Gender And Sexuality Education - Should Sexuality and Gender Identity be taught in schools?

Should Sexualiy and Gender Identity be taught in schools?

The concept of Sexuality and Gender Identity can be complicated, and can be difficult to learn and understand. But a leading cause of bullying is misunderstanding and lack of awareness. 

If gender and sexuality was taught in schools, it could lower the chance of homophobic and discriminative bullying. Schools should ban the use of words such as 'Gay' and 'F*ggot', unless they are used in their proper context. If children are educated in the subject of Gender and Sexualities, they would probably be less likely to use these kind of words in a negative manner. Many children do not even know what the word Gay means, but they have learnt to use it as an insult or put-down. 

Teaching about Gender and Sexualities, could also encourage closeted children to come out to their family and friends. If people had more knowledge of the subject, they would, in general, be more accepting and understanding of an individual's identities. This is vital if children want to explain their thoughts or feelings to another child or adult. Coming out takes a lot of courage and trust, so it is important that people accept how another person feels, and prove they were the right person to tell.

Schools could work towards becoming more LGBT friendly in a number of ways, aside from just teaching about it. School councils could organise a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), and school application forms could remove the 'Tick One' gender box, and allow students to write down their gender identity, rather than choosing from a very limited; Male or Female box. Schools could ban homophobic words or behaviour, in the same way racist or sexist remarks are. School libraries could provide LGBT related books/guides, helpful to both LGBT individuals, and those willing to educate themselves in the subject.

In general, I think schools need to become more LGBT aware, and encourage children to share their thoughts or feelings, rather than shame them for it.

I think this is an area of education which definitely should be taught, if you agree, there are a number of online petitions available for signing, which vote for Sexuality and Gender Identity to be taught in schools!

Studying Sexualities - My Daily Study Routine

How I study Sexuality and Gender Identity:

The first thing I do, is open my folder, which is full of printed fact sheets, 

Here I am studying Androphilia and Gynephilia. My folder is sorted in alphabetical order, so I can easily find subjects. When I have chosen a subject to study, I draw the pride flag, then reproduce notes in my notebook. When I am happy with my notes, I photocopy them, and stick them on my bedroom wall.

This means I can study, even when I don't have my notebook, and I can go over my notes at any time. I bring my notebook with me whenever I go anywhere, so I can re-read my studies when I'm out and about. Sometimes I read through my printouts and highlight key information:

This helps me when I come to write out my notes. As I can pick out my key points and write them in order of priority. 

During the day I like to work downstairs, where I can use a large area of space. However, in the evenings I use my bedroom desk, which has limited space. This is where my Ipad comes in handy, as I can research my subjects directly, without the use of my folder, which takes up a lot of room. 

When I'm not studying, I spend time on my social media accounts, which are linked with some LGBT accounts. This helps me look at sexuality and gender identity related posts, again, helping with my research.

Trigender - A Definition

Hey guys! Very short post here, but I wanted to share some information about a gender identity I feel is unknown by many, and I think people must have awareness of different, less common identities.

This is a gender idenity, that not many people know about. Individuals who identify as Trigender, often identify between three different genders, regardless of what they may be. However, these genders are usually Male, Female, and non-binary. This could be an entirely new gender.

Below, you can see the Trigender pride flag:

Gender And Sex - What's The Difference?

We all presume sex and gender is the same thing, but is it?

The answer is no. Gender is considered more complex than the state of one's sex, as gender incoudes genetic, hormonal, environmental, and social factors. It is a socially constructed role/behavior, that society considers appropriate for members of different sexes. Sex categories, on the other hand, are biological and physical characteristics that define males and females.

While gender characteristics vary greatly from person to person, sex characteristics are usually the same. For example: Males do not menstruate, while females do.

How people define masculinity and femininity can be based on an individual's religious background or culture. 

As shown in the picture below, gender can be devided into many, more accurate sub-categories.

 

Homosexuality - A Definition

We've all heard of homosexuals, and we hear words such as 'gay' used every day. But what does 'gay' actually mean?

The word Homosexual comes from the Greek and Latin words meaning 'same' and 'sex'. Homosexual individuals experience romantic or sexual attraction towards members of the same sex or gender. 

Along with Bisexuality (attraction towards both males and females) and Heterosexuality (attraction to members of the opposite sex), Homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation, within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum. 

Scientists know no obvious reason as to why people develop particular sexualities, but some believe it is a combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences, (nature and nurture). 

Homosexual individuals usually identify as either Lesbian (female), or Gay (Primarily males but also used to refer to both males and females). Homosexuality/Homosexual behaviour has been documented and is observed in many non-human animal species.

Most people experience little or no choice about their sexual orientation, and there is insufficient evidence to support the use of physchological interventions to change sexual orientation. Some religious people believe homosexuality is unnatural, but research has shown that it is a normal and natural variation in human sexuality.

Sexuality And Gender Identity - My Study Of Gender & Sexuality

Sexuality & Gender Identity

Hey guys! I've recently found a huge area of interest in my study - Sexuality and Gender Identity. This topic is something I deeply understand and can relate to, and I think, if people had more knowledge and understanding of this subject, the wolrd would be a happier, safer place, especially for members of the LGBT community.

As this topic is yet to be taught in my school, I've been spending a lot of my free time studying at home. I mainly use internet-based resources, although my own experiences play a part in my study. 

I keep most of my research results in this folder, which I have recently started decorating with some facts that I feel, are some of the most important facts to remember when studying gender and sexuality. I print off a lot of information directly from the web, and store it in this folder so I can continue studying when I can not access the internet. I then take notes from my researches and reproduce them in my notebook:

A specific area I've recently been looking at, is the the Gender sub-categories. I love how gender breaks down into more accurate gender descriptions, and I am currently focusing on Transgender research. I am looking into sexual identities in transgender individuals, and which pronouns are most commonly used within the transgender community.