Comprehensive Catalog 2016

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

Series Consultant: Kevin Jennings Founder, GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and Executive Director, Arcus Foundation Kevin Jennings, an educator, social justice activist, teacher, and author, is the founder of GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) and Executive Director of the Arcus Foundation, a leading global foundation supporting efforts to create a world where human beings live in harmony with each other and the natural world. He served as Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education in the Obama Administration, heading the department’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools where he led the Administration’s anti-bullying initiative. Kevin began his career as a high school history teacher and coach in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. During this time he served as faculty advisor to the nation’s first Gay-Straight Alliance, leading him in 1990 to found the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a national education organization tackling anti-LGBT bias in U.S. schools, which he led for 18 years. Kevin earned a BA (magna cum laude) from Harvard College, a Master of Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. His seventh book, One Teacher in Ten in the 21st Century, was published in 2015. Along with his partner of 20 years, Jeff Davis, he is the proud dad of a Bernese Mountain Dog, Jackson, and a Golden Retriever, Sloane.

10 VOLUME SET © 2017

Set ISBN .......... 978-1-4222-3501-0 Hardcover Set Price ........... $319.30 $239.50 (S&L) Hardcover List Price .............. 23.95 (S&L) Multi-User eBook List Price ... 39.93 2 .95 (S&L) Full color • Library bound 9 31.93

24 CONFRONTING STEREOTYPES

STEREOTYPES OF GAY MEN 25

Hollywoodhasoftenbeenguiltyofpresentingandevencreating stereo- types.Countlessmovies show flamboyantly gay characterswho get laughs with their stereotypical behavior. The popular sitcom Will & Grace was a huge step forward for gay and lesbian people on television, but many felt the show didn’t do a good enough jobof showing diversitywithin the gay community.The gay characters ofWill and Jackwere often obsessedwith appearances,money, and fashion.Theymade jokes about lesbians, bisexu- als, and transgenderpeople, showinghow thegay community canoftenbe as guilty of stereotyping as the rest of the world. Jack, in particular, was a caricature of gay stereotypes: an out-of-work actorwhoworshipedCher andusedpop culture references ashedishedout catty jibes tohis friends. “I don’t care ifhe’s richor poor, fator thin,” said Jack, describinghis idealmate. “As long as he’s rich and thin.” Such characters are common in popular culture.Television,movies, and theater frequently feature prancing, limp-wristed gay men who fill the role of the stylish sidekick. “Thoseflaming gay characters are funny. I laugh at them!” saysTodd Ramos, a gay activist . “And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with themwhen it comes to entertainment.But theproblem is that somepeo- ple think that’swhat all gay people are like, orwhen they think that’s all gay people are.” Some stereotypes can also be very damaging in other ways. In the 1980s, due to the high number of homosexual men infected with HIV, the virus that causesAIDS,peopleoften considered it a gaydisease.That led to the stereotype that all gaymen haveAIDS. “That’s probably one of theworst,”Ramos says. “I rememberwhen I toldmymother Iwas gay, and thatwas thefirst thing she said. Shewas

scared Iwould getAIDS.And it didn’t come from ahateful place. Itwas just because she didn’t know any better. She believed what she saw on television.”

Trim Size: 7 x 9 • 64 pages

TheStereotypeTrap

7-12

Grade Level:

Another negative effect of stereotypes is that they are difficult to escape. This was the case for Sean Hayes, who played Jack on Will & Grace for the show’s eight seasons and came out publicly in 2010. As one of the

HBK ISBN E-ISBN

The televisionseries Will&Grace was considered tobe groundbreaking in manyways for the LGBTcommunity,but italsoperpetuated somegaystereotypes. SeanHayes,who played thecharacter Jack, ison the far left.

-3502-7 -3503-4 -3509-6 -3504-1 -3508-9 -3505-8 -3506-5 -3507-2 -3510-2

-8375-2 -8376-9 -8382-0 -8377-6 -8381-3 -8378-3 -8379-0 -8380-6 -8383-7

Being Transgender ���������������������������� Coming Out and Seeking Support ������ Confronting Stereotypes��������������������� Engaging with Politics������������������������ Facing Homophobia ��������������������������� Finding Community���������������������������� Keeping Physically Healthy ���������������� Living with Religion and Faith ������������ Staying Mentally Healthy�������������������� Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity �����������������������

ConfrontingStereotypes_Vol-03.indd 24

25/03/16 1:42PM

ConfrontingStereotypes_Vol-03.indd 25

25/03/16 1:42PM

-3511-9

-8384-4

E D I T O R I A L K E Y I C ON S In response to the principals of learning, our editorial team has devised key icons placed within our books, providing the reader with further reading comprehension and learning opportunities.

Check out our website specials and “Look Inside” feature at www.masoncrest.com 11