Homophobia, Heterosexism and Heteronormativity in Schools - Book Report/Review Example

Walton writes about how great the problem of bullying homosexuals is present in schools. He talks of how the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) community has to suffer from a great deal of discrimination in school. “School is the primary site where boys and girls learn to ‘perform’ the gender scripts assigned to them in a society where heterosexuality is the norm” (Walton). It is because of this that many such students prefer to hide their true sexuality. They are afraid of the consequences; they fear the trouble that they would undoubtedly face if they revealed their sexuality. How they could be further targeted with jokes about their preferences, pranks, and things much worse than that, which may scar them emotionally, mentally as well as physically. What is worse is that it is not just the student who is immature enough to not be able to accept a person for their choice of sexuality but also professionals. The environment in the school is quite hostile for LGBTQ students. Many homophobic comments such as “‘That’s so gay’ and ‘Don’t be a homo’ have become standard insults in the schoolyard” (Walton).

The society that we live in is such that people have to identify themselves as the gender that they are born with, they have to act like a girl or a boy depending on the physical attributes that they have regardless of their feelings or they want to be. They have to do what is considered to be “normal” by society. “People whose gender identity does not match their biological sex are known as transgender... (these) youth are at particular risk of attack and exclusion...Even in gay and lesbian communities, prejudice and violence against transgender people are not uncommon” (Walton). Trying to fit in with society is a problem that everyone faces depending on their ways of life. So Walton’s point over here touches the hearts of many.

George Weinberg came up with the term “homophobia” somewhere in the 1960s (Walton) when any person with homosexual tendencies is considered as being sexually deviant. Homosexuality was defined as a mental disorder as well as a criminal activity by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). It was not until 1973 that the meaning was changed and replaced with “homosexual relations between two adults” (Walton). But what is really sad and even backward in society is that despite this and the many decades that have passed by, many people are still unable to accept homosexuals and/or any member of the LGBTQ community.

Walton’s concerns regarding this issue are quite important though it must be noted that circumstances for homosexuals have been improving. More and more cities have legalized things such as gay marriage. This gives one hope that the future for the poor minority will be much better.