Final log: Reflection on my Learning

Over the course of the semester we had several different opportunities to learn about different cultures we will come into contact with as Child and Youth Workers in the Field. We learned about different cultures in the following ways:

·Assignments (such as blogging, reflecting, and venturing into the “real world” to experience something outside of our own cultural comfort zone)

·         Field trips (Quinte Mohawk School to experience the Mohawk Community’s Harvest festival celebration and to Sir James Whitney to experience the Deaf culture)

·          Guest speakers which covered the cultures of First Nations, Metis, LGBTQQ, Homeless, and People with Intellectual or Physical disabilities.

My cultural awareness and competence has definitely increased to a level in which I will be comfortable in working with different cultural groups within the Child and Youth Worker field. I must also say that Sarah’s creativity definitely made this course what it is. Your creativity kept me engaged and excited about content and the types of assignments you came up with for us to complete really gave me the opportunity to learn as much as I could about the content of this course.  It is one thing to sit in a lecture hall and talk about different cultures, but to go out into the world and choose something new to experience, like in the comfort zone assignment, was something I will never forget. Making weekly blogs was also one of the most meaningful assignments I have done throughout the entire CYW course. I learned how to use the internet to research things I never even knew existed, I got to reflect on my learning in class and extend it so far past what I would have learned simply from sitting in a classroom. As a bonus, I learned a lot about how to run a computer, which is an important lifelong skill and one I really needed to improve on. This course helped me to be comfortable to go out in the field and work with different cultures, whether or not it was a culture I learned about in class, I now have a higher level of respect for differences and know how to work with people of different cultures in a more respectful manner.

Reflection on Learning Throughout the Semester

Assignments

The “outside of my Cultural Comfort Zone” assignment was such a great assignment. I learned so much that I had no idea about. This assignment not only taught me about the Caribbean culture but also a lot about stigma and stereotypes since I had some smaller stereotypes from previous situations I had been involved in. I also learned how valuable it is to push myself to do things that do make me uncomfortable since it is a situation which makes it possible to learn so much. I actually pushed myself to do an additional “outside my comfort zone” assignment later in the semester which I used my blog to reflect about. The second time I stepped out of my comfort zone, I went to see the Drag Queens at Crews and Tangos in Toronto. This is a fun and exciting way to learn new things. I will push myself to continue the out of my comfort zone style of learning throughout my career and my life, since when I am uncomfortable I tend to learn a lot and remember the situation in more detail.

The class presentations, although a lot of work, were really beneficial to my learning as well. I learned a lot about my own group topic (New Canadians) and gave me a new level of respect to people, since it allowed me to learn the extent of things people have to do to become a Canadian Citizen. I also learned from watching the other presentations. It was an exciting way to learn about a lot of different cultures very quickly and we got to learn it from our classmates, which is also a nice change.

The blog assignment was also amazing for my learning. I learned so many things that I would not have learned without it. A huge part of the learning with the blogging is the resources I came across when I was looking for videos and articles to include in my blogs. One example I can think of off the top of my head is when I was doing my blog about LGBTQQ issues. I came across a video on YouTube done by a young man named Gregory Gorgeous. After looking into a lot of his videos I discovered that he is an awesome role model for LGBTQQ youth and he has a whole YouTube channel with new video blogs almost every week. There is not many role models for LGBTQQ youth, especially ones that identify themselves as LGBTQQ. There are even fewer that I would consider appropriate for youth. After watching several Gregory Gorgeous videos I realized that he is very respectful, funny and touches on some important issues within the LGBTQQ community. Without having done blogs as an assignment I would not have had the opportunity to learn about this great role model for youth. In the same way I learned about many other online resources I will be able to use in the field. I will also know how to better use the internet to research areas I need to learn more about using appropriate and relevant resources. Over the course of the semester we talked about many cultures, but the ones I got to learn the most about were the ones I blogged about. I chose to do blogs on First Nations issues, Quinte Mohawk and their Harvest Festival, LGBTQQ issues, anti-homophobia, homelessness, intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities.

Guest Speakers

I love the guest speakers we had come into class. There were so many of them and they all had so many important topics for us to learn about. Here are some of the ones that I enjoyed the most (although I enjoyed all of them and learned something from each!)

Andy (First Nations and Metis issues): Andy coming to speak to us about the issues that the First Nation villages up north face was so important. I had learned a very small amount about it during high school but never in this much detail. There were things I never really thought about or even knew existed before Andy’s talk. I never realized how remote these places were and how a lot of the things we do on a daily basis they had never even heard of. There are a lot of terrible things that go on, like abuse and children who huff gasoline. We as CYWs need to be up there, and in other remote areas to help them, however Andy also helped us to understand why we would not always be welcomed into the communities, because of the way our own culture treated them in the past. All of this knowledge was very eye-opening and important to our work in the field.

Eric, Kim and Deb (LGBTQQ Issues and Anti-Homophobia): This presentation was one of my favorite parts of this entire course. I have always been very supportive of the LGBTQQ community and would identify myself as an ally. Even though I have been around people who identify as homosexual for most of my life and am not uncomfortable in the least, I still learned a lot from Eric, Kim and Deb. One of the most important things I learned from listening to them speak was how we need to work with LGBTQQ identified youth as CYWs. This was a completely different context than having LGBTQQ friends and one that I am glad I got to learn. Apart from having Eric, Kim and Deb come in as guest speakers, I also then had the opportunity to learn more about LGBTQQ issues through my blog. I learned so many new things and got to see so many videos that were really touching. The most powerful thing I learned from blogging about LGBTQQ issues was regarding how many LGBTQQ identified youth end up homeless after coming out to family and either being kicked out or having to run away.

Sandy (Working with Youth who are Homeless): Having Sandy come speak to us about youth who are homeless was great. I have always wanted to learn about homelessness and poverty and work with youth who are facing issues of homelessness after I graduate. Apart from a few assignments where I got to choose to write about homelessness, I have not had the chance to learn that out of this course. I was happy to finally get the opportunity. From speaking with Sandy, I learned just how relevant the issue of homelessness is to our field, and how much services are needed in our community. I also learned that when we work with people who are homeless we need to use a ‘wrap around’ approach. This means we need to focus on more than just the fact that the person needs affordable housing, but also work on things like career counselling, mental health counselling, obtaining health care, getting food and clothing and obtaining Ontario Works, of course this list is different for each individual.

Colleen (Working with children and youth who have disabilities): My greatest learning came from listening to Colleen. Before having Colleen as a guest speaker, I had been kind of nervous around people with disabilities and definitely had not wanted to work with after graduation. After listening to Colleen Speak and furthering my learning through blogging about it after class, I actually would consider working with children and youth who have disabilities. As I learned from my blog “We are more alike than different!”

Field Trips

Quinte Mohawk School: We went on a field trip to Quinte Mohawk School to take part in their Harvest Festival. It was really awesome to learn about the different traditions the Mohawk culture takes part in. They seem to be really big on community. I found it odd that I have lived in this area for so long and never took the opportunity to know anything about their culture. The best part about about the harvest festival was interacting with the students and getting to help them with their crafts, learning the dances from the intermediate girls, and of course the turkey dinner was delicious. I loved how they gave us so much that day yet they were so thankful to us for what we did for them with the games.

Sir James Whitney: The trip to Sir James Whitney field trip taught me so much. I never had much opportunity to interact with people who are deaf. One of the most important things that Aaron taught us was that if we are working with a child or youth who is deaf how we need to advocate for youth, whether or not we work directly with them or not. For example, Never let a child or youth act as an interpreter. I learned so much this day.  

Plan for continued learning

I am going to continue the outside of my comfort zone on a regular basis. I learned so much from the outside my comfort zone assignment and I also want to keep blogging. I will keep using people first language since it shows respect to everyone. I also will not judge anyone until I meet them

Homelessness and Intellectual and Physical Disabilities

Today’s class we talked about two different cultural areas that we are going to come into contact with through our work as Child and Youth Workers. I gained so much out of today’s class from both speakers. The first area we spoke about was youth that are homeless or living in poverty and the issues that they face. The second area was about people with disabilities. Both areas are so important to our field of work.

Youth Who are Homeless or at-risk

The reason I originally got into this field was because I wanted to work with children and youth that were facing issues of homelessness or poverty. Throughout the entire course, we did not get much of a chance to learn about poverty, except for the odd assignment where I elected to use homelessness and poverty as a topic. I am so glad that one of our peers took the initiative to have a guest speaker on the topic because I learned so much in the hour and a half she was here. Although this is an area I have been passionate about, and a class I went into thinking I already had a good knowledge of the community, I now realize just how much I did not know. The biggest thing I learned from the class was the idea that we need to work as a wrap around type service, working with families, mental health counselling and other community agencies. Sandy’s speech really gave me a much better understanding of what I would be doing if I choose to pursue this area of child and youth work.

News clip about teenagers who are homeless

This clip taught me that in order to be successful in working with youth, or any person, that is facing homelessness we need to consider:

·  wrap around services, that is working with homeless and at risk youth on many different areas of their lives such as helping them to obtain clothing, jobs, housing, basic needs, counselling and health insurance, among many others.

·  meeting the youth where they’re at. If we want to work with youth that are homeless we need to go to them, not expect them to come to us (although this is typical in many areas of child and youth work, it is of great importance in working with issues of homelessness).

·  We need to teach homeless and at risk youth self-advocacy (again, this is something that is common throughout our field however it is particularly important in working with homeless and at risk youth). We need to teach self-advocacy so that homeless and at risk youth can grow to be successful individuals and gain the self-esteem and knowledge to know where they want to go and what they need to do to get there. Self advocacy gives youth the power to stand up for what they believe in and go against any barriers they may come across.

·  It is not absolutely necessary, but I think setting up some role models for youth would be of great importance to those that are facing issues of homelessness. Setting them up with mentors that have lived on the streets and have “beat the odds” would give them hope for the future. This video clip got me thinking about mentors for the youth since there were so many young adults that overcame homelessness and were now raising families or enrolled in post secondary education.

This clip also shared some shocking statistics. I was surprised when it said that 40% of homeless culture is 14 – 25 years of age. That is very young. But the reasons the video gave made sense as to why. I just always assumed that the majority would be older men and women. Apart from the youth that are homeless, there are many adults that have been homeless since they were young teens. Some of the many reasons youth become homeless, as described by this clip include being kicked or thrown out by family, leaving due to family conflict, substance abuse (either self or parental), sexual orientation, no job, abuse or foster care issues. As Sandy told us in class however, there are as many reasons as there are youth, this list just goes to name a few.

Voices of the Homeless 

I really like this clip because it actually gives homeless people a name and shows them as individuals. There is a lot of stigma surrounding homelessness, and it is much more difficult for people to stigmatize other people if they know something about them. This made me think of what Colleen said about when people stigmatize others they put them into the form of animals first (for example what the Nazis did to the Jewish culture). I would assume they do it because they feel guilt on some level. Anyway, the first step in preventing people from doing that is giving them a name and listening to their stories, and this video does just that.

Invisible Homelessness

Another thing that Sandy talked about was ‘invisible homelessness’ that is where people are not identified as homeless. People who are invisibly homeless would typically be on friend’s couches for an extended period of time. The following is a public service announcement targeting the issue of invisible homelessness. There are many reasons why a youth may not be able to “go home”, but if you notice youth constantly sleeping over, there is help.

Youth who have a Developmental or Physical Disability

We have talked a bit about knowledge and comfort level coming into these classes. For the most part I have been extremely open minded and even passionate about some of the areas we have had the opportunity to learn about. I am not going to lie but working with children who have a developmental or physical disability has never been something I have wanted to do. This area of our field is something I have no knowledge of whatsoever, and I am also a bit uncomfortable about it. I am however very respectful, and non-judgemental. I would not have ever wanted to work in this area of study in the past. After listening to Colleen speak that outlook changed. I have a much better understanding now. In fact, I told my friend off about using the ‘R’ word right after the class. After listening to Colleen I am actually interested in working in this area. I also like that she refreshed the people first language, although we learned about it in a lot of our classes in the past, I think it is really important to review because I was a bit foggy on it, and it is definitely something we need to be using on a daily basis, not only at work but in social interactions as well. I feel like if I am talking to friends using people first language would really help to eliminate a lot of the judgements and stigma, and that goes for any group of people we will be working with. Colleen had a lot of interesting ways of teaching us about working with children with physical or developmental disabilities. I liked her idea of “Universal Design”, which is where everything is made to be accessible to anyone. We were talking about the accessible ramp being crowded and she had commented if they made it in universal design it would all be ramp and then it would not be as crowded. This is a great idea and not something that had even crossed my mind in the past. 

r-word.org

r-word pledge

This is a website about the impact of the r-word on people with an intellectual disability, whether it is used towards them or towards someone does not have an intellectual disability. This site talks a lot about people first language and features an online pledge you can take to stop the use of the r-word and stand of for people with an intellectual disability. It also has tips for people to use after they have taken the pledge. The site recognizes that telling friends or family not to use the r-word and why can be uncomfortable and difficult, so it gives examples of how to carry out that conversation with others. It also talks about which times you should walk away, especially to protect your personal safety. The pledge states “I pledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.” And then the site gives you ways to keep your pledge. 

The View discusses the 'r-word'

There appear to be opposing viewpoints regarding this issue however some good points that are brought up. Barbara Walters compares it to the n-word and Whoopi Goldberg disagrees with her. I understand what Barbara Walters meant by that comment. It reminded me of the public service announcement that Colleen showed us in class. The comment below is from the YouTube page the video clip came off of. It is written by an African American woman who agrees with Barbara Walters in comparing the r-word and the n-word, I felt that it was important to include since it is a very powerful statement.

“I think people should take this word as seriously as the N-word. I am of African decent, and my son has cerebral palsy. When kids at school call him the R-word, I can tell he feels hurt, worthless, and like he's a less person. Which is how I personally feel when I am called the N-word. I think this is serious. Other African Americans may not think so, but perhaps you would if you had to walk on crutches your entire life and couldn't play sports or run with your friends, then people made fun.”

We are More Alike than Different

The people in this clip show us that just because they are born with a physical or developmental disability they still have dreams and hopes like the rest of us, they can live regular lives, and they are more alike than different from anyone.  Also, like what I said above regarding people who are facing stigma due to being homeless, this video helps to give people a name, face and story, which works to eliminate stigma as well! I think the ending of the video clip is just adorable too!

Twisted institution that still operates today!

I literally could not sit through this clip it was so disturbing, but I felt that I need to share it. The issue of people being put into institutions like this seems like it would be a thing from the very distant past. If this is going on in Serbia, I am sure it is going on in other areas of the world as well. This is just wrong, and something needs to be done about it!

Who Dares to Speak Above a Whisper

“There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches. Every minority, be it Baptist/Unitarian, Irish/Italian/Octogenarian/Zan Buddhist, Zionist/Seventh-day Adventist, Women's Lib/ Republican, Mattachine/FourSquareGospel feels it has the will, the right, the duty to douse the kerosene, light the fuse. Every dimwit editor who sees himself as the source of all dreary blanc-mange plain porridge unleavened literature, licks his guillotine and eyes the neck of any author who dares to speak above a whisper or write above a nursery rhyme...." -Ray Bradbury

I feel that the above quote really helps to tie the issue of censorship into our cultural issues and diversity class. It is like a metaphor of how each person is a book, full of a wealth of information, and other people go around ready to burn all these books, based on different ethnicities or opinions. They are ready to ‘burn their book’ as in silence them forever just because they do not agree with the person’s view point or maybe find it offensive. The end of the quote that is talking about writing anything more than a nursery rhyme shows how when people see others being censored or ‘burned’ they will not say anything serious, just fluffy and appropriate things that do not evoke any emotions or reaction. They want to appear ‘normal’.

Although there are many things that I could have chosen to write about from last week’s class, the one issue that is of great importance to me resulting from that class is censorship. I know we did not directly discuss censorship in class but that is what I took from last class. Censorship is defined as the suppression of speech or other communication which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive or inconvenient. There are a few issues within our class that I feel are directly caused by censorship. I also wish to point out that censorship is not always put into place by a government nor is it official. Any time when a person feels that they cannot freely express their opinions because of the actions of another person or group of people, that is censorship.

The first issue is going to tie directly into our learning about LGBTQ youth, and particularly those who are considering suicide. I was touched by the video clip “Ricks Rant Teen Suicide” when we saw it. It was so powerful. All I could think of was the last statement. “300 kids is 300 too many”. But if we pose the question as to why all these suicides are taking place, all I can think of is censorship. When LGBTQ youth see Jamie Hubley expressing his sexuality in a positive way and then get bullied to the point where he kills himself, are they going to express themselves or are they going to hide? This is a form of oppression on these kids and for them to have to hide their feelings that is censorship! Apart from the LGBTQ youth themselves, I know that the whole topic of LGBTQ people, although it is beginning to become more socially accepted, has been silenced by society. (Once again, censorship). Even when I did not identify as part of the LGBTQ community, I was always a very strong ally. My best friend is gay, and I would stand up for him in a heart-beat. There are some places where I felt that I could not say things due to society’s opinion on LGBTQ. This, once again, is censorship! So what I am trying to say here, is that we need to say loud and proud that we are LGBTQ or Allies, whichever, and as CYW’s I feel that being an Ally is a very important role in supporting these youth!

LGBTQ youth suicide and murders

This is a clip about children who were bullied to the point of committing suicide or were murdered by their peers for identifying as LGBTQ. The majority of the children were under sixteen and a few of them were as young as eleven. This clip goes to show that the word “bullying” needs to be taken out of our vocabulary and instead be referred to as harassment, which is what it really is. We would not be able to go up to someone in our place of work or in a public area and act as  ‘bullies’ it would be considered harassment or assault and would be a criminal offence. It is not a light hearted issue, and it needs to be taken seriously. I totally agree with the statement that teachers need to be held accountable for this. Even if they support the oppression of LGBTQ youth indirectly, like by allowing students to say ‘that’s gay’ or not talking openly, or not allowing gay straight alliances within the school. Furthermore, we as people need to feel some sense of responsibility towards one another. In my opinion it is just as wrong to see something bad being done to someone and walk by without acknowledging it as it is to be the one actually harassing the person.

A Day in our Shoes: LGBTQ Youth Homelessness

 I think I made it about two minutes into this clip without crying. It is by far the most powerful video clip I have seen throughout this course and blogging assignment. Half of all youth that are homeless identify as LGBTQ and a huge part of these children are homeless because they were kicked out of their home just for the simple fact that they are LGBTQ.  Another thing I want to mention is the fact that children are coming out a younger age now, some as early as fourteen years old. In Canada it is illegal for a child to be living alone under the age of sixteen, and it is illegal for shelters to assist them in any way. This means there are a lot of youth between the ages of fourteen to sixteen that are homeless and have to sleep on the street because their age stops them from accessing services.

LGBTQ Suicide awareness video

This link is a video done as an assignment by two students that is addressing the issue of teen suicide in the LGBTQ community. I found the video so touching, some of the facts in the video were shocking and it really goes to show the need of allies within the LGBTQ community. I feel that as CYWs an LGBTQ ally is an extremely important role we need to step up and take. The part that affected me the most was the trans-gendered woman doing her speech towards the end. It was a startling fact when she said that suicide rates are over 40% among trans-gendered people, and only 1% of straight people. She then goes on to talk about all the harassment that she goes through on a daily basis. Once again this is a form of censorship that does not need to be happening. As allies we need to stand up to this and stop it and maybe save a life.

In summary of the clips that I shared, LGBTQ youth are censored by society in many different ways. They could fear becoming homeless or being bullied, and are subjected to society’s stereotypes on a regular basis.  This is all because of them witnessing other youth being bullied to the point where they feel they cannot go on, and seeing their peers being disowned by their families and without a home for identifying as LGBTQ. This fear could make youth feel that they need to live a lie and not be themselves or come out and be harassed or shunned because of it.

I want to end this part of my blog in a positive way. Throughout my blogging this week, I found an awesome role model that I think would be amazing to share with LGBTQ youth. His name is Gregory Gorgeous. I found him when I was looking up Jamie Hubley's story, since he has a video blog about it, and I found him very inspirational. I even look up to Gregory Gorgeous after watching a few of his videos, I can only imagine what an LGBTQ youth would think of him since they have experienced a lot of the same issues and Gregory is very open about what he has been through in his video blogs.

Gregory Gorgeous' Facebook Page

In Memory of Jamie Hubley (By: Gregory Gorgeous)

The second thing I want to say regarding censorship is in regards to a lot of our class mates. I feel that a portion of our class has been either directly or indirectly censored by the other portion of our class. Most, if not all, of our classes talk about issues which evoke a lot of emotion and personal opinion from people. I have found over the past two years that when we learn about the subjects that we deal with, hearing and sharing stories has been a great way that I have deepened my knowledge of most issues. I really enjoy hearing other people’s stories and they help me to connect the theories that we learn in class to the real world. The fact that many of the people who usually share these extremely valuable stories during class time have been caused by the actions of their peers to not share anymore will definitely be detrimental to my learning. In the same way, the tension in the class making me unable to now share my own stories will also make it difficult to make connections. We all have travelled very different paths and there is always something we can learn from one another. How is it that after working with these students for two and a half years, I am much more comfortable to go into a much bigger class where I have met no one and do a presentation? We need to support one another as child and youth workers and I feel that this is just not happening. It may be a bold statement, but after the actions of some of our classmates over the past few weeks on more than one occasion, I actually am ASHAMED to be part of this group! I did not have a part of any of it and I still felt some level of responsibility just for being part of the class. There are a handful of students that as a child I would most definitely not feel comfortable working with, and I feel terrible for children or youth who may have these individuals as counsellours after they graduate. After all, as CYWs we are not supposed to pass judgements on the children we work with, and with the amount of judgement that has been going around, it is hard to imagine a time where they would not be placing judgement on people. This judgement is why I tend to keep my mouth shut in class. I have many stories that I am sure would have contributed to the learning of the rest of the group, as do many of my peers , but once again, we are all being censored by the situations that have arisen in section b, child and youth work over the past few weeks.  

LGBTQ and Anti-Homophobia

Last Friday was my favorite class so far! Our speakers were awesome, they were very insightful and interactive. They got everyone involved, which is a difficult thing to do at eight am on a Friday morning. I was very surprised to see that the LGBTQ community was included in the Cultural Issues and Diversity class since when we think cultural, we tend to think more about ethnic groups than anything else. I am glad that we got the chance to see this presentation since this is an issue that has really hit home for me and really needs to be brought to the light.

There were some really good points that I picked up on from the presentation. The part I liked the most was the fact that they asked us “Did you wake up and decide to be straight?” or “Have you ever been accused of flaunting your heterosexuality?” This really went to show that homosexual people do not just wake up one day and choose to become homosexual. Instead they are born that way, and it is a part of who they are. I have a few friends who are homosexual and the bullying and harassment I have seen them go through is definitely not worth the pain they would have endured from a ‘choice’, who would choose that for themselves. Assuming that someone has chosen their sexuality also assumes that they could just ‘snap out of it’, which is simply not true. Another thing that was brought to my attention Friday was PFLAG, which stands for parents and friends of lesbians and gays. It is a gay-straight alliance and I think it is so wonderful that they talked about it. PFLAG helps to validate LGBTQ and might let homophobic ‘straight’ people see everything from a different perspective, since it communicates that we do not have to be LGBTQ in order to love, support and respect the people who are.

PFLAG

PFLAG stands for Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. It is an organization that supports LGBTQ youth and their families. It is a place to go for parents who do not know what to do when their child first comes out and it is an alliance between gay and straight. PFLAG always has a float in the gay pride parade in support of their family and friends who are LGBTQ. PFLAG advocates for their allies. The PFLAG website offers support to families and friends of LGBTQ and also to the LGBTQ themselves. The website has links to community and online resources, and several statistics about LGBTQ youth. Some scary statistics from the PFLAG website are:

·        

• 30% of all suicides are LGBTQ
• 26% of LGBTQ youth are kicked out of their homes
•   LGBTQ youth are more likely to become homeless
•  LGBTQ students hear on average 26 anti-LGBTQ slurs every day!
• 43% of trans identified attempt suicide

These statistics are startling, and it just goes to show how relevant this issue is to the field and that we, as Child and Youth Workers, have a lot to do in order to help!

PFLAG- (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Website

Hetrosexual Questionnaire

I was very interested in looking up the heterosexual questionnaire. It asks us questions like why we chose to be straight and other questions that an LGBTQ person is typically asked to explain when they come out. The questions themselves are very difficult to answer, so the questionnaire should help the person taking it to empathize with LGBTQ people and have a better understanding of the whole situation. The questions would be hard to give an accurate answer to, and it is impossible to imagine being an LGBTQ youth trying to come out to my loved ones and having any one of these questions thrown my way. The questionnaire gives us a glimpse of what LGBTQ people go through on a daily basis. When I was looking for the heterosexual questionnaire I found a site that actually uses it in a lesson plan in an anti homophobia workshop for youth. I have included the lesson plan as well since it will allow us to use the questionnaire in a therapeutic manner with children and youth.

Hetrosexual Questionnaire

Hetrosexual Questionnaire Lesson Plan (Advocates for Youth)

Mini “Outside my cultural comfort zone” assignment

The last thing I am going to blog about is my mini “Out of my cultural comfort zone” assignment. Friday after class I went to Toronto for the weekend. We all wanted to go out Saturday night, and while we were deciding where to go, I suggested that we go to see the Drag Queens. This is what I had wanted to do for my actual comfort zone assignment but it was not possible at the time. Anyway, we went to a gay bar on Church Street called “Crews & Tango”. The lower level is drag queens who perform all night and the upstairs is a dance bar. I had an awesome time and I ended up ditching my friends, who just wanted to dance, to watch the Drag Queens perform. I learned a lot about Toronto’s LGBTQ scene, and I feel like the workshop in Friday’s class gave me a different outlook which allowed me to pick up on things I normally wouldn’t.

The first thing I want to comment on about Crews & Tango is the way the bathrooms are set up. They have three bathrooms there, male, female and trans. I thought that this was very cool. We talked a lot about the problems that arise for LGBTQ people, particularly those that identify as trans-gendered, in public bathrooms. Although I am pretty sure no violence would have went on at Crews & Tango, as it is a gay bar, it was nice to know that there was that level of acceptance and equality. I am curious as to whether or not a lot of other LGBTQ friendly places have the three bathroom option.

I also learned a lot about Drag Queens. I thought they were like strippers, and everyone got really offended when I asked that. I learned that they can be sort of mean, they will stand up and point fun at people in the audience. Ultimately, I found the Drag Queens to be glamorous, and almost like a form of comedian since they are usually funny. They pretty much just put on elaborate dresses, hair and make-up and sing and dance around on stage. I loved every minute of watching the Drag Queens, and I was not even all that offended when they poked fun at me. It was a very fun and eye opening night. I have included the web link to Crews & Tango’s website. The website is neat. It has events and all of the performers on it. You click on the performer’s picture and it takes you to their profile, which has an auto-biography about how they began Drag.  The Queen I saw is called Carlotta Carlisle, I have included a link to her page as well. She is who is in the picture I took below.

Crews & Tango Website

Carlotta Carlisle

Quinte Mohawk School

 
I am so glad I had the privilege of visiting Quinte Mohawk today. I learned so much more than I ever thought I would and I really enjoyed it so much. I felt so welcomed by the staff and students, it was easy to tell that they really appreciated us being there. When I first arrived at the school we got to hear the thanksgiving address and look at the beautiful mural that was painted to represent the Thanksgiving Address. Afterwards we had a tour of the school. I started out at the sensory room. I was really interested in it and had a lot of questions to ask. I was shocked to find out that the room cost around $80 000.00!

After seeing the school, I went into the gym to join in the dancing for the harvest festival. It was a bit awkward at first but I soon had two intermediate girls showing me how to do the dances. I was really interested in the Women’s Dance, and the girls showed me how to dance, and told me that the song honoured all the women and their relationship to the Earth. They told me that the English translation of the song meant “Good Job”. Another Dance we did was the Duck Dance which was very joyful and a lot of fun to do!

 I then had the chance to go into a grade four and five split classroom to help them with their crafts. The class was making longhouses, and there was hot glued involved so they all really appreciated the help.

At recess we got a chance to interact with all of the kids in the school. I played tag, sidewalk chalk and Play-Doh. Afterwards, my fingers were sore from opening almost forty containers of Play-Doh for the students, but I am happy they enjoyed it. After recess we played Lacrosse with the same class. I am not a sports person and it was hard for me to try to make a goal on a student because I did not even want to throw the ball at him, even after them reassuring me it was okay.

After everything, the staff had put on a delicious thanksgiving meal for us to thank us for coming, when I was thinking we should be the ones thanking them! I would love to have the opportunity to work with such an awesome group of kids again.

Thanksgiving Address

Above is the link to the Thanksgiving Address, it has both the Mohawk and the English translation. The Thanksgiving Address is said every morning at Quinte Mohawk. It gives thanks to every single aspect of our world. The plantlife, the wildlife, the trees, the weather, the wind, the night time, the day time, the fish, the waters and the birds. It is a very inclusive way of being thankful for what we have been given and I would assume that it humbles people and makes sure that they do not take anything they have for granted.

 

 

 

First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Innu Cultural Reflection

I am so happy to have had the privilege of hearing Andy Leggett speak about his experiences in his career as the clinical director at Broken Arrow. His insight into the different cultures that he has worked with was very eye opening for me. I had the chance to learn a bit about some of these cultures during high school, particularly about gas sniffing, but not in the same depth or context as what Andy had spoke about.

The biggest lesson I learned throughout Andy’s presentation to us was that when working with other cultures you do not have to know everything about a culture to be successful, you just need to be respectful and curious. Curiosity communicates to others that you are interested in them and that they are worthwhile and important.

Another important lesson was Andy’s idea of the “click” of building relationships. The perspective he gave us when talking about bids for attention was invaluable since it is going to be very common to have children say things that are not particularly nice. After hearing Andy talk about the statements as bids for attention and using them in a positive way to help form a connection with a child, I feel more confident in working with youth that are likely going to say things to test me. It is definitely a perspective that supports growth and looks at positives instead of focusing on one more negative action.

After hearing Andy speak about the First Nations, Metis and Inuit people, there were some things that I really wanted to find out more about. The first was to research more in depth about the culture and maybe find some more pictures. The second was that I wanted to research more about gas and propane sniffing and what is being done to help the youth that take part in it. The last thing I wanted to research was the Inuit rap. I ended up finding one rap group Inuit Rap Productions. They are actually really good rappers! There are some links below to my research and the rap videos.

How I Feel- Cull and Sammy V., IRP(Inuit Rap Productions)

Ride to This- Inuit Rap Productions

The following is an article about youth that engage in gas and propane sniffing in Natuashish and the debate about whether or not they should be removed from their homes.

CBC News- Natuashish Kids Gas Sniffing


Below are some pictures I found of the Natuashish community.

People walking in Natuashish



Inuit Woman and Baby



Inuit Man on a Skidoo



Natuashish





Davis Inlet



Children Sniffing Gas

Some of the homes in Natuashish

Innu Men

Innu Children in Natuashish

The Northern Lights

Cultural Issues and Diversity Reflection: Stepping out of my Comfort Zone

  

I am excited to be taking Cultural Issues and Diversity this semester! It is a course that I have looked forward to since first hearing about it early last spring. This blog will follow me on my journey through the Cultural Issues and Diversity course. I will use this blog to post my thoughts, feelings, experiences, questions and further research on each topic that interests me from the course. My goals for Cultural Issues and Diversity include becoming more aware of the many unique aspects of different cultures, learning how to interact appropriately with members of cultures different from my own and to have fun!

One thing I am really looking forward to this semester is completing my “Stepping Outside my Cultural Comfort Zone” assignment. I debated several ideas of what I should do with this assignment, and I don’t think I could have come up with a better plan. Next weekend I will be heading to Toronto’s LGBTQ community to participate in several events which will help me to learn about the LGBTQ culture and open my eyes to many new things. The main focus of the trip was to go to a Drag Queen show. I have wanted to do this for a while, however when we had the chance this summer everyone chickened out. I am not judgemental of this culture in any way, however it does make me slightly uncomfortable just because I have never experienced it. I am not homosexual so I feel like I would be the one being judged for being there. After doing a bit of research, I found some really neat things to do in the Church and Wellesley LGBTQ  community. I plan to start by going to the 519 Center, this is a community center which offers support (family, poverty and newcomers), advocacy and community resources. The center offers programs for students, including an anti-homophobia workshop and a tour around the community with special attention to the AIDS memorial. The AIDS community is very misunderstood and faces a lot of stigma, so it is of particular interest to me. I am planning to spend the day in the Church and Wellesley community and ending the day by attending a Drag Queen show, which was the inspiration of my trip! Below is the link to the 519 Center’s website.

·         http://www.the519.org/