Synopsis: Genders and Prejudice – Book 6

Introduction: Level Set

As with each book in the series, the introduction should contain clear definitions that differentiate bias and prejudice as well as the Tree of Prejudice illustration. The remaining parts will contain the highlights of each chapter and how, together, these chapters can help the reader recognize their own levels of prejudice, potentially see the harm it is causing them and others, and provide paths for reconciliation for them and future generations.

The history of gender has been laced with the perception that sexuality is only accepted as an attraction between a man and a woman. In addition, any other sexual activities have been outlawed by cultures, deemed sinful by religions, or just labeled as plain wrong by other beliefs. Only through millenniums of physical and peaceful resistance have most conditions improved. The causes and ongoing remedies for these injustices are many.  Through deep reflection, we will identify its ugly evolution and discuss how, why, and where prejudice plays a role. This book and its chapters will focus on the damage caused by prejudice in sexuality and demonstrate how and why it can be mitigated and eventually eradicated.

It is not the intention of this book or its authors to condemn or support the LGBTQ community but rather to show how prejudice has and is causing damage to our fellow human beings.  

Chapter 1: Origins, Science, and Beliefs

A thorough history of what we know about gender practices in the past and present should reveal valuable information for moving forward with this critical subject area.

This is, of course, a worldwide issue and needs to be addressed as such.   

Chapter 2: Religion and Gender Beliefs

Discuss past and current positions that religions and cultures have taken on gender identity and why. Discuss any inconsistencies or contradictions within the religious teachings that may cause confusion. 

Chapter 3: Levels of Tolerance and Intolerance

Discuss past and current positions that religions and cultures have taken on gender identity and why. Provide multiple stories and examples that show domestic and global tolerance and intolerance. Illustrations showing past, present, and future trends will be helpful.

Chapter 4: Implicit and Explicit Costs

There are untold implicit and explicit costs that are associated with this issue. And many of them should be mentioned here. For example, recently there was a Times article where office dress codes are being challenged by those with transexual or fluid personas.

Chapter 5: What Is My Level of Intolerance?

   This chapter will include a quiz for the reader, and its purpose is twofold:

• Provide the reader with an assessment of their degree of prejudice so that, if they chose to address their issues, we will provide some mitigation tools in a later chapter.
• Potentially use the reader’s input as part of our future efforts to gather, integrate, and assimilate similar metrics for the purpose of designing and creating complementary or stop gap curriculums for our educational systems. So, optionally, we may encourage the reader to go to our website at prejudiceunfolded.org to take the quiz. In doing so, the reader’s information remains anonymous while we are able to capture the information for survey and educational purposes.

Chapter 6: Compassion and Mitigation

I think talking about some of the most significant teachings of religions and ethics as a basis for some of the mitigation strategies that are available to all is worthwhile. In addition, there are other tools available that can help individuals who have been brought up with this fear and hate to take a look at some alternatives that will give them peace. 

Chapter 7: Open Discussion

The intentions of this chapter are to provide a forum for conducting constructive conversations about gender. Also, include how to recognize conversations headed for destruction and demonstrate what can be done to turn them into something positive as well as have all parties leave the discussion with a better understanding, respect, and tolerance for each other’s thoughts and opinions, especially when different. Final thoughts about these discussions could include a focus on identifying what practices may be viewed as harmful to future generations, showing why and how some of these practices have proven themselves to be harmful both within and outside of their environments.

Chapter 8: Survey and Quizzes

We may want to encourage the reader to reference our website’s survey and/or provide us with some feedback so we can use it going forward to help educate and provide tools for to our youth.