even be acknowledged in the curriculum is a really harmful thing. And that reinforces any kind of prejudice to them.” 5. English has a heavy gender bias favoring the binary gender one is believed to be born with. What is the first step to overcoming this bias? “A great first step is people becoming more and more comfortable with gender neutral pronouns, and I think that the cultural side, that just means people practicing and using ‘they, them, their’ gender neutral pronouns and legislators adopting gender neutral language in a policy.” 6. About what grade level do you think it is best to teach students about nonheteronormative sexual orientations and gender identities? “As early as possible; kindergarten on.”
Daniel Williams, Equality Texas: 1. Are you familiar with the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act introduced to the senate? “Yes, I have a passing familiarity with it but I can’t say I’m an expert.” 2. What do you think is the biggest obstacle to it being passed? “The enumerated list. There is a cultural opposition to legislation which enumerates universal attributes. Particularly since 2003, the legislature has been less willing to pass any legislation with enumerated attributes. There is an approach to legislative analysis that suggests that to enumerate an attribute is to exclude others.” 3. What kind of activists would make up the largest opposition to it? “Conservative Republic of Texas and Texas Values would be two of the organizations involved, but the majority of people would not be affiliated with those organizations.” 4. The Real Education for Healthy Youth Act makes it optional for institutions of higher education to “help develop healthy attitudes and values” about nonheteronormative sexual orientations and gender identities. Why would this be
optional? “I have no idea.” 5. How can a policy affect equality for gender identities and sexual orientations as opposed to no policy at all? “It helps give models for LGBT youth to look up, which gives them hope.”
Opponent Interview: I have not been able to get any positive responses from opponents. I have been trying my hardest and have had a few rejections with even more never responding even after I pester them a couple times. This week I will be making a generic list of questions and calling the unresponsive organizations as well as some new ones and trying to get an interview then.
Civic Engagement: For my civic engagement I created a post for the Austin-based organization Out Youth, which seeks to give LGTBQ+ youth a safe place to hang out and grow into mature, responsible adults without being bullied for who they are.
Submission Five