[Julien]

I've been reading the thread and I wanted to voice my perspective on education. Education is my business in that I teach LGBT Studies and Women's Studies. It has been my experience that people new to Feminism and/or being LGBT want to absorb it so quickly and can come off being offensive at times for the lack of knowledge they have about themselves and the topic. It is also possible for those of us in the know are still learning. I know I am learning every day and that is a good thing because I am not standing still but growing in knowledge and understanding of myself. For those who want to learn, it is their eagerness I respect. I enjoy teaching those who want to learn and find it fulfilling to see them grow in their confidence and knowledge. However, there is another side who I don't teach directly because they never want to learn about us. All I can do is "teach" by being who I am and maybe, possibly they can learn from that. We cannot reach those who don't want to learn and I believe it is up to us to teach the ones that do. Of course it all comes to who wants to do what and how far we want to go in that giving of knowledge. This is a very individual task to take on. For the discussion, I too have gone to the internet and to books to gain as much knowledge as I can, but it is also so very helpful to gain real life experience from my community and that is invaluable. I appreciate the cautious steps as much as those who go in with both feet, as someone wrote, because it illustrates to me their need for knowledge and who am I to deny it when I have the tools and the want to teach. It is what I do.