Come out to the class!

I'm taking a stupid psychology class for my credential. We have to do a stupid 10 page/15 minute presentation on an issue. I happened to get adolescent sexuality. I can talk about anything in that spectrum. I can't talk about media since someone else is doing that. I can talk about everything being more sexualized today- although that tiptoes on the media topic. I can talk about kids engaging in sexual behavior at a younger/older age/subgroups and when children are having sex. Lots of interesting stats. I can talk about why kids choose to have sex, etc.

There is a section in the book on "minority sexual behavior," or gay and lesbian attitudes toward sexuality. Well, this is a topic I studied extensively in a bio class in college a few years back and I still have all the handouts the professor had and the textbook. I actually did a presentation on the factors that are said to possibly influence sexuality.

Here are the only requirements I need in my paper-
- Hypothesis
- Statement of problem with issues surrounding the problem (biological, psychological, and social factors)
- Research to back up your findings and opinions
- Personal experiences
- Opinions
- Social policy recommendations to address the issue with research to back it up

Ok- I was thinking how can I incorporate this with the research I have from that presentation I did in undergrad/textbook?

RESEARCH ON SEXUALITY Well, there's a lot that goes in to possibly determining sexuality and all the debates about how sexuality comes about (that addresses the biological, psychological, and social factors). There was a twin study in Australia that showed in fraternal twins both weren't gay, but that wasn't the case with identical twins. There are the biological things- x-chromosome having a special marker, index finger sizes, hypothalamus sizes in gay men. I can bring in Kinsey and how sexuality is on a scale and varied (so I'm drawing in again stuff the book doesn't talk about). I can talk about environmental factors- no proof a childhood of abuse makes someone gay, having gay parents doesn't make you gay, etc. I can talk about those questions people ask like "what makes you straight?" I dunno...

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I can talk about rates of homosexuality- between 2 and 10% of the population and use my high school as an example. I know for a fact thanks to facebook nearly 10% of my graduating class in high school was gay. Did most of these people announce it in high school? No.

My social policy recommendation: More funding is needed to teach kids that being bisexual, gay, lesbian, whatever is acceptable. LGBT isn't enough because of stigmatizations and the kids who really need it (maybe me?) would never have gone. Often laughed at, so if we make the teaching of sexuality and explain how it is possibly not a choice to be gay it would help? .......................... of course it isn't easy because some areas are so conservative, parents wanting their kids to opt out of this teaching, etc. etc.................. so I'm not sure what to say here.......... maybe use personal experience about how maybe I wouldn't have been in my late teens like 19 or 20 before I finally discovered it was ok?

So my hypothesis I'm thinking is we need more money to education children about sexuality. I can talk about how there is so much intolerance and it comes from an early age and use examples like Larry King, the 15 year old boy in Ventura County who was shot for being gay. I can talk about how homosexuality is mocked and made fun of in so many aspects. My content area is a little weak, so that's where I'm still really looking for ideas.


And of course I had to email my professor with my ideas and here's what she told me...

COME OUT TO THE CLASS!
Focus a little. what about starting with "What is's like being gay during adolescence, from a personal perspective, and point to the research that either backs up your feelings and thoughts or contradicts them. Its always best to show both sides to an argument.
Ask yourself these questions: What would have been helpful to you during that time? Is it just education for students, or do we need to educate parents through PTA meetings.
How about out religious leaders?
Will you include lesbians, cross gender, trans-sexuals etc.


... I didn't say I was gay... it was implied obviously...

So I'm writing a paper in which I come up to 20 kids in my class? Guess mom isn't seeing that paper to proof it. I am not sure I want to do that. I know that since I did get this topic if I were able to use the gay/straight debate I have much of the groundwork laid, but finding the content/using personal examples about how sexuality/tolerance toward being gay can be ok is the difficult part.

So I need research and I guess I need... I dunno

Edit: Ok... thought about it... what do I want to prove and advocate for is my big question? GSA? Eh... not so much... I haven't found much support about their benefit other than in 2 magazines. Tolerance? Yes. But um... she wants some policy issue that I have to be passionate about. So money for this to be taught as a part of a comprehensive sex program? I guess I need journal articles to support that? No sé.

I'm open to ideas..... feel free to comment...