Since I left town shortly after this class I did not have a chance to journal about this topic, So I am going to do that now.
The readings I thought were quite insightful. While they did not pay much attention to transgender issues, it was good to have a whole class devoted to this topic. I thought that the discussion surrounding this issue was one of the more in depth and passionate that we have had so far. Maybe it was the emotions that run deep within some around this identity or maybe it was that this issue was given a voice. I think the point Tony C made in reference to a comment Casey S made was something that rang true for me and reminded me of the differences and stereotypes. Tony talked about the differences he experiences in his social group as compared to those that Casey experienced. It is important to remember that just because we learn about a group doesn't mean we know EVERYONE in that group and how they act. This may seem elementary but it is important to be reminded of that every now and again.
I think the readings and discussion helped to reinforce what I already knew. Having been through the Project Safe training both here and at the University of Arizona, I learned a great deal about these issues, but not so much about the identity development. I think that taking some of the facts from the training and incorporating them into class would be a great combination of the two.
I really enjoyed the discussion around religion and sexuality. It was one of the first times that we actually saw multiple identities at play and in conflict with one another. This makes the discussion much more passionate and difficult.
