Thursday, July 26, 2007

News Roundup

A bit of a news roundup:

A radio show in California gave Aerosmith tickets away to “dudes who look like a lady,” and “ladies who look like dudes.” No real problem with creating a themed contest, but I must say that one line in the news station’s coverage truly irks me, as it perpetuates a negative perspective on transgender women and men: “The freaks do not just come out at night.” More, the contestants went so far as to apologize to their parents for stepping out of their pre-designed gender role, and donning a skirt.

Questioning whether or not the Golden Ratio (a mathematical formula that creates identifying ideals within structural perfection) creates clear gender roles – while also setting societies beauty standards in place. This begs the question: are we a sexist society, or is it all based on scientific (un)realities?



Finally, the National Education Association is moving towards adopting legislation that would create a safety net in the country’s schools:

• Call for the NEA to lobby for hate crimes legislation
• Boost the NEA website to "include all resources" devoted to homosexual causes
• Push for sexual orientation training to be a requirement for earning a teaching credential.

Really, the inclusion of these principles is pretty great. The only issue being left out is the curriculum of the coursework. It would be valuable to ensure that students read stories/watch films/hear lectures that include more flexibility than the heterosexual ones that I experienced while in school. Maybe young people who bond with an LGBT character in their readings will be able informed in the real world.