We are separated in our neighborhoods, faith groups, and schools. We are divided by income, race, ethnicity, and nationality. Gays and lesbians are often invisible to their neighbors. Without personal contact, there is an information gap about “the Other.” This gap is filled by what we learn in school and at home. But the most common source of information, misinformation, and stereotypes are the popular media that create messages and stories that add up to invisible norms and “truths” about human difference. Teaching to mine these invisible messages can provide the tools for independent thinking and dismantle the seeds of bias.
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