Richard AmmonGay High School Boy Trapped in a Hetero School Milieu
I understand this boy’s feeling of being trapped in an alien environment of a ridiculing and humiliating hetero school culture. Straight students (and the larger straight population) have no clue about the crushing oppression of having to wear a mask of identity and bear a false witness against our gay selves in order to navigate the hostile heterosexist homophobia that surrounds us–
especially in such an impulsive fearful setting as a high school loaded with skittish easily-frightened teens (mainly boys) who are so insecure in their own masculinity that they irrationally demonize ‘queers’ and ‘fags’ and ‘homos’ as if they are some kind of dangerous plague that will infect their own identity, or worse, seduce them into a sexual sin.
This boy’s lament over the absence of leadership from his school’s administrators is very valid–and worthy of despair. Little do these deans or principals or head teachers realize how toxic and dangerous their lack of discussion, counseling and sex-education classes are to a portion of their student population. The former Act-Up HIV slogan of “Silence=Death” is still a ringing indictment of school (and church and parliament) leaders who ignore or deny or condemn the presence and truth of homosexuality in society, in high schools. Inaction encourages ignorance which breeds homophobia that often leads to unprovoked violence against LGBT citizens.
As I write, there are news reports about Catholic bishops and archbishops foaming at the mouth that gay marriage will bring about the destruction of civilization. Such insane and irresponsible behavior and beliefs are the result, at least in part, of uneducated minds left to their own adolescent fears and prejudices, left unexamined, unquestioned and lacking thoughtful analysis.
Educators make much effort to steer young minds away from such toxic habits as smoking, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, racism and encourage integrity, honor, respect for others, etc. Avoiding lessons against homophobia is hypocritical to these worthy standards.
