By Finn Bell
The Squall
Dexter HS
1st Place
Division 3, News Writing
It was late February 2017 freshman history; we were beginning our unit on the Holocaust. Among a list of targeted groups, there was a single mention of “homosexuals,” without elaboration. At that point, in 13 years of life, that single word was the only LGBT representation I had encountered in my education. That needs to change. In all fairness, gay marriage has been legal for fewer than five years. For most of my time in Dexter Community Schools, LGBT acceptance was a hotly debated topic. Luckily, recent years have seen a great deal of progress in that area; and yet, the curriculum taught at DCS has lagged behind that progress. In four years of high school, I can count on two hands the number of times I have witnessed LGBT topics discussed as part of the curriculum, almost all of which were surface- level at best. In both American History and AP U.S. History (APUSH), there were large units dedicated to the civil rights and counter-culture movements of the 1960s and 70s. However, strangely absent was any mention of the Stonewall Riots, the Gay Liberation Front, or any LGBT rights movements in the U.S. And while we spent a whole day in American History analyzing Dr. Seuss cartoons from WW2, the AIDS epidemic, which killed more gay men than the Vietnam War did Americans, was given less than a paragraph. In AP English, we read and annotated an essay written by a gay man about what marriage meant to him, and we had an in class discussion about said essay, which was great; and yet, when we had a full unit on the sonnets of William Shakespeare, not once was it mentioned that most of them were love letters written by Shakespeare about another man. Also absent from my education? Basically any mention of transgender people. This is unfortunate, as it’s an area in which most people are in desperate need of education. Those are just a few examples I can think of off the top of my head. The point is LGBT people representation within our curriculum is rare and fl awed. Is that really that big of a deal? I’d argue yes, it absolutely is a big deal; here’s why. I fi rst learned about LGBT people, not from a teacher or a book, but from a playground game known as “gay tag,” a game with all of the classic rules of tag, but with the twist that the person who was “it” was also “gay.” This same tone continued throughout my adolescence – growing up, I only ever heard about LGBT people when they were the butt of a joke, a nebulous other at which to be poked and laughed. “Gay” (as well as a few other terms I cannot repeat here) was used as a generic insult. In the absence of any education, over time I internalized this casual form of homophobia. Then came puberty. During the awkward mess that was middle school, I slowly began to realize that I was different. Through a long and painful process, I finally came to terms with my sexuality. I felt scared and alone, and, on top of that, I had to undo years worth of internalized homophobia. Looking back, I just wish that, at some point in my life, someone had sat me down and explained that LGBT people aren’t just punchlines, but real people. I wish that I had learned about gay people, not from the playground, but from a teacher or a book. Maybe if that had happened, one of the most painful times in my life might not have been so painful. We live in a time of rapid social progress, but that doesn’t mean we can stay complacent. We must make efforts to ensure that, everyday, the world is a better place than the day before. Part of that means making sure the next generation is taught right.
NW-07. Bylined Opinion Article
Article of personal opinion carrying the byline of the writer(s) presented in a style consistent with modern opinion column standards. The article should comment on a news or feature subject of interest (including sports) and/or concern to the readers, or may express dissent from the majority opinion expressed in editorials. Submit a PDF of the print page(s) on which the story was published or the URL to the story on an online news site.
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Topic relevant to interests and/or welfare of school or students
- Wins reader interest with a compelling lead that urges action
- Presents evidence/interpretation in logical sequence
- States issue; uses effective examples, facts and comparisons to clarify
- Deals with specific issue; avoids preaching, rhetoric and cliches
- Shows sufficient thought and knowledge of subject, developed with personal style
- Proposes solution where appropriate
- Sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly
- Proper diction/grammar