This week we were asked to share our thoughts with our colleagues on at least two of the questions posted.
1.)Share some of the ways you noticed that homophobia and heterosexism permeate the world of young children including books, movies, toys, stores, culture of early childhood centers, and schools.
As I look around, I can see that toys and movies focus on heterosexism today. Nearly every little girl has a Barbie and Ken. Most girls even begin to fantasize about meeting a real Ken one day. The summer movie hit “Toy Story Three” included this Barbie and Ken scenario in their script recently. Today children also look in their classrooms and see posters of two parents including one male and one female, so children begin to assume that this is what is right (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). I have to personally set aside my opinions towards homophobia and expose children to all types of families because what they see through mass media is not what they may be getting around them in reality. The classic picture of a nuclear family is quickly fading, and it is being replaced with a blended, single, or homosexual families.
2.)How you would respond to a parent/family member who informed you they did not want anyone who is perceived (or self-reported) homosexual or transgender to be caring for, educating, and/or interacting with their child.
I decided to answer this question because I one day hope to be a Principal, so this is a situation I will without a doubt encounter. I would first start off by telling this parent that we need to step back and examine the bigger picture. The bigger picture is that my teacher is very qualified to teach thus why she was hired here. I may not agree with her lifestyle choices, but her heart has not changed and her passion and experience in teaching still remain. I need to bring to the parent’s attention that it is not the teacher she has a problem with, but it is her own personal bias she needs to work on. It is ok to not agree with her lifestyle choices, but she needs to learn to accept that we are all different. I would go one step further to say that this teacher’s homosexuality does not interfere with the children’s education, and I would gladly connect this unhappy parent with former happy parents to tell her how pleased they were with having her. I would also offer to have this parent back in my office again to really sit down and dig deeper to find out why this situation bothers her as well as offer resources to help her work through her personal bias. If we want our children to thrive in this diverse world, then we first need to expose them to it first, and we may have to help some adults unlearn their biases as well (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).
Reference:
Derman-Sparks, L., Edwards, J. (2010). Anti bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington D.C.: NAEYC.
