Bergonzi, L. (2014). Sexual orientation and music education: Continuing a tradition.

Music
Educators Journal, 100(4), 65-69. doi:10.1177/0027432114530662
This article is about sexual orientation in the classroom, specifically in with music
educators. This article only touches on heterosexuality and homosexuality in high schools across
America. High school is a place where kids in the LGBT community do not have much of a
place to speak freely because they have heard so many discriminating things said from
classmates, and faculty. This is a time in their lives where they are bewildered and confused, full
of raging hormones, and after hearing all of the discriminating comments, self-hatred and
emotional pain just fester inside. The other thing that does not get touched upon in real life is that
heterosexual students have specific privileges that no one realized because they are part of the
social norm. Some of them are being able to talk to their teacher about emotional issues and they
understand, being able to comfortably express how you feel about someone, and not wondering
whether or not you are being excluded because of your sexual orientation. In addition to
heterosexual students getting specific privileges, heterosexual teachers also have specific
privileges, such as being able to tell their students stories and not have to edit them, put up
pictures of their significant other without the fear of being judged, not converting students to
your straight life-style, and not being asked to speak on behalf of all straight teachers of America.
In addition to that, teachers do not teach students about homosexual biographies of composers.
For most compositions, the composer created something through personal experience, and most
of them just so happen to be heterosexual. However, teachers do not talk about LGBT
composers, or performers, therefore homosexual students do not have someone to relate to.
This article really opened up my eyes. There are a lot of things that I definitely take for
granted and just never realized, such as being able to connect to love songs, and what composers
are writing when they write them. On the other hand, as someone who identifies as bisexual a lot

of these privileges are just applied to me because I am dating a guy. When I become a teacher I
want my teaching space to be supportive, and a safe environment. Students should not have to be
shamed for something that makes them happy, and who they are. Any student, regardless of
being straight, gay, or bisexual deserves to be in a space where they can feel safe and
comfortable.