"So maybe she was a fat dyke, Brittany thought morosely; maybe she deserved the teasing. She would have been shocked to know the truth behind the adults' inaction: No one would come to her aid for fear of violating the districtwide policy requiring school personnel to stay "neutral" on issues of homosexuality. All Brittany knew was that she was on her own, vulnerable and ashamed, and needed to find her best friend, Samantha, fast."
If you've not yet seen this article flash across your Facebook Newsfeed, Take some time to read it here now.
Read (really. read. and think about.) the article here.
Think about the role of communication in shaping the lives, identities, and deaths of these students. Where's the little d discourse? The Big D Discourse? In what ways does this article help us think about the power and violence inherent in language? What does it tell us about the shaping of shared meaning? The social construction of sexual orientation? The development of policy?
For those of you in Dr. Gibson's community and community, in what ways does this article illustrate the role of communication in constructing, dividing, and/or destroying community? Lots of questions here. Can you think of any others?
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