Comedy gold, courtesy of Health.
Oh, Prentice Hall. How much your outdated textbooks on human sexuality suck.
Part of testing out of Health in the state of Michigan includes reading a few chapters from Human Sexuality. Guess what it's about. The copyright date for some of the information is 1985; but most of the book was written around 1996.
Here's what high school students were taught twelve years ago:
Homophobia
Some people fear homosexuals. Others fear becoming homosexuals. These fears, called homophobia (hoh muh FOH bee uh), are usually the result of prejudices and misconceptions about homosexuality.
Despite what some people think, except for their sexual preferences, homosexuals are no different from heterosexuals. Homosexuals experience the same range of emotions and feelings, the same level of fulfillment in relationships and accomplishments, and the same aspirations that all people experience. Nonetheless, some people regard homosexuality as dangerous. Some of these people think that homosexuals attack or recruit children to become homosexuals. However most pedophiles--people who force or lure children into sexual activity--are, in fact, heterosexual.
People who fear becoming homosexual do so because they recognize the negative attitudes that some people in society hold toward homosexuals. After all, much of our society is geared to promoting or encouraging heterosexuality. Deviating from this standard makes a person vulnerable to discrimination or abuse by those who resent or fear homosexuals.
Whatever an individual believes about homosexuals, no one has the right to physically harm another person. Individuals who assault or threaten homosexuals are committing a criminal offense.
It's reminiscent of the seventies, that's for sure. Don't you love being talked about like you're an alien? "We come in peace, with an agenda."
The sweet irony of this is that this book--which mentioned above how society is "geared to promoting or encouraging heterosexuality"--is one of the most heteronormative pieces of crap I've ever read. People keep telling me that Robbie's class is better, but I honestly don't trust Robbie to teach a curriculum that isn't heterocentric, and I really don't want to have that hanging over my head next year when I'm trying to fill out college applications.
Maybe I should have written one of my research papers on a lack of health education for queer students.
Part of testing out of Health in the state of Michigan includes reading a few chapters from Human Sexuality. Guess what it's about. The copyright date for some of the information is 1985; but most of the book was written around 1996.
Here's what high school students were taught twelve years ago:
Homophobia
Some people fear homosexuals. Others fear becoming homosexuals. These fears, called homophobia (hoh muh FOH bee uh), are usually the result of prejudices and misconceptions about homosexuality.
Despite what some people think, except for their sexual preferences, homosexuals are no different from heterosexuals. Homosexuals experience the same range of emotions and feelings, the same level of fulfillment in relationships and accomplishments, and the same aspirations that all people experience. Nonetheless, some people regard homosexuality as dangerous. Some of these people think that homosexuals attack or recruit children to become homosexuals. However most pedophiles--people who force or lure children into sexual activity--are, in fact, heterosexual.
People who fear becoming homosexual do so because they recognize the negative attitudes that some people in society hold toward homosexuals. After all, much of our society is geared to promoting or encouraging heterosexuality. Deviating from this standard makes a person vulnerable to discrimination or abuse by those who resent or fear homosexuals.
Whatever an individual believes about homosexuals, no one has the right to physically harm another person. Individuals who assault or threaten homosexuals are committing a criminal offense.
It's reminiscent of the seventies, that's for sure. Don't you love being talked about like you're an alien? "We come in peace, with an agenda."
The sweet irony of this is that this book--which mentioned above how society is "geared to promoting or encouraging heterosexuality"--is one of the most heteronormative pieces of crap I've ever read. People keep telling me that Robbie's class is better, but I honestly don't trust Robbie to teach a curriculum that isn't heterocentric, and I really don't want to have that hanging over my head next year when I'm trying to fill out college applications.
Maybe I should have written one of my research papers on a lack of health education for queer students.