It was the Worst of Times
What do you do when you have blatant homophobia and ignorance staring you in the face? Personally, I blog about it. Years ago, I thought all crazy college kids were just way-out-radical-liberal. Surprisingly, this is not true. Lately, more and more college kids have caught the Jesus Fever (not to be confused with the Avian flu - symptoms are similar, but Avian flu makes you want to eat crumbs and garbage.)
Every semester, I get a wee bit scared when I have to review the chapter on sexual orientation. It's like, well, I can't think of a good analogy. You know that no matter how unpredictable or scary a rollercoaster ride is, it will likely end (eventually) and you will still be alive. Maybe it's like parenthood? (I don't know, I'm just guessing) When it's over, you could be the proud parent of the genius who invented the AIDS vaccine, or you could be the woman at the trial of the century who leaves and enters the courtroom with an acrylic cardigan covering your head to protect your identity from the media and so the gals at the lunch meat counter don't recognize you.
Anyway. Typically, I will ask the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender student organization to send in a panel of students to speak to my class. If it's uncomfortable for my students, it's the longest hour and fifteen minutes of the semester for me. I just keep waiting, watching, wondering if I should have packed a weapon, called for backup, whatever. Will I be on the news tonight?
Last semester, I had the teeniest, tiniest, cutest little Jesus gal student you ever did see. Seriously. She reminded me of Stacy Q. She might have been five feet tall. I don't think she weighed more than 80 pounds. And probably 5 of those were hair. She was an art major, so I mistakenly gave her credit for being open-minded. I should have guessed that things were headed down a dangerous path when she informed me (the first night of class) that she would be at least 20 minutes late to every class because she had to commute from work. It wasn't the distance, or the traffic, or anything like that; she had to stop at her parents' house on the way to campus so she could eat a nice hot meal. I had already informed the class that because of the unusual time of our class (dinner time, basically), they were all welcome to bring food to enjoy in class. They were welcome to bring fruit, granola bars, whatever. I did advise against pepperoni pizzas and open-face roast beef sandwiches, however. Stacy Q.-Jesus-girl didn't want to do this. Whatever. So, she's a PITA from the get-go.
The night of the LGBT panel, she approaches me after class in tears and asks if she can talk with me "in private." I guessed she was going to come out to me, and boy, was I wrong! She wanted to tell me that it was very difficult for her not to leave the class (I guess she wanted an award? Other than the PITA, I mean) because she is a Christian. And she does not believe in THAT. And then she started openly weeping and said, "I know that you probably believe that gay people are born that way, but I know that Jesus would not do that to anyone. How could Jesus create people that are made wrong and know that by making them that way he will subject them to a life of suffering? I refuse to believe that Jesus would do that, so that's how I know these people choose this. Usually because something bad happened to them in childhood."
Um, I'm sorry. What? Seriously. What the fuck are you talking about? Where does this girl live? Geographically, metaphorically, the whole thing. Under a rock? In a brown paper bag? In a world with no televisions, movie theatres, newspapers, Internet, radio or magazines? Hey, maybe it's just me bein' crazy, but aren't, I don't know, BABIES born with Cystic Fibrosis and Spina Bifida and all kinds of other birth defects we rarely hear about like all the damn time? Wouldn't these children and their families typically suffer? I just don't get it. I guess she lives in a world where nobody is born with any problems or "defects" (I'm not comparing homosexuality to a birth defect, by the way - hence, the quotation marks) that would cause any suffering. How nice for her. And also, when can I move there?
Every semester, I get a wee bit scared when I have to review the chapter on sexual orientation. It's like, well, I can't think of a good analogy. You know that no matter how unpredictable or scary a rollercoaster ride is, it will likely end (eventually) and you will still be alive. Maybe it's like parenthood? (I don't know, I'm just guessing) When it's over, you could be the proud parent of the genius who invented the AIDS vaccine, or you could be the woman at the trial of the century who leaves and enters the courtroom with an acrylic cardigan covering your head to protect your identity from the media and so the gals at the lunch meat counter don't recognize you.
Anyway. Typically, I will ask the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender student organization to send in a panel of students to speak to my class. If it's uncomfortable for my students, it's the longest hour and fifteen minutes of the semester for me. I just keep waiting, watching, wondering if I should have packed a weapon, called for backup, whatever. Will I be on the news tonight?
Last semester, I had the teeniest, tiniest, cutest little Jesus gal student you ever did see. Seriously. She reminded me of Stacy Q. She might have been five feet tall. I don't think she weighed more than 80 pounds. And probably 5 of those were hair. She was an art major, so I mistakenly gave her credit for being open-minded. I should have guessed that things were headed down a dangerous path when she informed me (the first night of class) that she would be at least 20 minutes late to every class because she had to commute from work. It wasn't the distance, or the traffic, or anything like that; she had to stop at her parents' house on the way to campus so she could eat a nice hot meal. I had already informed the class that because of the unusual time of our class (dinner time, basically), they were all welcome to bring food to enjoy in class. They were welcome to bring fruit, granola bars, whatever. I did advise against pepperoni pizzas and open-face roast beef sandwiches, however. Stacy Q.-Jesus-girl didn't want to do this. Whatever. So, she's a PITA from the get-go.
The night of the LGBT panel, she approaches me after class in tears and asks if she can talk with me "in private." I guessed she was going to come out to me, and boy, was I wrong! She wanted to tell me that it was very difficult for her not to leave the class (I guess she wanted an award? Other than the PITA, I mean) because she is a Christian. And she does not believe in THAT. And then she started openly weeping and said, "I know that you probably believe that gay people are born that way, but I know that Jesus would not do that to anyone. How could Jesus create people that are made wrong and know that by making them that way he will subject them to a life of suffering? I refuse to believe that Jesus would do that, so that's how I know these people choose this. Usually because something bad happened to them in childhood."
Um, I'm sorry. What? Seriously. What the fuck are you talking about? Where does this girl live? Geographically, metaphorically, the whole thing. Under a rock? In a brown paper bag? In a world with no televisions, movie theatres, newspapers, Internet, radio or magazines? Hey, maybe it's just me bein' crazy, but aren't, I don't know, BABIES born with Cystic Fibrosis and Spina Bifida and all kinds of other birth defects we rarely hear about like all the damn time? Wouldn't these children and their families typically suffer? I just don't get it. I guess she lives in a world where nobody is born with any problems or "defects" (I'm not comparing homosexuality to a birth defect, by the way - hence, the quotation marks) that would cause any suffering. How nice for her. And also, when can I move there?
posted by Teacher lady | 2:30 PM
9 Comments:
Yeah, I never knew there were Jesus freak art students out there, either. And I don't even go to a Jesus oriented school!
Doesn't it just blow your mind that people REALLY think that way? I was talking about something similar to a friend of mine from a chat board. I guess I could credit my fairly liberal family for my relative open mindedness, or really my lack of offense at the way other people lead their lives. It's really unbelievable to me that people really think that Jesus wants babies to be born with spina bifida, women to miscarry, young kids to be killed, etc.
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Colorado - what comment about the dog? Did I miss something?
Today in our local newspaper, a man wrote a letter to the editor about how "wrong" gay marriage and adoption were. His primary argument? Everyone knows that gays tend to have unstable relationships and the "males of the species" tend to be violent. I really wanted to know on what he was basing this argument. Gays are violent? You mean more than straight people? Colorado Castaway can probably attest to how violent those gays are. In fact, there's been a recent rash of brutal rapes and murders in our area, and the police are questioning gay men and transvestites, because, well, why wouldn't they be the first suspects? I hear the gays like to distract you with fabric swatches and then just when you start having a fascinating conversation about window treatments, they mug you and then shoot you in the face. Oh wait, no. That's Dick Cheney. Sans window treatment conversation.
Rescue animals . . . they are such a challenge sometimes. Most days I'm glad I rescued Minnie, but when she runs over and tries to take a chunk out of my husband's foot (when two seconds earlier she was acting happy to see him) . . . I ask myself what the hell happened to this dog and why are we being punished?
Violent Femmes . . . that is excellent! Maybe I'll send a letter to the editor and that can be my response . . . violent gays? You must mean the Violent Femmes!
Some people have such crazy reasoning for things. They should practice writing. I find that sometimes when I type out a rant, I reread it and I'm like "You know? I'm not really making sense here. Let's revise my thinking on this subject." I hope that through classroom discussion, you end up reaching some of the students through pure reason. Like the argument you have about if jesus didn't want ANYONE to suffer, then what the hell is up with 70% of what happens on earth? If you don't bring up that point in class, I hope someone does put that thought in the kids' heads - soon. Before they hurt some perfectly nice people with their ignorance.
Ooh - I like it - hurt perfectly nice people with their ignorance. Wish I'd said it myself. I agree with you 110% on the writing thing, which is why I require them to write 4 "reaction papers" to various movies, guest speakers, etc., but when you can barely write, it sort of ruins the thinking process.
WELL SAID!
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