Destinee Cason

 

. 1. What are your general thoughts concerning Gender change?

 

      I personally do not have a problem with gender change. I am an open minded person to most things. I believe that a person who changes their sexuality should not be judge by society. People that change their sexuality do it to feel normal about their self. To me, a person who gets a gender change is no different than someone getting plastic surgery. What I mean is someone that gets plastic surgery gets it to feel better about their self. The same goes for people who get a gender change. So why should we down some one for making their self-feel better?

 

2. If you were friends with the Oregon teacher before the gender change, would you STILL be friends? If yes, why? If no, why not?

 

       Yes, I would stay friends. The reason I would still be friends with the Oregon teacher is because, if I was his friend before he changed, then I will still be friends after he gets a gender change. To me, a friend is a person that will love you for your bad side and your good side. Friends are not post to judge you for things you really feel are right for you. I believe that if you cannot accept a friend’s decision, like a gender change, then you were never a true friend. True friends will try to understand and except their friends. That is the main reason I will stay friends with the Oregon teacher.

 

3. If you were a classroom teacher, how would you explain this issue to your students?

 

   I would tell my students that some people feel that they have to change their gender to feel normal, so they get a gender change. I would also explain the reason why most people have a gender change. I would go on to say that a gender change is a person’s own decision. I would explain to them that a gender change is a very big decision as well. I would also tell the students that a gender change is something very personal. I would also tell them not to get a gender change for shock value. I would finally tell them not to judge a person for their own decision and belief.

 

4. Concerning the "debate" video, the lady in stripes said that "we must protect our children and create a safe learning environment and we must not expose our children to this situation (gender change) because it might be harmful to our children". What does she mean by "protect" and "safe learning environment" and "harmful"? Explain.

 

  Andrea Lafferty said that "we must protect our children and create a safe learning environment and we must not expose our children to this situation (gender change) because it might be harmful to our children". Lafferty is saying that the American people must protect the children from people who are not mentally stable. That is why she uses the word “protect”. She then goes on to uses “safe learning environment”. I believe that Lafferty is telling us that a man that changes in to a women is not safe around children. I think that she believe that people that are gender change are mentally dangerous to children. Finally Lafferty use the word “harmful” she believes that gender changes teacher will have a negative effect on the children mind set. That is why Lafferty believe gender change teachers should not be allowed in the class room.

 

5. Explain in your own words the meaning behind Lady GaGa's "Born This Way" song.

 

   I think that Lady GaGa “Born This Way” is about loving yourself. I truly believe when she sings “I'm beautiful in my way ‘Cause God makes no mistakes” she is telling us that we need to in brace who we are. She is also telling us God made us different for a reason. I also believe that Lady GaGa is telling us that it’s okay to not to be normal and to live different from others. She is also telling us that we need not to care about other e people’s opinion. I believe that this song is a good way to tell people to love there self and accept others as well.

 

6. At the end of the Lady GaGa video, she and her dancers raise their hands in the air. What does this mean?

 

  The song Born This Way At the end of Lady Gaga’s video “Born This Way” all the dancer and herself raise their hand. The dancers are post to represent people of different views on God and other stuff. They raise their hand to tell us they are proud for who they are. They are also showing us that they are making a statement to the world. That statement is, they will love who they are even if others may not love who they are or what they do. I also believe that by raising their hand shows us they are through with all the negativity from society. They are tell us they are going to make a stand to not get pushed around any long.

 

7. What do you think would have more of a NEGATIVE EFFECT on a child - having a transgender teacher or listening and viewing Lady GaGa's songs and videos?. Explain.

 

   I believe Lady Gaga has a more negative effect on a child then a transgender teacher. The reason is lady Gaga has very graphic videos. I also believe her song are very sexual .To me, children should not be exposed to any song or video that are sexual. I also believe since Lady Gaga is so famous that she will have a more an effect on children then a transgender teacher will have. I think that children that watcher her videos will start to mimic her and want to become like her. I also believe that since lady Gaga is famous that little kids will look up to her as a role model.

 

8. How does one become prejudice?

 

 I believe that a person becomes prejudice by who they live. I also believe people become prejudice from who they may hang out with. Some people become prejudice because were they live at in the country. If a set of parents are prejudice it is more likely that they will teach their children to be prejudice also. A person also becomes prejudice because of bad experiences of other race.

 

9. Who is at fault or responsible for discrimination?

 

 I believe everyone is responsible for discriminating. To me everyone discriminates in a way. A person can be discriminating by not liking a person because they are homosexual. I have discriminated a person because they were not the same as everyone else. We all discriminate, to me it’s because we are judgment. I am not sure if we can stop discrimination but we can start with accepting the person next to us in line at lunch.

 

10. Can you cite some personal examples of prejudice and discrimination?

 

 

I can cite an incident that’s happen to me over the summer at my grandpa’s market stand. I was working with my papa over the summer. He had been buying tomatoes from him over a period of time. Well one day he was talking to my papa. He then asked me after my papa when to the back “why I was not picking beans with all the other stupid Mexicans”. I looked the man in the eyes and told him “I am not in the fields with hard working man and women because I work here with my papa” He became very red in the checks and then went on to say how sorry he was. That has been the only time I have been discriminated against.

 

Summary enjoyed discussing the lesion one Discussion. This lesion gave me a new view what gender change people have to go through. This lesion has also taught me that gender change people have trouble getting a job. I really enjoyed watching lady Gaga “Born This Way” video. Her video helped me rap my mind about what her song was about. Which is, love and be yourself. I did find out that Transgender people no longer considered "mentally ill" to American Psychiatric Association. They are considered Gender Dysphoria.

 

Research: What is Gender Dysphoria and what are the symptoms?

 

The term Gender Dysphoria is a condition in which a person feels that there is a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity. There are 1 out of 11,500 people that experience Gender Dysphoria. Gender Dysphoria helps people understand that being transgender is not a mental illness. Gender Dysphoria does help people to understand that it is a development in the brain. The early symptoms of Gender Dysphoria start at an early age or some time at a later age. Some of the symptoms for children with Gender Dysphoria are children wanting to wear the opposite sexes clothes. Another does not want to play or do typical activity that is for their gender. Children with gender Dysphoria believes he/she is not the sex they should be. Adults have the same symptoms as children do but more advance. There is a help for people that want it. Gender Dysphoria did replace the term “mentally ill” for transgender people.http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Gender-dysphoria/Pages/Introduction.aspx