Sunday, 14 August 2011
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Is It Okay to Teach Children About Gay Marriage?
There's this video that has a 5-year-old boy being told by two gay men that they are husbands and they are married. As the new information washes over him, he first states that it's funny, and then he realizes that he usually sees husbands and wives but that it made sense that the two men were together because they had a lot in common.
I wonder when the appropriate age is for children to learn about the difference of gay and straight couples. I have no problem with it, I'm liberal in the sense that love is love and no ones hurting anyone else by loving each other but I hear many different opinions.
On one side of the coin some people believe it's messes up, children shouldn't be exposed to such ideas because it would sway them to think they could be gay when they actually aren't. Some people think it's great, why shouldn't a child learn about a happy working marriage no matter who's married to who?
What do you think? Is it okay to explain to a child that there are gay marriages and straight marriages?
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- From: CarlyPaige
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Comments (82)
Children are smarter than people give credit for. They're observant. If my child started to ask questions I wouldn't hesitate to them the truth. That, sometimes men like men and sometimes women like women.
When I learned about homosexuality I was about 7 and I never thought that I may like women. I knew I liked boys. When I was young it was kind of, "Oh, that's different!" but it made sense to me and never stuck me as odd or a bad thing.
Yes, it is okay. Children, like everyone else, will run into gay people and cay couples from time to time. We need to teach that there is nothing wrong with homosexuals, but also to explain that you are attracted to whoever you are attracted to whether male or female.
From the earliest age possible they should be taught that it's not wrong. One day they will be in charge and we will make no progress if every generation is brought up thinking it's wrong.
you have to teach them who killed the dinosaurs at some point.
Of course?
God people are ridiculous. Teaching a child that homosexuals exist will not make them gay. It isn't feckin' contagious.
'On one side of the coin some people believe it's messes up, children shouldn't be exposed to such ideas because it would sway them to think they could be gay when they actually aren't.'
What about the kids that already feel there is something different about them, and have no idea what it is?
@Grtt@xanga - "What about the kids that already feel there is something different about them, and have no idea what it is?" THANK YOU.
I think it's good to have diversity in the media. Kids like to relate to things. ADULTS like to relate to things, feel as though they're a part of a group. If a child sees a girl kissing a girl, why would that make her wonder if she likes girls? Sexuality is INNATE. You couldn't get me to fuck around with a girl for a million bucks, because I'm a straight female and I have no desire to. I have lesbian and gay friends. That's just the way it is. They're just like my straight friends. It's all whatever.
Maybe if we, as Americans, would start teaching our kids some fucking diversity and tolerance of all kinds of people, we wouldn't have such ignoramuses growing up. I'm losing faith for the younger generations - this is coming from a 20 year old! Let's teach our kids some compassion and acceptance of others, instead of ostracizing them, remaining ignorant of other ways of life. FUCK.
When learning becomes blasphemy, is the day that i go on a murderous rampage. That's my rebuttal.
Yes you should definately start teaching children about gay marriage at a younger age. you should also teach them tolerance and that it's not wrong. It would cut out alot of the hate and bullying in this world.
"children shouldn't be exposed to such ideas because it would sway them to think they could be gay when they actually aren't."
Bullshit. If that's the case then showing them nothing but straight couples may influecne them to be straight, when they're not.
I would be saddened if my children grow up to be ignorant and narrow-minded.
Of course it is okay.
No, it is not okay to teach your kids about Gay Marriage. I don't ever want my child, should I ever have one, to know that it's okay to marry or date someone of the same sex. That is absolutely wrong and it is a moral sin. It's Adam and Eve. Not Adam and Steve.
No.
as a parent, id say explain if they ask about it and only then. when answering, dont make it sound like a big deal so that they can just accept it simply. should they teach it in (lower level) school? no. only because peoples sexual orientations shouldnt and isnt taught in elementary/ middle schools in general. in history classes in high school however, i could see them discussing gay marriage seeing as its become a historical event in our time. i think it would only "mess" with a kid if you make it sound bad or traumatizing.
@Writer2009@xanga - So then what if your kids decide they don't believe in your religion (even from a young age)? Then they have no reasonable objection to it. I stopped believing in my parents' religion when I was like 10 years old! I bet you'd be the type to disown your kids if they decided they don't believe like you, huh?
Personally, I have no problem with it. Sexual orientation is not a choice, and you love who you love. Aside from the religious objection fundies have to same-sex relationships, there's nothing inherently wrong with it and I'm glad to see it more accepted in modern society.
@Writer2009@xanga - I think you mean "mortal sin." "Moral sin" sounds like a bit of an oxymoron. Please learn your own religion before attempting to shove it down others' throats (including your potential child).
Even though I think your views are archaic and outdated, wouldn't teaching your child that gay marriage is wrong involve teaching them about gay marriage in the first place?
okay, I'm not kidding, I'm supeeeer tired of all the "is gay okay?" posts on datingish. You are not gay, OP. So stop talking about queers and act super accepting but still more or less be all, "Let's hear other opinions!" I'm really over people who are "accepting" who will then turn around and say, "Oh, but tell me why you don't approve of those gays. Let's have a discussion about that."
This is Datingish. Not "When will you talk to your kids about gay people this is obviously a calculated hot topic post to stir up drama over gays rather than have a legitimate discussion" ish. And not "let's discuss the identity legitimacy of some of our readership" ish. Really. I don't give a puppy dog's tail when people tell their kids about gay people getting married, if ever. They'll figure it out anyways and decide for themselves if they accept it.
"Some people think it's great, why shouldn't a child learn about a happy working marriage no matter who's married to who?"
If my kid is five years old, why do they have to be learning about marriage to begin with? I feel like half the problem with marriage in our culture is that the idea of it is so indoctrinated that people who really are not suited for marriage end up getting married anyways and making other people miserable, all because they've been forcefed an idea so many times that they never realized they don't like the taste of it.
It is perfectly fine. Why would there be a problem with it?
If I have kids, I will put that on my to-do list.the kid doesn't really care and was quickly off to play ping pong
his accent was adorable
I knew about gay people but that was due to my other elementary aged, immature homophobic male cousins making fun of other guys that they thought were gay. I didn't really care about that stuff at that age. I just wanted to play. if an adult explained it to me, I'd be amazed for that moment of discovery, but I'd likely quickly forget about it later, because what does their gay marriage have to specifically do with ping pong
because ping pong is on my naive kid mind and the present is what I care about, not future adult stuff
if a gay couple tried to explain themselves to me, I'd think they were annoying and would pretend to listen and say that it is funny, even though it isn't funny, because I couldn't come up with the actual word to describe my feelings...more like weird new info
I'd explain it to them when they have a higher attention span or depending on their maturity level to grasp or care about the subject matter.
@Grtt@xanga - Thanks for the correction. A bit on the tired side myself so my typing is a bit off.
@StatelessPilot@revelife - I would never disown my own flesh and blood. Granted, I would be a bit disappointed. To me, sexuality is not a religion. Hell, I am a baptist and my fiancée is Catholic. If I were to ever bear a child and they chose to be, let's say non-denominational, then that is their choice. But sexuality on the other hand, a parent should have a choice. I would never be the parent that let's their child date of the same sex. Like I said before, it's a mortal sin.
@Writer2009@xanga - So what would happen if your son or daughter came out to you as a gay atheist and by god they were going to date someone of the same sex regardless of what you think, and that they thought the existence of a supernatural being was a fairy tale? Kick them out? Give them away for adoption? What?
It's people like you who drive LGBT youth to suicide, and that's the truth. Thanks a lot, bucko.
@Writer2009@xanga - Too bad you can't really make that choice. Sure you could not allow them to date until they turn 18 (that happens a lot in general for even straight kids) but after that, they can date who they want! And you sure as hell cannot dictate who they *like* no matter what age they are. Unless you're saying you will disown them, well then you're an asshole and terrible parent.
Sure, teach them everything.
They will learn about it one way or another.
I learned about hetero sex when I was 7 from friends showing me penthouse and from rumours at school.
Better an adult teaches them - Education empowers them.