The author argues that it is important and necessary to teach LGBTQ issues in the rural south through both personal support and by incorporating them into the curriculum. She tells the story of one of her students, Joseph, who struggled with being gay in his rural, conservative community. By openly discussing LGBTQ topics in class and creating a supportive environment, the author was able to help Joseph feel accepted and valued, saying it "saved his life." The author's purpose is to convince other teachers that merely expressing personal support is not enough - LGBTQ issues must be actively addressed through the lessons, discussions, and perspectives presented in the classroom curriculum to truly help students and sensitize other learners.

1. Sara Alonso
Intro to Education: School and Society
Rethinking schools. Aren’t there any poor gay people
besides me?
1. Whatis the chief argument/main idea?Is it persuasive?
The chief argument of the article is the importance and necessity of teaching LGBTQ issues in
the rural south, not only with personal support but also through the curriculum.
In my opinion,somethingreallygoodthatthe author doesto supporther argumentisbasingit
in a real story, in her real experience. We don’t reallyget to know what the main point of the
article is until the final part; she starts just telling us a story about Joseph, one of her students
that seems to have a problem (although at first we don’t know what is it about). But little by
little, as the story goes, everything starts making sense. The author let us know her thoughts,
worriesanddoubtsabouthowtoapproachLGBTQissuesthroughthe story,sothatwe canboth
think about them and see how she finally decidesto focus her teaching practice (strategies,
curriculum approach, awareness through literature, use of technological resources…).
For me,that isthe main reasonwhyI thinkherargumentispersuasive.She sustainsherideaof
the need of using the curriculum to approach LGBTQ issues mainly by showing us the
consequencesof doingit. Atthe endof the storywe can see the bigimpact that all of this have
inJoseph:howthe classnotonlyaccepthimas gay (whichisalreadyimpressiveconsideringthe
environmentanditsbeliefsof themajoritypartof thestudents)buthow alsotheywereinvolved
in supporting and helping him.By giving voice to this issue, bringing it to class and having the
courage to approach it through the curriculum the teacher achievedto create a community of
acceptance, sensitized learners and friends where Joseph felt valued, respected and loved. A
community that, as he said, saved his life.
2. What is the author’s purpose in writing this text?
I think the author have one mainpurpose with this text: to make teachersrealize that it is not
enough with professing our personal support but that we also need to approach the problem
from the curriculum. In spite of helping Joseph in a personal and close level, she felt like that
was not enough; neither for her, nor Joseph, nor for the rest of the class.
So I think this is where the point and main purpose of the article are: let us clear that it is not
enoughtotalkfromtime totime aboutthisissue (aswell asothers likepoverty,race orreligion),
butthat we have to,activelyandconsciously,addressitfromthe curriculum;providingdifferent
lectures, times for debates, opportunitiesto see how people deal withtheir sexual preference
in other environments,approach to different perspectives,ideologies,etc. Definitely,to teach
in orderto provide our studentsa much broaderunderstandingof the subjectthatmake them
more sensitive, aware and sensible when coming to a LGBTQ issue. And, of course, that
contribute to transform classes into communities of learners and friends.

2. Sara Alonso
Intro to Education: School and Society
3. Whose interests are served in the author’s chief argument/ main idea?
The article is aimed at teachers, specifically at those working in impoverishedrural areas, and
its target is the LGBTQ students living in these environments.
Rural areas are normally characterized for having families withnot very high income and with
strong valuesandbeliefs(conservativeones),whichcanbe a tough problemif youaren’twhat
people expectyouto be, like Joseph. Ithinkthat the author of thisarticle more than talkingto
those people and trying to change their mind (which I think she’d loved,but wasn’t her main
purpose), is trying to talk to the teachers in charge of kids from these environments to make
them realizedabout their strong power to change lives, thoughts and somehow,build little by
little better communities.
This is somethingthatI thinkwe don’t stop and thinkmany times. Asteachers,we will have a
prettybigresponsibilityonbuildingpeople.How dowe wantourstudentstobe?Stephanie,the
teacher presented in this article, wanted to create thoughtful, concerned, kind and open-
minded people, so she focus their efforts in give her class the tools, opportunities and
environment to achieve that. Not only to help Joseph and the LGTBQ community,but also the
rest of the people.