What Heterosexual Teachers Need To Know About Homosexuality.

The classroom must be a place where all children are treated with dignity and respect. One way teachers can develop this environment is by working to eliminate homophobia from their classrooms. Estimates indicate that approximately 10 percent of the children in our classes will grow up to be gay or lesbian adults (Corbett, 1993). Therefore, it is important for teachers to know the facts rather than the myths about homosexuality.

Is Homosexuality Learned

or Innate? A number of studies suggest a possible genetic basis for homosexual behavior. It is very difficult, however, to conclusively establish genetic origins for any human behavior, and the study of homosexuality presents some unique problems (McGuire, 1995). Determining who does and does not exhibit these traits is a major issue of concern in homosexuality studies. When classifying someone as gay, researchers must decide whether to rely on the frequency of homosexual behavior, the age at which it began or the presence of homoerotic fantasies. The problem is made more difficult because many people are reluctant to admit their sexual orientation (Billings & Beckwith, 1993).

Research on the biological basis of homosexuality has focused on four areas: structural measurements of the brain, genetic patterns, familial trends and anatomical similarities. In a brain study, LeVay and Hamer (1994) reported that a structure within the human brain points to a biological component for male homosexuality. LeVay examined a portion of the brain's hypothalamus in autopsy specimens from 19 homosexual and 16 heterosexual men, and 6 women of unknown sexual orientation. The investigators found that the region studied was twice as large in heterosexual men as in women and two or three times larger in heterosexual men than it was in gay men.

Byne (1994), however, argues that LeVay's sample is problematic because all the men died of AIDS-related illnesses and the brain differences may have actually been associated with hormonal abnormalities associated with AIDS. In addition, Byne argues, these studies are difficult to perform and hard to replicate.

Other research findings suggest that a region of the X sexual chromosome may play a role in determining male sexual orientation (Hamer, Hu, Magnuson, Hu & Pattatucci, 1993; Hu, Pattatucci & Hamer, 1995; LeVay & Hamer, 1994). Investigators reported that 33 out of 40 pairs of homosexual brothers shared the same q28 markers on their X chromosomes. Byne (1994) criticized this study, noting that it only covered a narrow sample of homosexual men without looking at their heterosexual brothers. Cherny presented a study, however, that not only replicated these findings in a new sample of 33 pairs of homosexuals, but further found that the Xq28 marker was not shared by their heterosexual brothers (Holden, 1995). Turner (1995) surmises that the maternal influence so often related to homosexuality may lie in the mother being a genetic carrier, and offers the hypothesis that homosexuality is caused by a gene at Xq28.

Twin and family studies are based on the principle that genetically influenced traits run in families. Bailey and Bell (1993) examined data from a large cohort of homosexual and heterosexual males, including identical and fraternal twins, non-twin siblings and adopted siblings. Their results indicated that 52 percent of identical twins were both gay, compared with 24 percent of the fraternal twins. Since identical twins share 100 percent of their genes and fraternal twins around 50 percent, these results suggest a biologic component to homosexuality. Bailey and Bell further found, however, that in non-twin brothers (who also share around 50 percent of their genes), only 9 percent were both gay. In addition, of adoptive brothers (who do not share any genes), 11 percent were both homosexual. Bailey and Bell believe that this is a much higher rate of homosexuality than the 1 to 5 percent rate of the population usually reported, suggesting that something in the environment plays a role in sexual preference. These results suggest that while genetics is likely to play a role in homosexuality, environmental factors also contribute to sexual orientation (Byne, 1994; Haynes, 1995).

Other studies suggested that certain anatomic and physiological traits may be associated with homosexuality. Holtzen (1994) studied how handedness related to sexual orientation, and found that when compared to heterosexuals, homosexuals were far less likely to be right-handed. McCormick and Witelson (1994) also reported that gay men and lesbians were more often left-handed compared to heterosexuals. Hall and Kimura (1994) studied the dermal ridges on the fingertips (which are formed in the fetal stage and remain unchanged throughout life), and found that gay men had an increased leftward asymmetry in their ridge patterns. Both the handedness and ridge pattern findings indirectly support the hypothesis that sexual orientation may be linked with handedness and fingertip development, both possibly influenced prenatally by testosterone.

The Gay Child in Elementary School 

Elementary school teachers must try to understand the life experiences of a developing gay child. These children often must endure harassment, contempt and acts of physical violence. The effects can be psychologically and physically damaging. As a result, not only can self-esteem and confidence plummet, but the child may suffer from self-directed homophobia (Pharr, 1988). Hunter O'Hara's elementary school experience illustrates these points:

As a child, grades three through six, I was perceived by classmates to be a sissy. I was labeled a sissy when the other kids noticed that I didn't move or talk like the other boys.

To avoid the dubious distinction of being called sissy, I would have had to throw a ball boy-style, speak with a particular boy inflection and use the terms that other boys did. I needed to enjoy competitive sports, and play with trucks and guns. Because I didn't do these things and I would not fake it, I was stigmatized by my classmates.

I was rejected, harassed, humiliated and insulted by them every day for four years. My classmates took my most personal possession from me, my name Hunter, and renamed me Helen. My teachers did not intervene to prohibit this daily practice. One teacher displayed obvious contempt for my different manner and lack of athletic prowess by humiliating me in front of the class. The class picked up on her behavior and used the daily athletic rituals as an opportunity to scream at me for dropping a ball, or not moving fast enough. Interestingly enough, other non-sissy boys who made athletic errors were not humiliated.

Once, two boys with whom I never talked attacked me as I tried to pass them on my bike and beat me up, breaking my clavicle. A passerby terminated the ambush on the premise that "two on one is unfair." I walked my bike home, writhing in pain, ashamed to tell my mother what had happened. No restitution or apology ever came from the boys or their families.

During my elementary school years I learned to be tough as I internalized a great deal of abuse, even though there were days when I cried out of absolute frustration and pain.

What the Elementary School Teacher Can Do

Teachers need to take steps to make sure that experiences like Hunter O'Hara's are never repeated in their own classrooms. First, teachers should examine their own feelings about homosexuality. One can ask, "Do I feel just as comfortable comforting a 'sissy boy' who is being teased by his classmates on the playground as I do a 'cute' little girl in a frilly dress?" Teachers must honestly recognize any biases that they may have about children who are stigmatized as sissies, and keep those biases out of the classroom.

Second, teachers should immediately handle any instances of student-to-student abuse and harassment, no matter how slight. Teachers can use any such incident to teach children that this behavior is hurtful - whether it is a joke about an ethnic group or teasing children about their weight.

Teachers should challenge negative remarks about gay people and other minority groups. They need to intervene if children use derogatory terms to describe people who are different. The classroom rule should state that "all people will be treated with respect" and offending comments that violate that rule should not be permitted in the classroom.

Classroom meetings are a good tool to deal with harassment cases. The teacher can form the class into a circle, and then start off with a "stem" phrase for the children to complete. Some stem phrases that might be helpful are: "When I am teased it makes me feel . . ."; "When I tease someone I am thinking . . ."; "Some things that make me different from other people are . . ."; or "Some things that make me the same as other people are . . . ." Children can share anything they want during the meeting. This exercise helps children focus on how people feel when they are harassed.

Third, teachers should focus on diversity in the classroom. Celebrate and share multicultural holidays, songs, stories and foods so that the children will learn about different cultures' contributions to society. And finally, teachers need to understand gay children's life experiences so they can actively listen to their concerns and respond with empathy and kindness. Books and conversations with gay colleagues or adults are good ways to sensitize oneself to what life is like for a gay person.

Positive Teachers Can Make a Difference

If teachers follow these steps they can emulate the positive actions of one of Hunter O'Hara's teachers:

In high school, I encountered one strong teacher who completely changed my experience. Ms. Pridemore was an extraordinary music teacher who generated a sense of community in her classroom. She made me not only feel a part of the ensemble, but also that I had something important to contribute to it.

Ms. Pridemore used to say that we, as students, were like links in a chain, with each link being equally important. Her classroom was permeated with dignity, humor and an expanded sense of personal possibility. She encouraged her students to support one another and we collaborated to make good music. The focus of the learning community in her classroom was on creating and developing one's unique contribution.

When O'Hara became a teacher himself, he strove to perpetuate the spirit of Ms. Pridemore's efforts:

Like Ms. Pridemore, I was determined to create a society of equals within the classroom, where all learners were valued for their humanity and the unique contributions they made. I remember how I felt as a student teacher when one learner called another "fatty." I remember the passion and conviction with which I spoke to the class, helping them to realize how the teased person felt.

My classroom was a physically and emotionally non-violent place where a society of equals emerged. I was accepting, so my learners were accepting. I was encouraging, so my learners were encouraging. I was responsive and supportive of minorities and children with special needs, and so were my learners. I cared and so did they. My expectations for success were high and so were theirs. The emphasis was always on progress and encouragement, not on judgment. And finally, because my experiences in elementary school were anti-community, and physically and emotionally violent, I sought not only to eradicate violence in my classroom, but also to engender a sense of community.

Conclusion

By treating all children with respect and dignity, teachers will be taking the first active steps to eradicate homophobia from their classrooms. Other active measures can ensure that all children, regardless of gender-related behavior, are educated in a psychologically safe atmosphere where they can develop to their fullest potential and appreciate diversity.

References

Bailey, J. M., & Bell, A. P. (1993). Familiality of female and male homosexuality. Behavioral Genetics, 23(4), 313-322.

Billings, P., & Beckwith, J. (1993). Born gay? Technology Review, 96(5), 60-62.

Byne, W. (1994). The biological evidence challenged. Scientific American, 270(5), 50-55.

Corbett, S. (1993). A complicated bias. Young Children, 48(3), 29-31.

Hall, J. A. Y., & Kimura, D. (1994). Dermatoglyphic asymmetry and sexual orientation in men. Behavioral Neuroscience, 108(6), 1203-1206.

Hamer, D. H., Hu, S., Magnuson, V. L., Hu, N., & Pattatucci, A. M. (1993). A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation. Science, 261(5119), 311-327.

Haynes, J. D. (1995). A critique of the possibility of genetic inheritance of homosexual orientation. Journal of Homosexuality, 28(1/2), 91-113.

Holden, C. (Ed.). (1995, June 16). Random samples. Science, 268, 1571.

Holtzen, D. W. (1994). Handedness and sexual orientation. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 16(5), 702-712.

Hu, S., Pattatucci, A. M. L., & Hamer, D. M. (1995). Linkage between sexual orientation and chromosome Xq28 in males but not in females. Nature Genetics, 11(3), 248-256.

LeVay, S., & Hamer, D. H. (1994). Evidence for a biological influence in male homosexuality. Scientific American, 270(5), 44-49.

McCormick, C. M., & Witelson, S. F. (1994). Functional cerebral asymmetry and sexual orientation in men and women. Behavioral Neuroscience, 108(3), 525-531.

McGuire, T. R. (1995). Is homosexuality genetic? A critical review and some suggestions. Journal of Homosexuality, 28(1/2), 115-145.

Pharr, S. (1988). Homophobia: A weapon of sexism. Little Rock, AR: Chardon Press.

Turner, W.J. (1995). Homosexuality, Type 1: An Xq28 phenomenon. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 24(2), 109-134.

The purpose of this column is to stimulate debate of timely issues affecting children, youth and families. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of Childhood Education or the Association for Childhood Education International. Readers are urged to respond by submitting manuscripts or letters to: Barbara Foulks Boyd, CE Issues Editor, P.O. Box 187, Riner, VA 24149.

Permission to reproduce the column intact is not required.

Barry B. Frieman, Hunter O'Hara and Joanne Settel Barry B. Frieman is Professor and Hunter O'Hara is Assistant Professor, College of Education, Towson State University, Towson, Maryland. Joanne Settel is Associate Professor of Biology, Baltimore City Community College, Baltimore, Maryland.