This week I want to know-
If someone from your local community college approached you about teaching a class, would you do it? What subject? Would there be field trips? What books would be required reading? Any guest lecturers?
Timely question since I just finished my classes at UConn. for this semester.
I would teach a class on Diversity (No surprise there) and I would have a field trip to the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective. The text books for the class would be; “She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders” by Jennifer Boylan, “My Husband Betty” by Helen Boyd and “The Visible Man” by Jameson Green. And I would have some friends as guest lecture.
On a serious note; I do about three or four guest lectures a year at various college and universities in the area because I feel education is important. Almost all of the students have never met anyone who was transgendered and by going out and talking to them it put a human face to an abstract concept. One day I was standing line for our reservation at a restaurant and this woman came up to me. She said, “You talked in one of my classes and I now have a transgender patient, because of that class that day I knew how to relate to her.”
With summer reading season upon us, I urge you to read one of those books. They are all very good; Jennifer Boylan was on Oprah Winfrey twice and an Oprah’s Book club selection.
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