Activity Guide
Introduction
The following is a series of open activities that can be used to help you with the implementation of this pedagogical tool.
Carefully read over the activities offered here to select those which are most appropriate for your group or section. We also suggest that you consult Els Quaderns de l’Inclou, a very easy-to-use and helpful tool, on the following web page: http://www.inclou.org
We hope you find this useful.
Organization for Social Equality of Acció Escolta de Catalunya.
Summary of Activities
TOPIC PAGE.
o What is homophobia? Factors which may cause it...... 2-3
o Sexual Orientation ¹ gender ...... 4-7
o Love and Esteem ¹ Sex ...... 8
o Positive and negative references ...... 9-10
o Equality before the law...... 11
o The non-violent alternative ...... 12
o Poll regarding the use of insults in the Scout Group,
leisure centres, and schools 13-14
o Questionaire about attitudes towards homosexuality ...... 15-16
o Annex I: Table: Who is what? Character profiles...... 17-18
o Annex II: Where am I going? ...... 19
o Annex III: Positive and negative references...... 20-21
Activity 1: What is homophobia? Factors that cause it.
Introduction
This activity will help you to identify and observe stereotypes of masculinity and femininity that exist in our society. It will help you understand the social prejudices that result when we apply these clichés to people.
Target Group
Boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16.
Objectives
To discover the importance that our society lends to stereotypes of masculinity and femininity.
The learn about the stereotypes that each of us has regarding masculinity and femininity and to learn to be critical of socially imposed prejudices.
Explanation
We begin the activity with a brief description of stereotypes, what they are, and the importance they have in our society.
Later, individually or in pairs, we will consider the following question, which you will have five minutes to answer:
In our social environment, which characteristics do we consider “feminine” and which do we consider “masculine”??
Women have to be: / Men have to be:After, all of the responses will be compiled and organized visually (using columns, circles, etc) and the participants will go on to develop and explore the information obtained. If necessary, we can draw unmentioned words from the following list:
“Passive, Active, Vulnerable, Sexually Active, Emotive, Aggressive, Sociable, Intelligent, Manipulative, Decisive, Patient, Hedonistic, Tolerant, Competitive, Provocative, Dominant, Picky, Intolerant, Self-Sacrificing, Messy, Moral, Careless, Frivolous, Independent, Snobby, Insensitive”
Finally, we will analyse through which means we can see the influence of these stereotypes in our surroundings (advertising, movies, comics, commentaries between friends and adults, etc.)
Evaluation
Participants will then review what has been discussed and take time to reflect upon how this affects each and every one of us.
Activity 2: What is homophobia? Factors which may cause it.
Source
Els quaderns de l’Inclou 0. Materials per al treball de la diversitat afectiva i sexual. http://www.inclou.org
Introduction
Here we present an open activity that will help us understand the pain that we may sometimes cause with words.
Target Group
Boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16
Objectives
To develop an awareness of the number of hurtful and discriminatory words typically used when talking about people regarding their sexual orientation, and the pain that this language can cause.
Explanation
Brainstorming ideas in order to identify which ideas and concepts the group has regarding this topic.
Write on a piece of paper or on the board the words and concepts that the group associates with homosexuality. Then, talk about whether or not these words and concepts would offend or upset the person they were directed at.
Next, we cross out or erase one-by-one the words that are considered offensive and leave those that are not.
Finally, the general question is raised: Can we decide upon one word to define everybody without regard for their sexual orientation?
Of the results obtained, there is one word that is the most fundamental and important: people.
Evaluation
The exercise is to be evaluated by the group.
The members of the group must ask themselves: Has this activity lead me to make a constructive criticism of my own behaviour?
Activity Guide
Activity 3: Sexual Orientation ≠ gender
Source
Els quaderns de l’Inclou: Tutoria. http://www.inclou.org
Introduction
This activity is very interesting because it can provide us with a great deal of information regarding the social and cultural prejudices that exist within our group.
It involves the exploration of sexual diversity through the use of games in which we analyse people very close to us. It is designed to demonstrate the symbolic chain of convencional prejudice concerning gender and sexuality:
- Woman – feminine – woman – heterosexual
- Man – masculine – man - heterosexual
Target Group
Boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16.
Objectives
To identify and differentiate between terms which refer to sex, to gender, to sexual orientation, and to gender identity,
To have a broad overview of sexual conducts which transcend anatomy and physiology in order to include personal relationships, happiness, pleasure…
To learn how to express, argue, develop and defend opinions regarding emotional and sexual diversity with a tolerant attitude towards others and their points of view.
Understand that emotional and sexual diversity result from sexual orientation and gender identity and that this must be respected.
Promote self-esteem in all of the youngsters with respect to their sexual orientation and their gender identity.
Explanation
In groups of four, hand out a copy of the table in Annex 1 and a set of six of the personality profile cards, photocopied and cut from Annex 1. Each group will have a different combination of characters.
1.Analysis of each of the personalities according to the parameters of the table: “What possibilities are there for each square?” Then fill in the table: “Real Diversity”.
Recommended time: 40 minutes.
2. Working through the activity together and sharing ideas.
Recommended time: 20 minutes.
Complementary Information
Before beginning this activity, it would be worthwhile to ensure that each of the participants understands the concepts and topics related to sex, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity,
With respect to the personalities in the game, in some cases it must be said that it is not possible using only the information from the card to determine an answer to fill in the table. One can opt to specify all of the possible options, or specify none.
The table is to be filled in the following way:
Individual / Sex / Gender role / Gender Identity / Sexual OrientationAntoni / Man / (masculine) / Man / heterosexual
Berta / Woman / (feminine) / Woman / homosexual
Carla / Man / (feminine) / transexual / heterosexual
Daniel / Man / (masculine) / Man / bisexual
Eva / Woman / (feminine) / Woman / heterosexual
Ferran / Man / (masculine) / Man / uncertain
Rosa / Woman / Transgender / Woman / heterosexual
Teresa / Woman / Transgender / Woman / uncertain
Oscar / Man / Transgender / Man / homosexual
Pere / Man / Transgender / Man / bisexual
Quim / Man / Transgeneer / Man / uncertain
Mariona / intersexual / (feminine) / Woman / heterosexual
() In parenthesis we insert the option that can be deduced without applying stereotypes, using the images on the cards or the “masculine” or “feminine” activities that this person takes part in.
In the cases of (masculine) and (feminine), we do not have any information about the gender roles but we can deduce these from the photographs and the description of what is habitual to each character.
In the case of (transgender), the classification depends on the attribution of one gender or another based on what is described in the activities and characteristics section: for example, wearing hair short and playing rugby, doing domestic chores, going to shop for groceries in the supermarket.
Evaluation:
The exercise is to be evaluated by the group.
The members of the group must ask themselves: Has this activity lead me to make a constructive criticism of my own behaviour?
Activity 4: Sexual Orientation ≠ gender
Introduction
Here we present you with a relaxed exercise, an interpretation task, in order to address the topic of sexual orientation.
Target Group
Boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16.
Objectives
To be able to understand that anybody can have any type of sexual orientation regardless of their gender.
To promote empathy and the acceptance of others.
Explanation
You will need the cards from Annex II: Where am I going?
We suggest that this activity be done in groups of 7 to 10 people.
After a brief explanation about the different types of sexual orientation, hand out the cards from Annex II to all of the members of each group, except for one.
Those who have a card in their hand must memorize the text written on it.
The person who does not have a card must place the cards in the row it belongs in according to the information given to them by the others.
Once all of the cards are in a row, the group will revise them to see that they are correct. In this case, each person in the row will be asked, according to the instructions given on the card: who they are in love with, and what their sexual orientation, sex, and gender identity are.
Evaluation
We sit down together in a circle and talk about how the activity. How did the participants feel when their sexual orientation was revealed?
It is highlighted that one’s sexual orientation is not chosen by the individual, but instead people simply are what they are.
Taking turns in the circle, each participant can comment on their opinion of the activity.
Complementary Information
If we do the activity in groups of 7 we can eliminate characters 8, 9 and 0. The solution is the following:
(the numbers correspond to the number of the character in Annex II)
4 – 6 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 5 – 7 – 8 – 10 – 9
Indications regarding the characters:
Person nº4 is a man in the process of deciding his sexuality
Person nº6 is a heterosexual woman
Person nº3 is a homosexual woman
Person nº1 is a heterosexual man
Person nº2 is a heterosexual woman
Person nº5 is a heterosexual woman– we consider her heterosexual because she is in love with an intersexual heterosexual.
Person nº7 is an intersexual heterosexual
Person nº8 is a homosexual man
Person nº10 is a bisexual man
Person nº9 is a homosexual man
Characters 5 and 7 give participants a chance to analyse the complexity of intersexuals and transsexuals, and because this does not affect the sexual orientation, a transsexual can be heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual.
Activity 5: Love and Esteem ≠ sex
Introduction
This activity can be very effective in achieving a dialogue among participants.
Target Group
Boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16.
Objectives
To learn how to distinguish between the concepts of Love and Sex
To promote critical thinking
To create a dialogue about interpersonal relationships
Explanation
After a brief introduction explaining that this activity with concentrate on the concept of What is Love? we ask that the participants make a drawing, a video, take photographs, write a composition, etc. with their ideas – we will leave the format up to them. (they are given 30 minutes to complete the task)
When they are finished with this, the groups reunite and share the work they have done, giving their reasons and explanations in each case.
We must highlight the presence or absence of references to sex in each case.
Later, to finish up, we will ask them to think about whether or not the ideas discussed regarding love can be applied equally to homosexual, transsexual, and heterosexual couples.
Evaluation
The exercise is to be evaluated by the group.
It will be necessary to summarize the ideas that have come out in the discussion and help the participants understand that love and sex are not the same thing, although within a couple, the two ideas are closely interrelated.
Activity 6: Positive and Negative References
Source
Els quaderns de l’Inclou. Tutoria. http://www.inclou.org
Introduction
In small groups we will work on a dialogue between a boy and his friend as he is telling him he is gay, and a girl with her friend as she is telling her she is a lesbian.
Target Group
Boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16.
Objectives
To put down on paper what one expresses when “coming out of the closet” and the other when receiving this information.
Learn how to express, argue, develop and defend opinions regarding certain aspects of emotional and sexual diversity.
To learn to have tolerant attitudes towards others and their points of view.
To reflect upon individual attitudes, social behaviour, and peer pressure.
To understand and analyse internalised forms of homophobia.
To promote self esteem in all boys and girls with regards to their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Explanation
This activity requires groups of 4 people. A few days earlier, hand out a copy of Annex III, which the participants must read before beginning the activity.
To begin with, each group must read over the material and divide the sentences among them. (10 minutes)
Elaboration of the dialogues (20 minutes)
Collective analysis of the dialogues (30 minutes)
Evaluation
This activity will be evaluated using the ideas that came out in discussions and the collective analysis.
Complementary Information
Before beginning it is necessary to explain that this activity deals with the perception that we have of homosexuals.
It also deals with the ways we are affected by the news that somebody very close to us is a homosexual.
In order to prepare ourselves for this activity, we should recall the lesson from the chapter entitled: Tinc ganes d’explicar-ho als quatre vents! From the book: Gent com tu? Adolescència i diversitat sexual (Incluye: Gais i lesbianes en l’educació, Barcelona: Viena, 2004)