Argumentative essay on social justice issues, I have questions!

I'm writing an argumentative essay about the importance of teaching students about social justice issues, namely homosexuality and gender identity (In regards to the pulling of a course called 'Social Justice 12' from a school district in a religious area around where I live) , and I have a few questions about some things i've written.

It's a well-established fact within my English 1100 class, and all over B.C., that this city, Abbotsford B.C., is more religious than most other cities around where I live (It's nicknamed the 'Bible Belt of British Columbia'), so is it stereotyping to state that Abbotsford is more religious than other cities? Here's the exact line: "Just because a certain area is more religious than another does not mean that the school board has the right to take away elective course material that may be offensive to parts of that community."

Also, is it offensive to say that we are fostering homophobia by not teaching students about these issues?
Once again, here are the exact lines: "Some might argue that it is inappropriate for schools to be teaching our youth about these controversial topics, but one must consider that not all parents will educate their children about homosexuality, except to say that it is wrong and immoral. By not making the information available to everyone through the school system, we are fostering homophobia and discrimination, which will only lead to more homophobia and discrimination."

Thanks :)

Good morning.

It is not stereotyping if you can prove what you say. If you can find data to back up your statement (which, from the sounds of it, shouldn't be too hard) then you can say it is more religious than the surrounding areas. When you add a citation that gives you cold hard data, the statement you have will transform from a mere opinion to a strong, credible, assertion.
This second section walks a fine line. You (I assume) are referring to a public school, not a private one, and as so, the public has a say as to what is taught and what is not in the institution. Many would say that this is an individual decision left up to parents to teach because there are very close religious ties to some opinions, and the school system needs to stay out of issues with strong religious connotations. What you need to be prepared for with a statement such as this (and I don't think there's a way you can avoid it, given your topic) is, how much heat are you prepared to take for this paper? Are you ready to stand up for it in the face of possible media attention, if not the very least attention from the institution? If so, as long as you are respectful (which I think, only in regards to the passages you have provided here, you are) others will take you seriously. If you get too inflammatory in your statements, it will do just and only that: inflame your audiences.
I hope this helps you.

Regards,
Gloria
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