BBH 251Straight Talks I: Advanced Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Peer Education

3 credits · Biobehavioral Health · Penn State

Exploration of social justice issues, diversity leadership, and group facilitation skills related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and ally issues. BB H 251 Straight Talks I: Advanced Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Peer Education (3) (US) Straight Talks I provides students an opportunity to explore various lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allies (LGBTA) issues from an educational perspective. Students will be exposed to theories, terminology, and various speakers who will approach topics such as LGBTA history and multicultural issues. The course projects are designed to enhance both written and oral skills, and provide students an opportunity to work together. Finally, the course challenges students to think critically about the social, economic, and political cultures around them and how these cultures affect sexual and gender orientation issues.Course Objectives:Philosophical1. To think critically about your spiritual, social, economic, political and cultural existences and their relationship to your understanding of sexual and gender orientation issues.2. To develop a critical consciousness that will bring awareness of the ways custom, ritual and tradition helped shape and continue to shape our daily lives.3. To develop a fuller understanding of the way gender and sexual orientation are conceived of by other people and the ways in which these conceptions link with other elements of identity including ethnicity, class, gender, ability etc.4. To challenge you toconsiderthe following questions: a) What does it mean to provide educational programming? b) What does it mean to be a peer educator? c) How do I influence others by my involvement in this program? d) How do I what to influence others by my involvement in this program? e) How do I change the world so that it is a better place when I leave it? Praxis1. Develop facilitation and presentation skills 2. Obtain knowledge about LGBTA history and current issues and concerns. 3. Conceive of and articulate what it means to 'come out'. 4. Acquire information on sexual orientation, identity development and queer history. 5. Refine your ability to provide programming activities in the form of facilitation, discussion, skits, and exercises. 6. Develop a sense of community and rapport with other panelists through class discussions and projects.