Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

 

 

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

            Children start to formulate ideas about sexual identity as young as 3 years of age and they attach certain attitudes and behaviors to what toys should be played with for boys versus girls (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  Universally gender anatomy is viewed as the same but the designated roles that males and females associate can differ culture to culture (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  Early childhood teachers should encourage children to explore freely in the classroom without gender biases in order to become emotionally and academically prepared for the world (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

·       Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families:

      The family structures are rapidly changing in the US and the early childhood field needs to be welcoming to all diverse families gay, heterosexual, and lesbian in order to uplift children.  Classrooms should have books that portray diverse families in order to show validation to the children that it is perfectly fine to come from a diverse family (Laureate Education, n.d.).  When teachers have an open discussion about sexual orientation in the classroom it opens the students’ mind to universal acceptance.

·       If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms such as "fag," "gay," "homo," "sissy," "tom boy," or "lesbo" as an insult by a child toward another child? Or, by an adult toward a child? Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all children?

       I remember several years ago when I had a little boy in my classroom that loved to put on a pink hat and play with dolls.  When his mother would come into the classroom she would demand that he remove the hat because she did not want a “sissy” and she would also fill the same way about him playing with doll.  I explained to her that he was just practicing his parenting skills and learning how to be a caring father.  After a while the boy would sneak to play with a doll and to wear his favorite hat until one day he stopped playing with both items because ultimately he wanted to please his mother.  There were also teachers at the same school who would talk about my student in a negative way because he liked pink hats and dolls.  So while parents need to be educated about anti-bias play, some teachers also need to be educated about the anti-bias classroom so they will not perpetuate such bias and harmful attitudes that stifle our children.

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and

            ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Sexual orientation [Video file].

            Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu