Trend: Sexual Orientation: taboos in middle and high schools

Although grade schools in Pullman boast having progressive sexual education programs that promote abstinence and include contraception information, the cultural aspect is still lagging. In fact, there is an entire demographic that is almost completely ignored during the sex-education process, the gay community.

“We try and keep things very broad,” said Jamie Smart, the Healthy Living teacher at Lincoln Middle School, “There are so many different opinions about that topic, we tend to avoid any details.”.

Smart said if students ask specific questions concerning sexual orientation, she could legally answer them, but instead tries to keep neutral and simple about the matter. Most middle and high schools do not differ from Smart’s tactics, in some cases; sexual orientation is not allowed to be part of the curriculum.

Jon Downing, a member of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community at Washington State University, went to high school in Coeur d’Alene. “My sex-education teacher was a lesbian, openly, and she still wasn’t allowed to discuss sexual orientation,” Downing said, “I’m sure if someone spoke to her in private, she would answer any questions, but I also know most people wouldn’t be comfortable asking questions like that in front of a class.”

The cultural aspect of sex-education among schools has a large impact on the comfort-level of student’s seeking information about sexual orientation and the gay community. According to the Washington state Department of Health’s guidelines for sex-education, the curriculum must be both age-appropriate and culturally appropriate. But what does this mean? And who decides what is culturally appropriate? Apparently, any topic considered to be “uncomfortable” by the community, can therefore be nixed from the curriculum. However, the guidelines also state that sexuality (including sexual orientation) may be included in sex-education courses. So who then, decides whether or not it is culturally appropriate to discuss sexual orientation?

In short, the teacher has the power to decide whether or not to give information about sexual orientation and same-sex relationships. Parents also have the right to preview any material that will be used during sex-education.

One WSU student, Ericia, worked on a project for a Women’s Studies class that involved handing out fliers or pamphlets containing resources for the gay community.

“Our target was people in high school, we wanted to give out fliers containing information about local resources for gay students” Ericia said, “We were basically brushed off by the staff, we were told that Pullman High School didn’t have any openly gay students, so the information was irrelevant.”

But, as most people will notice, just because a person is not openly gay or lesbian, does not mean they do not exist in the schools. This assumption could be considered dangerous, as it pertains to the social stigma that being gay is not normal and makes people uncomfortable, and therefore should not be discussed unless asked about. Suppressing information about sexual orientation to young students therefore reinforces student’s to feel uncomfortable about the subject, creating a non-sequitor of cause and effect. Students will not be open about their sexual orientation because there is lack of information about it, and there is lack of information about the gay community because no one is open about it.

Smart argues that the age of the students at the middle school also deters her from discussing sexual orientation. However, studies show that people in the gay community report having noticed a difference from other students as far as attraction as early as eight or nine years old.

“I may not have known I might be a lesbian at the time, but I recognized that I didn’t have crushes on all the boys my friends did, and I just didn’t make that connection,” Ericia said, “If schools got the information out about sexual orientation earlier, the earlier people in that community could recognize, accept, and adjust personally, that goes for people who are gay and straight.”

Dr. Laurie Smith, a psychologist who teaches at WSU said there is around a 10 year gap between people recognizing they may be gay, and actually coming out to friends and family, which is usually in late adolescence or early adulthood. “Information about sexual orientation should be both discussed and encouraged earlier, sexuality is a big part of human development, it’s an uncomfortable topic because we are told it makes people uncomfortable, but the younger you teach diversity, the younger that will fade.” Smith said.

Smart also argues that the sex-education process tries to stick to technicalities, biology/anatomy, abstinence, and contraception being its biggest staple points. But even in its most technical aspect, same-sex relationships have just a great of risk of spreading STDs as opposite-sex relationships.

“I never heard about Dental Dam’s in High School, we learned about contraception, but for anyone who was a lesbian, it was like, ‘we don’t need contraception, no condoms, no pregnancy’, when lesbians can just as easily spread STDs.” WSU student Erin King said.

Overall, Dr. Smith suggests a well in-depth sex-education program is best suited for students, including sexuality, relationships, and anatomy/biology of sex.

“We all know that abstinence- only programs don’t work, never have, sexual orientation is just another aspect that needs to be examined and included in sex-education” Smith said