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Should homosexuality be discussed in the classroom and if so why?
 There are many arguments for and very few against discussing homosexuality in schools. So far as the U.K. syllabus is concerned, it is something that is being tackled in class; how effective this is, is another matter. Teachers, students, parents and governing bodies have their own opinions on the matter - if these are strong they may inhibit the impact of discussions. Many schools do not believe it is appropriate to ‘promote’ homosexuality in the classroom but this does not mean they think it shouldn't be discussed. Indeed, it would be preposterous to promote any sexuality: “be straight, it’s the best decision that I've made so why don’t you give it a go?”. Promotion may be far fetched, but an understanding of society's subcultures, whether founded on religion or sexual preference, can be gained through discussion. Sometimes the only places these discussions take place is in the classroom.
To understand the effect of these discussions it is best to start by looking at the problems surrounding sexuality with young people.
Regardless of anyone’s decided sexual preference, we young people tend to go through confusing phases, which is why so many parents say, “It’s just a phase” when their children come out to them; it may just be a phase! The problem here is that young people both gay and straight are going through a rough time when it comes to sexuality – lusting over both boys and a girls or maybe juts a boy or a girl of the opposite sex. “Gay bashing” is commonplace in schools and the word, “gay” is constantly used as an insult. A sexually confused person hearing insults and profanity flying around will just feel miserable - losing their self respect and confidence because of it. It is harder to tackle the insults and profanities, for the root of those problems are wider issues in society.
However, we can reassure those people that it is OK to be gay and that many people are both gay and happy with their lives. Similarly it is OK to be confused, they are not the only ones going through the problem. Listening to a discussion led by an adult talk may confirm some thoughts they have or help them come to terms with their feelings: resolving problems.
As I have already shown, “queer bashing” and homophobia are common among young people of all subcultures and is realistically unavoidable. We can say that the root of homophobia - especially among the young - is ignorance. The gay and straight communities are segregated and therefore it is unlikely many young teenagers will have met a gay person let alone had a conversation about homosexuality. Discussions in the classroom works to promote a true reflection of the modern gay youth and dispel misconceptions about gay people as paedophiles, disease carriers, abnormal and unnatural. People are entitled to their opinions, however homophobia can develop into prejudice – it is important therefore to show young people who are homophobic that homosexuals are like any other people and should be respected. Gay youths may be feeling sad because they do not respect themselves. Ignoring issues in the classroom is to ignore the problem; feeding already prominent ignorance. Paying attention to them will generate respect on both sides of the fence.
In many schools there are people who have come out to their classmates, sometimes with catastrophic consequences, sometimes with good consequences and sometimes with a mix of the two. Whatever happens, discussion in the classroom openly supports these people whether they are present or not. They may be ignored in the playground but they are taken notice of in the classroom. What is discussed and gained can be applied outside of the classroom to gay people. Therefore discussions could work to re-shape the attitudes of young people toward their gay peers.
Problems might not even exist, especially in elder classes. However questions may remain even if problems do not. Both gay and straight students may have questions or concerns (which may be completely unrelated to them) about gay law, gay issues in the news and so on. Discussions present an opportunity to gain a wider understanding of issues - such an understanding can be used in multiple circumstances and is a positive thing. In the modern working environment an understanding of different opinions – negative and positive – and the arguments for and against these will be beneficial. Tolerance for people of all walks of life, regardless of their physical, social or sexual condition is aided by discussion. Hopefully the tolerance learnt in the classroom and the reasoning behind it may be passed on when situations arise in the students’ later life.
Discussions form a way to bridge knowledge, experience and understanding – stopping ignorant beliefs before they become serious problems and generating respect as well as wisdom.
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