Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

"I want to suggest that public schools may play an important role in helping build a new democratic, multicultural community, one in which sexual identity (like other markers of difference including class, gender, and race) is recognized, in which inequities are challenged, and where dialogue across difference replaces silencing and invisibility practices." A quote by Burbules and Rice mentioning the importance of teaching children about differences in gender and sexual identities. While I do have to say that I find this to be an important thing to teach our community, it may be hard to say at what age it would be appropriate to begin. As young adolescents do not often carry the proper maturity to be able to properly talk about things such as this. However, if we did begin to teach differences to children, it would become something of a normalcy to them, and would possibly not be looked at as being so abnormal. I think it would be very beneficial for our society to begin to open up their minds, or at least learn about other ways of life other than what they think is average.
Dennis Carlson mentions the three techniques of normalization in his article as being; the erasure of gayness in the curriculum, the "closeting" and "witch hunting" of gay teachers and verbal and physical intimidation of gay teachers and students. I think it is crucial that if we are going to teach about women's and African American rights, and all of the troubles that they went through in a time when they were the others with even less rights, we should now be looking at homosexuals and the fact that they should be treated just the same as anyone else. Why should your sexual preference have anything to do with your rights as a human being? I find it very odd that people look down upon those who have a difference in their sexual identity, is America not suppose to be a free country? A country of understanding and equality? Just as we learned about the Equal Rights Movement, we should learn about things like the Minnesota bill that made it illegal to discriminate against lesbians and gay men in employment housing.
Carlson mentions that "At the level of state educational policy, it is noteworthy that no state currently recognizes gays and lesbians as legitimate minority or cultural groups to be considered in textbook adoption or to be included in multicultural education; and a number of states explicitly prohibit teaching about homosexuality. I think much like any other movement of change, the gay rights movement should be considered as a legitimate change among our nation. Being gay should not be considered anything less than the rest of our nation. The fact that teachers of a different sexual identity are prohibited from teaching is one thing even more baffling. We need educators among our nation, whether they be African American, homosexual, have a handicap disability, or what ever else may be considered as "difference". Everyone should have the equal opportunity to choose to teach, and help to better our society. We need to begin as  nation to become more accepting and loving of one another, as long as you are a good person it shouldn't matter what color your skin is, or what your sexual identity is. Its something that makes you who you are, and should be taught to others.