Blog Post 5

        While I could understand the ideas that Rofes was trying to make clear, I could not always see how I have been affected by these topics. I went to a high school that only had one student that came out openly and he was accepted, but the topic was not discussed that often. Religion class was the only time that anything that could be considered uncomfortable was talked about. When we talked, the teacher had to teach us what the Church believes. We looked at that stand point and then we would talk about our own individual views on the topic. Most everyone agreed that they supported the freedom for people to live and to love as they want.
       As a student, I have not witnessed anything that Rofes discussed about homophobia and heterosexism. I have gone to Catholic schools for my entire life and have been taught to treat others as I would like to be treated. We were taught to be nice to people that we come in contact with, but we also never really seemed to talk about the specific things that make us different. When people have expressed differences, I have never recalled anyone being ridiculed for it. At the same time, it seems as though there was a bigger emphasis on seeing what we all have in common.
        Rofes discusses childhood as a structured upbringing that makes the children completely dependent on what the parent desires for them. Rofes believes that childhood should be more about what the child needs and wants. He believes that he was denied the ability to be himself as a child and had to conform to what people wanted. The way that people judge others for differences and wanting to be different is something that really bothers Rofes.  I want to be teaching middle school children and I think that age is a very crucial time in the children's lives. They need to be able to express their feelings and who they want to be. I want my school to allow me to assist the children in finding their identity and realizing that they can achieve anything and be anything that they want to be.