I saw a play about Matthew Shepard last year that the theatre department put on. I thought that it did an excellent job of simply bringing up the topic and opening communication lines about homosexuality. I think that one of the best ways for this issue to be introduced to students is through things like this. I espically want to mention books. I read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" recently and it brought up many issues, including homosexuality. Books such as this one can open up communication or at least give students another perspective than what their parents and peers are saying about homosexuals. This is a problem though because parents do not want their children reading these books! There was just a uproar in Wilmington, NC about a book that was simply in the library! What ways can we get around this and open up communication?

It's cool that there's a lot more open and educational literature in the world today. I read several cool books in adolescent literature that included gay stuff. Homosexuality is always going to exists in our society, and I feel sorry for the folks who carry around so much anger about it. That's just hurting them. I don't suggest that everyone agree with it, but stop fighting and judging it. That's good for no one.

While I was attending school at UNC-Charlotte, I went to see Matthew Shepherd's mother talk before the student body. She did an excellent job about raising gay awareness. Her words were very sincere, and it made individuals look at how he/she treated one another whether or not the other person was gay or not. By having her come and give a lecture from her personal tragedy it made individuals confront a serious issue that was happening all over the world. I believe students should be aware of these issues and we as educators need to EDUCATE them through awareness!

These posts are encouraging to me. It is my belief that we are gaining ground in understanding or accepting diversity - even when it seems to be an incredibly slow snail's pace.

My sibling was and has always been my sibling. I actually thought of this person more like a parental figure to me when I was very young than I thought of my parents' as my caretakers. There were six of us and my younger sister and I felt overlooked in many ways. This sibling taught me how to read (or helped me alot with it), stood up for me, encouraged me in every way.

Though I volunteered to distribute water at the Gay Pride Parade for two years in a row in NYC with a water table our church set up. My sibling never marched, never felt that it was something one needed to be involved in. It is one's sexuality. It's not a reason for or against pride, I was told. I feel better educated and more knowledgeable than most about Gay Rights' issues. But until my sibling came out to us, I didn't know what to think. I was in high school and I asked my older sister, "Hmm. So what should we think? What are we supposed to do about that?" Thankfully, she casually replied, "You don't have to do anything. We don't have to think anything about it - except that we now get to meet someone who is loved by our sibling. And we can be happy that this sibling is happy." Her casual words just eased my mind. I wondered if I'd run into controversy and it just didn't matter to me if I did. It's difficult to keep from using gender pronouns - but I don't because it doesn't matter. Either sex, it's a personal issue - and it's reality. A great one that has enriched my life. My sibling's first partner married someone that that person had known since they were 8 years old. When my sibling's partner came out, the marriage broke up. But when I lived in NYC, my extended family included that extended family. A friendship born in two 8 year olds weathered marriage and controversy over sexuality. The expansion of family ties is beautiful. Really beautiful.