Safe Spaces- August

Connections

 

       Safe Spaces written by August introduces the view of the LGBT in society. The article talks about many different issues relating to LGBT and some of the occurrences that are going on in society that often cause harm to the groups efforts to move forward. Many different factors within Safe Spaces relates to other articles because of the struggle, negative feelings, and lack of opportunity that is talked about in Safe Spaces among the LGBT society.

 

 

 

 



       The first article that I though this related to was Aria by Richard Rodriguez. Aria by Richard Rodriguez talks about a student who's first language is Spanish thus he does not get the best chance to excel in the classroom. Society in his case forces him to learn the English language. The same occurrence happens in Safe Spaces where educators and society are forcing students to be of gender. For example in Safe Spaces it talked about a girl taking a test and on the test the question read "Do you have a sweetheart" and sweetheart was in the masculine form and this girl was a lesbian. Society in both of these stories wants everybody to remain within the normal accepted "values" where everybody is assumed to be heterosexual or straight and being comfortable depends on these values. In both articles all the characters were not comfortable. The Spanish speaking student was against many odds because he could not speak English and this put a communication issue upon his teacher as well as his classmates. Being able to experience comfort was not the case for that student nor was it for students who were talked about in Safe Spaces. The refusal to talk about LGBT as it said in Safe Spaces only sends a message that it something of abnormal nature. Often in Safe Spaces also it talks about the education system and how sometimes children are exposed to negative representations of LGBT, creating a image which views these people as something else.  

 

      Another article that I also found closely related to Safe Spaces was U.S.A., Land of Limitations? by Nicholas Kristof. In Land of Limitations it explores the life of a man who was smart and had unique ability to be successful but due to his circumstances was not able to find or reach success. His parents nearly abandoned the family when he was younger thus the man Rick Goff found it hard to care for his younger siblings as well as go to school and then come home to support them. He dropped out of school and was left working for the rest of his life just so him and his siblings could have a mediocre life. This article closely related to Safe Spaces because it dives into the lack of opportunity. Safe Spaces talks about how the LGBT are not treated as equals because the Education system doesn't give students the opportunity to open up to differences among families. Within the curriculum LGBT families and students of those families feel like they are being left or appear invisible. Some states even prohibit same-sex marriage creating a barrier not only for couples but the whole LGBT society. It is important for teachers to include talks about LGBT so that views can change and opportunity can open. Realizing how that lack of opportunity changes ones life such a Rick Goff's is important because educators can then take the steps to better discussions and create Safe Spaces for the LGBT community. I believe it has to start with communication first and then work its way into the "picture".          

 

Connections: Safe Spaces related very close sly the two articles I just explained because of the lack of opportunity and lack of comfort within a particular setting. Reading those other two articles and comparing them to Safe Spaces would present many parallels because of the issues that occur as well as how we come to fix each of them.

 

Points to share/Discuss: LGBT as a society represents very strongly for what they believe in but that also presents issue in the "normal society" as well because people are not open to hearing about their fight for equality nor are they in favor for what they stand for. Many oppose LGBT and some have come to accept it. Talking about LGBT I think could possibly make the situation better because it has to start somewhere and if nothing starts at all then no progress will be made for both sides.