All my class is very used to who I am. My family picture is very proudly in my room now. On Mondays they quite often will say, What did you do with your wife? Its normal in my classroom.
Strong said that a conversation between herself and the students came up one day where it was mentioned that she was a lesbian. The new boy put his hands over his mouth and said, according to Strong: Oh, my God, I think Im going to puke.
As I took the abuse personally, as an individual of those words, I also saw half of my class look at me with incredible concern. One student who was right in front of me already had tears in her eyes. And I noticed several other students who were looking at him. They were just very, very upset with this kid, she related.
Strong said the boy instantly became aware that something he had said had just created this unbelievable tension in the room. She related how she addressed the boy, telling him: I think that what you might not be aware of is that I am gay, and I am married to a woman, and my family has two moms.
His eyes just started darting around, and he was incredibly uncomfortable, she related.
I looked at the other kids and I said: Ok guys, what I want to ask you is: Am I upset with him? And the one little girl in my class put up her hand that doesnt usually get into these conversations very much in my classroom and she said, Mrs Strong, I know youre not upset with him, because he hasnt had the benefit of our conversations.
And I looked at my little friend, my new friend, and I said: But, were going to have one now, she related.
Strong said that she then directed her class to the board and asked them to write everything she had told them related to LGBTQ.
And my class all of a sudden popped up. LGBTQ was on the board, lesbian, and all the different words coming out there. And I sat back and said, Lets review. So, the last year and a half of inclusive education came alive in my classroom.
Strong told her workshop attendees that her new little friend is now a devoted champion of diversity. She boasted how he was the one in her class to count down the days to the pro-homosexual Day of Pink that took place earlier this month. When Strong took a photo of all the children wearing pink shirts in her classroom, she said the boy requested to be in the front.
For me, that is the power of conversations. Thats the power of sharing our stories, she said.
Isolate,intimidate,humiliate,indoctrinate.
This evil woman should be in prison. This is child abuse.
Mrs Strong, I know youre not upset with him, because he hasnt had the benefit of our conversations.
BS (not directed at you massmike) no five year old is going to say “because he hasn’t had the benefits our conversations”
The parents of this kid should... This is just sad. What a world.
Does this remind anyone else of one of Orwell’s Five-minute Hates?