Welcome to Day 2 of the LGBTQIA2+ Learning & Affirming Challenge.
When you're accustomed to being considered 'normal', difference feels like a perversion.
Jamie Arpin-Ricci, author, pastor, & community activist (link opens in a new tab)
I come from a culture without a gender binary traditionally and with multiple “gender/sexuality” roles, none of which are BTW “trans” or “cis” or any other English words or the non-Indigenous constructions they name.
Dr. Kim Tallbear, professor of Native Studies, University of Alberta (link opens in a new tab)
Now that we have learned a few terms from Day 1 of the Challenge, and reflected on some of our experiences with labeling, let's ask ourselves, why is there a taboo or lack of knowledge in the way we represent, think about, and communicate about LGBTQIA2+ communities?
Let's get started. As you contemplate the question above, read Sex isn’t binary, and we should stop acting like it is (link opens in a new tab), watch the following video, and scroll through some examples of cis-heteronormativity in our everyday lives.
Based on today's materials, share some of the words that come to mind when you think of cis-heteronormativity. All posts are anonymous. This is an opportunity to share and learn from one another's experiences and insights. To create a comment on the board, double click on the board and add an entry, or click on the circle with the plus sign at the bottom right of the box. You can also like and/or respond to other comments.
NOTE: This challenge originally took place April 4-8, 2022. Commenting on the discussion board is now closed, but please reflect on the question posed in the board and scroll through participants' responses.
Additionally, the responses in the discussion board below engage with an earlier version of the Challenge. Based on participant feedback, for which we are ever grateful, we have replaced the original articles that included some outdated language and gender constructs. The new materials can be found in the "Let's get started section" above.
One way in which we can enact our affirmation of gender and sexuality self-determination is to reflect on our use of pronouns. A pronoun is a word that can be used instead of a noun or your name.
Let's look at an example. My name is Lily and I use she/her pronouns, so I may say: Lily is a professor of Communication. She is also a mother, a baker, and immigrant. The following table may be helpful for your reflection.
Next, watch the following video.
Share an example from your life where you experienced and/or expressed cis-heteronormativity. All posts are anonymous. This is an opportunity to share and learn from one another's experiences and insights. To create a comment on the board, double click on the board and add an entry, or click on the circle with the plus sign at the bottom right of the box. You can also like and/or respond to other comments.
NOTE: This challenge originally took place April 4-8, 2022. Commenting on the discussion board is now closed, but please reflect on the prompt posed in the board and scroll through participants' responses.
Additionally, the responses in the discussion board below engage with an earlier version of the Challenge. Based on participant feedback, for which we are ever grateful, we have replaced the original articles that included some outdated language and gender constructs. The new materials can be found in the "Let's get started section" above.
Additional resources:
Take time for a personal reflection:
Nicely done! You have completed Day 2 of the LGBTQIA2+ Learning & Affirming Challenge. Join us tomorrow when we will take today's learning to the next level by discussing intersectionality, and what that means for our understanding of LGBTQIA2+ communities.
