First Source
You can tell that Shirley Anderson Fletcher is going to be very honest as she explores the nature of prejudice in The Dance of Difference, The New Frontier of Sexual Orientation when she starts the book with this story:
I have been concerned about the oppression of racism and sexism for most of my adult life. However, I turned a blind eye to the oppression of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals until my fourteen-year-old son confronted me. I was forty-one years old at the time. He had overheard his dad and me laughing at a so-called 'gay joke.' He looked us in the eye and asked, "Would you really be laughing if there was someone gay in this room? Do you really think this is funny?" He looked at us long and hard before striding out of the room. I was mortified.
That was twenty-nine years ago. We made a commitment then to monitor our own prejudices and biases regarding gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. We've been intentional about building our awareness. And the reality is we still have a long way to go.
Shirley then employs a model called "Dialogue with Difference" for exploring this prejudice by presenting a transcript of a discussion about sexual orientation with a gay African American colleague, the Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington. That transcript comprises the middle section of the book, and it is revealing in many ways. This particular technique is based on the societal construct of dominance and subordination, but it turns that relationship on its head by permitting the subordinated group member in the dialogue to have the opportunity and authority to decide the focus of the discussion.
I was skeptical about this type of presentation but found myself drawn into the discussion and learning a lot about the issue and, like Shirley, my own preconceptions and prejudices.
This is the first of a series of books on prejudice by Shirley, collectively entitled The Dance of Difference. If you want a break from traditional fluffy summer beach reading, it is well worth your time.
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That was twenty-nine years ago. We made a commitment then to monitor our own prejudices and biases regarding gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. We've been intentional about building our awareness. And the reality is we still have a long way to go.
Shirley then employs a model called "Dialogue with Difference" for exploring this prejudice by presenting a transcript of a discussion about sexual orientation with a gay African American colleague, the Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington. That transcript comprises the middle section of the book, and it is revealing in many ways. This particular technique is based on the societal construct of dominance and subordination, but it turns that relationship on its head by permitting the subordinated group member in the dialogue to have the opportunity and authority to decide the focus of the discussion.
I was skeptical about this type of presentation but found myself drawn into the discussion and learning a lot about the issue and, like Shirley, my own preconceptions and prejudices.
This is the first of a series of books on prejudice by Shirley, collectively entitled The Dance of Difference. If you want a break from traditional fluffy summer beach reading, it is well worth your time.
Publication Date: April 15, 2011
It is rare for heterosexuals to acknowledge, much less write about, their own homophobia. This black grandmother who grew up in the homophobic culture of Jamaica in the 40's and 50's offers a moving look into the challenges faced daily by people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) because of the learned biases, attitudes and behavior of heterosexuals. The author, a behavioral scientist, who migrated to the United States 30 years ago, shares examples from her early life experiences as well as examples from her long career as an organizational consultant in the United States and Europe. The centerpiece of the book is a spontaneous dialogue between the author and a gay pastor about the realities of life for members of the gay community.
It is rare for heterosexuals to acknowledge, much less write about, their own homophobia. This black grandmother who grew up in the homophobic culture of Jamaica in the 40's and 50's offers a moving look into the challenges faced daily by people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) because of the learned biases, attitudes and behavior of heterosexuals. The author, a behavioral scientist, who migrated to the United States 30 years ago, shares examples from her early life experiences as well as examples from her long career as an organizational consultant in the United States and Europe. The centerpiece of the book is a spontaneous dialogue between the author and a gay pastor about the realities of life for members of the gay community.
This is a standout element that sets the book apart. In a particularly valuable part of the book, the author describes common scenarios of heterosexual prejudice and bias towards LGBT people that will ring familiar with many readers. The responses she recommends will be useful in building relationships between members of the gay and heterosexual communities. Throughout, the author strikes a good balance between professional reserve and personal openness. She comes across as sincere, candid and open-minded.
She effectively uses her own life experience to demonstrate that we are not born with inbred prejudice. Rather we learn our biases from the culture in which we are raised and from well-intended people in our families and communities. She emphasizes that as adults, we have the capacity to move from indifference, to compassion, to support for human rights. This book will appeal to a wide audience that includes organization consultants and managers who are concerned about diversity and inclusion, as well as to educators and parents who are preparing children for a world in which we value and respect each other regardless of our differences.
She effectively uses her own life experience to demonstrate that we are not born with inbred prejudice. Rather we learn our biases from the culture in which we are raised and from well-intended people in our families and communities. She emphasizes that as adults, we have the capacity to move from indifference, to compassion, to support for human rights. This book will appeal to a wide audience that includes organization consultants and managers who are concerned about diversity and inclusion, as well as to educators and parents who are preparing children for a world in which we value and respect each other regardless of our differences.
Conscious choice The question is whether people make a conscious choice to be homosexuals. After all, why would someone willingly choose a path that is fraught with hate? That view ought to be weighed against how you exist in this setting for which the rest of the world defines you. "It is already a confusing time for many persons searching to define their sexuality," Anderson-Fletcher said, adding that she hopes readers will understand her journey as a heterosexual woman, see themselves in her, see that she was also at one point indifferent to gays, but has learnt to understand them. One would conclude that her views are unorthodox for a Jamaican.
After all, the typical Jamaican has been reared in a culture that abhors lesbians and gays. But having lived in the United States of America with real experiences of race and gender discrimination, it was just a matter of time before her life of struggle with differences would lead her to be concerned about others. Since its April publication, the book has been well received. Many experts on the subject and persons touched by it have told her how helpful it has been. The turning point began with her then 14-year-old son who heard his father tell a homophobic joke and laugh about it. He challenged his father that he bet he would not have the same reaction were the subject of the joke present. "That incident made us stop, we never did it again," Anderson-Fletcher said. Her ongoing work in the areas of racism and sexism also influenced the change in her view of homosexuals.
"They are a subordinated group who are treated badly in society. I also did some personal workshops with my peers to re-educate myself and that was also key to my development in the subject matter," she said. Her intention for the book which chronicles real-life case stories about the sadness, trauma and enormous suffering and pain endured by some homosexuals, is that readers will realise that gays are among our sons, daughters, brothers, friends, teachers and even ministers. "It is not a book about sex, it's about one aspect of the life of gay or heterosexual lifestyle - sexuality.
More from the Gleaner HERE
also now see the uploaded interview on TVJ's Profile with Ian Boyne aired the 20th November 2011
Go HERE
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