Sexuality - answering back -Reply
PEGGY WEEKS (peggy_w@nde4.nde.state.ne.us)
Mon, 16 Nov 1998 11:00:56 -0600
I disagree that gender-related activities/curriculum has ignored sexuality
in discussions with or about students. Quite to the contrary, I think that
myth about sexuality has heavily permeated our discussions and
approaches in schools. An example of this involves sexual harassment-
where the myth is that boys/males are always dominated by sexual
thoughts and viewpoints about girls/women. As if there were no
dimension beyond this to explain odious behavior by adolescent boys
against adolescent girls. Akin to "boys will be boys." I've worked with
literally thousands of heterogenous groups of students in the area of
sexual harassment identification and prevention and have found them to
be honest, engaging and willing to see another point of view in a sexual
context. I never agree to split boys from girls in these discussions. I'm a
feminist and believe that honesty between and among girls/females and
boys/males is crucial. Part of that honesty involves open discussions,
not monologues by one group or another. That included issues of
sexuality.
Peggy Weeks <peggy_w@nde4.nde.state.ne.us>