If you’ve been following my social media and/or blog, you probably have a pretty good idea of what I’ve been going through personally and politically. It’s been a bit of an unexpected journey, but it’s also been very freeing. I’ve spent more time understanding my beliefs and why I hold them than I think I’ve intentionally done before. I’ve questioned whether or not what I’m doing it right or whether I’m entirely wrong. I’ve concluded that I feel a lot freer, a lot better in general, having my innermost thoughts about the world laid out for everyone to see. I feel like everyone knows where I stand, and I hope that you will read this and continue in this fight with me. Or, maybe you’ll read this and start to think about decisions you’ve made and ideas you hold. It’s okay to be wrong. It’s okay to change your mind. We should.
After that man won the presidency for the second time, even after everything he’s done and been convicted of and exposed for, I knew I needed to brace myself for impact. There are a few things I would like to draw your attention to about the direct aftermath of the election: suicide hotline calls from LGBTQIA+ people spiked 700%, there was a jump in the Google search for “what is a tariff” and “how do I change my vote”, and a lot of horrible people became very comfortable with their “your body, my choice” narrative. These people include sexual predators, abusers of women, bigots, racists, and a whole slew of characters I guarantee you wouldn’t want at your dinner table. But these people feel emboldened by this wonderful man who has been chosen for president, and I really hope that makes you uncomfortable if you voted for him.
I want to go back a little bit here to get to the point of my post today. First, I want to talk about the current attack on public education. Especially in Oklahoma, with lovely Ryan Walters in charge, public education is in dire need of assistance. However, it seems we are left to sink lower and lower in an ever-rising, ever-turbulent sea. It’s easy to get discouraged, and I’ll admit I am right now. I’m worried about my career, but I’m also worried about the kids. Although there is a message being pushed at the moment that teachers are turning children gay and giving them gender reassignment surgeries (this is not happening, by the way, and if you believe that it is, I think you may need to speak to someone about the fantasy world you’ve created), the truth is that my kids radicalized me as their teacher. I’ve had five years' worth of students. When I began teaching, I was so scared of the world and people. I didn’t know what it would be like to exist outside of my safe spaces, and I was so naive regarding different homelives and lived experiences.
My kids radicalized me because I saw how much they were hurting for many different reasons. I had a girl in one class whose dad had nearly kicked her out because she was caught dating a girl. I had a student who was struggling with their gender identity and wanted to die, and all they needed was to feel seen and accepted by someone. I’ve held students as they cried about various things in their lives. I’ve laughed with them and loved them where and how they are, no matter what that means. That is where I see Jesus the most, in my kids. More so, I guess, what they bring out in me. They make me want to fight for them and to make the world a better place for them. I’m scared for them, especially those who identify with marginalized communities. I’ve had immigrant students who barely speak English. I’ve had many students whose parents need a translator at meetings. I’ve never wondered about their legality, only whether or not they were getting what they needed from me.
Okay, so why am I reading these books that parents and librarians and teachers and lawmakers want to be taken off of the public school shelves? Because there are gay kids in my class. Because there are children who want to die because they’ve been told there is something wrong with them, but it isn’t something they can control. Because these people who want to take these books away are only fighting this fight because they personally don’t agree with the lifestyle or the contents. Guess what? I don’t care about how you feel personally. You don’t like gay people? Don’t read about them. You also shouldn’t be a public school teacher or pastor or political figure. Public schools are for all kinds, and all kinds should be accepted. It is not a Christian school or “this is what I like, so I’m going to teach it.” The books on this list are mostly about queer experiences. Open communication with your children is the key here. They just need someone to talk to without making them feel like they are fundamentally wrong at their core.
So, I hope you’ll go on this journey with me. I hope you will challenge your worldview if you haven’t thought about people who are in these marginalized communities. I feel hopeless sometimes, but continuing to read and learn and push back against the hate I see too often is something I can control. I’ll leave the list I’m using HERE so you can read too. Better yet, get them from your local library (I did!) and fight the power two in one.
I’m looking forward to going through this list so I have practical knowledge to fight the book bans that are coming (Heartstopper was just banned at my school, and it will not be the last). I will not quit fighting, no matter what that looks like. I hope you’ll come with me.
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