David Sorbello, a sociology professor at a fellow SUNY school, may lose his job over a quiz he gave the class titled, “Female or Shemale: Can You Tell?” While his quiz was distasteful at the very least, Sorbello should not be forced to leave.
The quiz was included in a lesson on gender, sexual identity and sexual dimorphism, inherently touchy subjects to start. Sorbello should have known he was going to ruffle a few feathers, but he probably was not expecting to be given column space in The Washington Post.
It is important to remember that Sorbello did not come up with this idea. The quiz was based on a segment from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” of the same name. The segment was subsequently pulled from the show after receiving criticism for the use of the word “shemale.” It seems this was his attempt to tie relevant pop culture into a lesson. Professors are notoriously bad at this.
SUNY Geneseo made clear in their campus-wide email that they have a “steadfast and uncompromising commitment to diversity and inclusivity.” Oswego State and other schools around the country, to their credit, have made similar commitments, but schools are not merely paying lip service to diversity. Fortunately, campuses are becoming increasingly diverse in all areas, including sexual and gender identity. With these changes, however, comes the complication of educating students who are not familiar with the challenges or complexities of identity.
When dealing with such personal topics in a classroom, it becomes difficult to have open discussions because students are rightly cautious of inadvertently offending their peers. Sorbello appears to have been trying to alleviate some of that tension by injecting some humor into the lesson. He may not have gotten the laughs he was after, but there is no question he opened a discussion on the issue of sexual identity.
Imagine how many students at SUNY Geneseo and campuses across the country have been discussing this story at the dining halls since the story went national. This quiz was clearly offensive to some. That alone should not be grounds for dismissal. A stern “talking to” would be a sufficient punishment for this first offense.
No teacher should be fired for making students uncomfortable in the classroom, even if it offends some of them. This is how students learn. The fact that his quiz prompted a response proves that it served a purpose.
Though SUNY Geneseo students’ goals may not have been agreeable, they deserve applause for exercising their right as students to organize and speak out when they perceive an injustice. Sometimes, the most valuable lessons from college come outside the classroom through action and engagement between faculty and students. Only time will reveal Sorbello’s fate. If he is indeed removed from the school, his sub-par attempt at humor will endure.
Photo: bdesham via flickr
