Alex Boswell12/5/2012Category: Appreciation of Human Diversity

LGBTQ Visibility in the English Classroom

Below is a summary of a novel, Annie On My Mind, that I read for Foundations Seminar in my firstsemester at SUNY New Paltz as an undergraduate. The summary was part of a group presentation in whicheach group member read a different book. Then, we collectively decided on a common theme among thestories, with the goal of being able to teach the materials together. Each group gave a presentation on howthey could collectively teach their texts and handed out the summaries of the texts that each group memberread. Annie on My Mind was the only book that was presented in my Foundations Seminar class thatincluded a lesbian character. I am using this piece as a way of reflecting my commitment to embrace diversity. Iexpect to create, to the best of my ability, a classroom culture that is safe and inclusive for all kinds of learnerswho may have various identities and experiences.

Annie On My Mind struck me as an important novel because it has a young lesbian protagonist, asopposed to many young adult novels in which LGBTQ characters fill secondary roles or are missing entirely.The novel is also written from the perspective of the lesbian protagonist. I think it's important for students to beexposed to various voices. In this way, they can both discover relatable voices, and extract understanding fordiverse experiences and cultural backgrounds.

When I presented this book to my classmates, I received both positive and negative responses. Someof my classmates believed that books with LGBTQ characters should not be included in the Secondary Englishclassroom. One of my classmates explained to me that she thought being LGBTQ was a private matter thatshould only be talked about within families, and not in a school setting. Even though Annie On My Mind doesnot include any erotic scenes or push any particular kind of politics, simply acknowledging lesbian identityseemed to be problematic for some.

In addition, the book posed some difficulties when working with my group members. They were alsoassigned books that had to do with relationships, but the relationships were all heterosexual. My groupmembers were quick to start talking about stereotypical gender roles for men and women in relationships;however, due to Annie On My Mind being a part of the group project, we found ways to work through thelanguage we used, and to focus on how a common theme between our texts was how relationship dynamicstake place in all kinds of ways. This inevitably led to more complex and interesting discussion that steppedoutside of the realm of stereotypical heteronormative gender roles and stayed relevant to all kinds of people.

The responses from some of my classmates and the process of working with my group memberscontributed to my understanding of the need for inclusiveness, such as LGBTQ visibility and understandingwithin schools and communities, not for a political agenda, but for the acknowledgment of diverse humanbeings. It also helped me to recognize the importance of patience and understanding when working withpeople who might not be as informed or might just have a completely different point of view on issuespertaining to diversity in the classroom. Appreciation for human diversity has the potential to help students tofeel like they are visible and worthwhile. This can also help students to be advocates for one another and forpeople within their communities.

As an educator, I would like to include rich literary texts that can aid in developing strong readers,critical thinkers, and writers. I believe that many texts, when available and appropriate for the learningobjectives, can also aid in providing students with relatable voices, as well as an understanding that helps todevelop visibility for diversity, in order to be more informed learners and confident contributors to society.

Annie On My Mind by Nancy GardenPublication Date: 1982, 2007

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Annie and Liza are two bright, imaginative, and creative young women. They are seniors in highschool; however, Liza goes to a private Christian school, while Annie attends an inner­city school. They meetin a museum and from there they commence a wonderful friendship that celebrates their individuality. Both ofthe girls are incredibly studious, but each has something that they are passionate about and excel in. Liza ispassionate about architecture, while Annie is a talented singer. Liza and Annie’s friendship serves as anexample of what a healthy relationship can look like because they find joy in being exactly who they are, yetgrow together. With time, their friendship naturally falls into a deeper kind of love. When Liza is asked tohouse­sit for two of her teachers that share an apartment, she realizes that her teachers are not just housematesbut a lesbian couple. This gives Liza and Annie the opportunity to be in a safe space where they can becomfortable and unapologetic of their feelings for each other, until another teacher checks up on Liza at thehouse and realizes that Liza and Annie are in a romantic relationship.

The private Christian school that Liza attends feels compromised by having a lesbian student who alsohappens to be president of the senior class. The school worries that in their financial crisis, having a lesbianstudent wouldn’t look good in their campaign for funding. Liza's academic endeavors and achievements are puton the line when she is unjustly suspended from school. She also deals with the challenge of being honest withher family and coming out to them as a lesbian, as well as coming out to her peers. Many of Liza’s friendsreact to her coming out negatively. They ignore her or tell her that there are therapists who can cure her. Lizaresponds to one of her peers by saying, "It's not a problem. It's not negative. Don't you know that it's loveyou're talking about? You're talking about how I feel about another human being and how she feels about me,not about some kind of disease you have to save us from." The two lesbian teachers also have their jobs put injeopardy because the school discovers their relationship and blames the teachers for indirectly encouragingLiza and Annie's relationship.

A significant aspect of Annie On My Mind is that, unlike so many other stories about LGBTQcouples, the relationship between Annie and Liza does not seem taboo or deviant, and it is written from Liza'spoint of view. This is a coming of age story that displays two people finding themselves, developing a healthyand loving relationship, and finding out how to create community for themselves, despite the prejudices ofothers. The reader is placed inside of the relationship and then perceives the outside world's misunderstandingof who Liza and Annie are. Despite the pressure that society puts on Annie and Liza, they develop into twostrong individuals who demonstrate the importance of taking ownership of one's relationships in a healthymanner that respects individuality, self­worth, and being truthful to one’s self as well as others.

Annie On My Mind is a great read for ages twelve and up. In a classroom setting, this novel would beeffective with other books that have to do with relationships. The book can be read with novels such asBreathing Under Water or Dreamland because they deal with different aspects of relationships. One basictheme can be extracted from all of these books: the importance of feeling confident in creating healthyrelationships that include a respect for individuality and personal value. Even if someone didn’t identify asLGBTQ, they could still have a personal interest in this book because it is a story that anyone could relate to inthe reality of their own identity, community, or relationships. In reading Annie On My Mind, teachers canintroduce literary elements such as character development and point of view. However, ultimately, students willbe given the opportunity to think critically about issues such as relationships, identity, cultural concerns, healthycommunities, personal values, and how literature can affect various audiences.