A professor at the State University of New York Geneseo was photographed by his students giving a presentation that included an extremely transphobic “Female or Shemale: Can You Tell?” quiz. Clearly an idiot, this professor also seemed to forget that the internet exists and his students took to twitter showcasing the ignorance that he was passing off as education.
RT if you think the sociology department @SUNYGeneseo; needs to rethink its approach to teaching about trans issues pic.twitter.com/FwX0emHop0
— Jasmine Cui (@notamathlete) October 20, 2017
Jillian Sternberg, a student who took the picture spoke to Buzzfeed news about the incident saying that she and many of the students were taking about by the presentation, but also the way the professor, David Sorbello, handled the “quiz”
The topic of the class session, held on Wednesday, was gender, sexuality, and sexual identity, Stemberg said, but students were taken aback not just by the impromptu quiz but also by the explanation of the activity given by the professor, David Sorbello.
“He just said, ‘We want you to write whether it’s female or she-male,'” Sternberg said. “He never said what the point of the quiz was during the class, but when I addressed him afterward he said it was partly for humor and partly to discuss sexual dimorphism.”
After the class Sternberg approached Sorbello with their concerns about the content and tried to understand the goal on the activity and “Sorbello apologized that they didn’t find it funny”, and claimed “the only way he could approach the subject was through humor.”
What exactly is funny about dehumanizing transwomen and using their bodies as crass humor masquerading as lesson plans?
the professor was quoted as saying: “so this is a lesson to you all not to get too drunk or you might take the wrong one home”
— Jasmine Cui (@notamathlete) October 20, 2017
allow for its perpetuation. say it with me, PEOPLE ARE NOT PROPS. (2)
— Jasmine Cui (@notamathlete) October 20, 2017
In response to the pushback from students and the internet backlash Sorbello decided that the best way course of action was to now ban cellphones and other electronics in class.
update: after students confronted Sorbello, he sent out an email banning the use of electronics in class. HE KNOWS HE’S IN THE WRONG. (3) pic.twitter.com/61FWJxUErr
— Jasmine Cui (@notamathlete) October 20, 2017
As of right now, the University has released a statement saying that they are looking into what happened to see if any action needs to be taken. I certainly hope the teacher is fired, but since that is unlikely I hope that he will at least be suspended and have to apologize to his students and take some sensitivity training. As a Sociology professor, he should be at the front lines in make sure he has the correct language and is passing it along to his students. Actions like this only reinforce transphobia and that has no place in the classroom.
(via Some News, image: Twitter/Screengrab)
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