Homophobia: A Weapon Of Sexism by Suzanne Pharr
One of the ground-breaking books of second-wave feminism. Author Susanne Pharr poses the idea that homophobia is a construct used by the dominant system in our society.
Lesbian Health Matters! by Val Leoffler; Mary O’donnell; Kater Pollock; Ziesel Saunders
Created by memvers of the Women’s Health Collective who found nothing at the time specific to lesbian health. The aim was to provide something to help lesbians gain control of their own health care. Foundational.
The Invisible Minority by Bob Latham
Basic information about sexual orientation is provided with guidelines that teachers can easily use for presentations in their classrooms. The information is helpful to all students, including those who are straight. It is especially needed for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) youth in schools because they often face persecution and do not have family members who can help them cope. Nearly one-third of all teen-age suicides are related to persecution around the issue of sexual orientation. Every classroom contains one or more students who now or will eventually identify themselves as gay or lesbian. Information is provided for all grade levels and classes that teach sexuality as well as English and History. A dozen appendices provide more detailed information and references including Homosexuality and the Bible, Slurs, Facts and Statistics. Homosexuality is a normal variation that occurs in nature in many species and among most, if not all, of humankind”s various cultures. Homosexuality is a variation very much like left-handedness. Most of the population is right-handed. A significant minority of the population is naturally left-handed. Left-handed people are present in all occupations and have made important contributions throughout history. Similarly, most of the population is heterosexual. A significant minority of the population is naturally homosexual. Homosexual people are present in all occupations and have made important contributions throughout history Extensive research over the last 50 years indicate that about 10% of the population in the United States is exclusively homosexual. Kinsey”s research indicated that an additional 5% engage in homosexual behavior part of the time. These percentages have been confirmed by many scientists, but even if the numbers were much smaller, it does not change what needs to be done in schools to meet the needs of a vulnerable, invisible minority.
School Experiences Of Gay And Lesbian Youth: The Invisible Minority by Mary Harris
School Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Youth: The Invisible Minority shows teachers, youth advocates, administrators, and academic researchers how to embrace the needs of sexual minority students. Through research and case studies, this book explains the ways in which schools are failing the vulnerable population of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths. This text shows you how to take responsibility for recognizing and protecting the rights and needs of gays and lesbians and ridding schools of discrimination, harassment, and violence.As School Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Youth illustrates, the consequences of the cognitive, social, and emotional isolation that sexual minority youths experience as a result of homophobia and heterosexism can be devastating. With this book s helpful suggestions, provocative insight, and open challenges, you can help gay and lesbian youths develop feelings of self-worth as well as positive aspirations for their futures. Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Youth will help social workers, psychologists, academics, counselors, and other professionals understand: the dearth of role models in the career development of lesbian and gay youths how to integrate sexual orientation into career counseling how to incorporate the topic of homosexuality into educational curricula forms of homophobia (from the victim s and the agressor s points of view) and heterosexism in the high school environment how to open discussions about gay and lesbian issues at school the importance of having visible lesbian, gay, and bisexual staff who can provide support for sexual minority youthSchool Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Youth also informs you on the experiences gay and lesbian adults who attended high school five to fifty years ago, as well as college students who have reported incidents of homophobic behavior in high school. In addition, this text discusses teachers fears of being fired as a result of talking about sexual minority issues and how school environments can lead students to become drop outs. Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Youth will inform you on the issues facing gay and lesbian youth and provide you with suggestions on how to make the classroom a welcoming environment, regardless of sexual orientation.
