Justin's Conclusion

I feel that the LGTBQ2S+ identity and history are far too exciting and important to pass up. Given that we live in an age of large social change, I believe it has become increasingly important to shed light on the rich tales that the community has woven for itself. In addition, in Canada we have seen that we are “at once less flamboyant and yet more respectful of variety than their American neighbors” (Goldie, 2001), owing to the culture of acceptance that we have fostered over our nation’s history. Thus, it baffles me only slightly that despite our social acceptance, LGTBQ2S+ studies have barely been incorporated into our educational system at this time.

One of the direct benefits of LGTBQ2S+ curriculum integration is that it likely would allow students that belong to the gay/queer community to feel that their narrative is also being told. Given that Ontario is “committed to the well-being of every student and child,” as outlined in their Achieving Excellence document, it is imperative that we raise the collective awareness towards a more understanding Canada. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2014) In addition, I find it important to note that the given understanding of youth is that they are born as empty slates; if they can learn to discriminate, they can also learn to accept with open arms. Thus, even the mere inclusion of this curriculum, I feel, could add a new layer of public understanding towards LGTBQ2S+ identities.

As an emerging teacher, one of the other parts that leads me towards the inclusion of LGTBQ2S+ studies into our schools is that it creates a legislative push towards supporting teachers in their decision to discuss these types of topics in their class. Given that the Every Teacher Project summary was published in 2016, we certainly have made strides towards identifying the issues that were inherent in our educational system, including but not limited to the safety, satisfaction, and overall well-being of students who identified under the LGTBQ2S+ umbrella (Manitoba Teacher’s Society, 2016). As the report did include the strides that teachers have unofficially begun to find ways to teach LGTBQ2S+ studies, (Manitoba Teacher’s Society, 2016) it remains to build better foundations for teachers to design their lesson plans around so that they can ensure that the information that they are using is up to date and accurate. Additionally, I feel that many teachers will not teach topics pertaining to the LGTBQ2S+ community due to the fact that they fear teaching the wrong information, thus a legislative push will help provide teachers with the proper training and resources to better handle these types of topics. In this way, teachers would be able to incorporate LGTBQ2S+ studies in a meaningful way to their classes without fear of offending others, and ensuring that we raise the collective awareness towards the rich histories and struggles that the community faces in an all too modern history.