On Teaching Gay Literature.
Follett, Richard James
1980
Abstract
Although gay literature extends from the earliest writings to the present, the large corpus has often been suppressed, destroyed, or ignored for what it actually is. This study focuses on what the teaching of gay literature can do for both gay and nongay college and university students, obstacles to and motivations for teaching such literature, and special considerations for gay and nongay teachers of it. Since large bodies of materials of gay pedagogy do not exist yet, an exploration of what is available is supplemented throughout by critical discussion. Gay literature is defined simply as literature written by lesbians or gay males and /or literature about gays. The term of preference throughout is "gay," which is seen as self-affirming, although "homosexual" is used to denote less positive treatment within the literature and society. Gay literature is needed both academically and socially. Academically, it should be taught for its literary tradition and its influences on all literature. There exists a clearly traceable literary heritage of gay writings, with its own allusions, codes, and so forth, which is useful for academic study. Socially, gay literature should be taught, as Northrop Frye suggests for literature in general, to help provide structure through an underst and ing of literary models. The neurotic deprivation of a rightful literary heritage for gay people may be viewed as socially dangerous. Further, gay literature can help reduce the homophobic mystery of being gay for both gays and non-gays. Students of gay literature need to be made as comfortable as possible in classrooms dealing with an emotional topic. Even such simple matters as course titles need careful examination, for most students are not prepared to have the words "gay," "lesbian," or "homosexual" on transcripts. There may be legitimate reasons for providing separatist courses for some gay studies, but many inclusive courses should also be developed. Positive self-images of gays may be developed through gay literature. Such images are often difficult to perceive in the extremely homophobic society many modern gays grow up in. Teachers need to be aware of the extent of homophobia and how it blocks simple sharing of information. But, homophobia is not the only obstacle facing gay literature. Established academic interests, limited training, employment problems, and the mere minority status of gay teachers all work against its inclusion in college curricula. However, the powerful motivations of truly humanistic education and human liberation are strong enough to overcome these obstacles. The different perspectives of gay teachers should be used to our advantage in all our classrooms. We must use our full academic freedoms to teach openly and with confidence. While lesbians and gay males will have different points of view and , ideally, should team teach gay literature courses, the single teacher can, with care, teach adequately. Nongay teachers, too, may enter the emerging field of gay literature as long as they remain completely honest and listen carefully to their gay students, colleagues, and the literature itself. Whether gay or not, teachers of gay literature will be working both academically and socially and should fully appreciate their responsibilities in both areas for their students, their colleagues, and their general academic and social communities. Some suggestions for teaching gay literature in various academic and social settings, some possible courses and pedagogical approaches, and some considerations for implementing gay literature courses complete the main body of the study. My personal experiences in establishing a gay literature course in Dade County, Florida--experiences which greatly inform the entire work--are included in an appendix.Types
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