The Winter 2000 issue of Bright Ideas included an article written anonymously by a student, "What Is It Like To Be Different? Being Gay in an Adult Education Class." I decided to use this article in my Wednesday night class to address both the specific issue of homophobia and the more general issue of prejudice. This class is part of a World Education grant called Collaborations for Active Communities, and its purpose is the development of student leadership and activism. We have been discussing, reading about, and seeing videos that address the social history of our country and our community. The rationale for this is simple: Effective leaders and active citizens understand their communities in context, as they are now, and as they have been.

Thinking About Biases
As part of our exploration of communities, I wanted the class to think about types of biases-many subtle and covert-most of us harbor. The article, "What Is It Like to Be Different?" provided a catalyst for examining these biases as well as examining the issue of homophobia.

Homophobia is a more subtle, more pervasive form of prejudice than racism or sexism. People who are horrified by racism or sexism may still admit without apology that gays/lesbians make them uncomfortable.

We read the article aloud, taking turns, and then discussed the experience of the student who wrote it. We spent extra time discussing one of the last lines in the article, "You could be hurting people by making comments in class that imply that being gay is bad or wrong or disgusting." We also discussed the ways in which some kinds of prejudice are accepted, or at least tolerated, in different communities.

In our discussion, one student talked about a recent experience that had led him to reevaluate his own attitude. He had to go in for some medical tests, and the nurse who performed them was a gay man. "That made me uncomfortable, and I don't know why," he said.

The class peppered him with questions: If it had been a straight man, would it have bothered you? A woman? He admitted that either of those options would have been more comfortable.

What finally came out in our discussion was the profound uneasiness some people feel about homosexuality based on the notion that it may be a choice. The bottom line, unspoken fear is that associating with gays or lesbians will "turn" them gay themselves. No one is afraid of "catching" Black-ness, or Asian-ness, or Hispanic-ness, but they are not as sure about why some people are homosexual, and others are not.

Teachers' Responsibility
While there are many things I do not (and cannot) know about the impact of racism, sexism, and homophobia in people's lives, I would be reneging on my responsibility as a teacher if I were unwilling to address topics that affect my students' lives and the lives of our communities. Any teacher who is willing to speak honestly and sensitively about difficult issues, respecting each individual without necessarily agreeing with each individual's position, has the power to create important and meaningful dialogue. The student who wrote the essay we read left his adult education program because he felt threatened. We should all assume that when he decides to return, the classroom he chooses may be our own. We are all responsible for creating a climate that will make him feel welcome.

Marie Hassett is a consultant, writer, and ABE instructor in Boston. She can be reached by e-mail at prof_grrl@hotmail.com