The Benfits Of Children Unstanding Different Sexualities

UU

Hello all!

I am an 18 year old male and I have a 6 year old sister. One day my sister came home and asked my mother what "gay" was as her friend had heard it from her teenage sister. My mam being liberal as she is told my sis casually that some people aren't like mam and dad (i.e. male and female) but two people of the same sex can also love each other. My sister who is extremelly bright understood very well. The next week she came to me and asked me can gay people marry each other so I told her that only in Canada, Holland, Spain and Belgium they can but unfortunately not here and she understood again.

I seems to me that kids are becoming more familiar with terms like "gay", "queer", etc. but don't understand fully what they mean. I think that kids should understand what homosexuality is and that there is nothing wrong with it. I hope that more parents and schools might educate kids about this as it would reduce homophobia in future society, thus encouraging acceptance.

In the church I attend, the Dublin Unitarian Church, we are pro-homosexual and in the Sunday school, the children are often made aware of different sexualities and I really notice they difference in them as they seem much more accepting of different people. I believe that combating not just homophobia but racism, sexism, ageism, sectarianism and other discriminations has to come from the roots, that is by educating children but that parents need to play a role in how their kid will view certain things.

Thank you.

carbonkid

Ideally thats the best way to stop homophobia, to make kids awear or it before they hear about it out in the schoolyard. Problem is alot of parents wont agree with it in fear that itll turn their kids!

Hmm_Messiah

I don't think parent fear it will "turn" their kids; more so being aware that sexuality/puberty can be difficult anyways that increasing the possibilities might confuse their child.

I think what UU spoke of is happening anyways: I think "homophobia" becomes more and more restricted to people who have "multiple prejudice". As society becomes more secular, and more diverse I think homosexuality is becoming more "normal". My memories of real rejection of gayness is that the rejection was based on it being either unnatural or sinful. These ideas have lessened.

I remember my young nieces (2-6 I guess) never asking what my partner was to me, they seemed to just understand it as the same as my brothers and thier partners etc. It only became more clear when we split and for some time they asked after him.

carbonkid

Thats ture. I noticed alot of ppl about that 16/17 age area are actually out in school but when i was about that age that was somrthing that would never have happened.

All the same i do think a fear in alot of parents is if theyre child turned out to be gay, usually only because it makes things that little bit harder for him growing up. Of course the truth is you cant change someones sexuality in the long run no matter what you show them in school. I guess we are that little bit further ahead than i thought we were :rolleyes:

Zillah

Your sister is cool. She gives me hope.

UU

Zillah wrote:

Your sister is cool. She gives me hope.

Gees, thanks Zillah. She's one who can one who is "nice when she's very, very nice but bad when she's horrid!" Most of the time she's cool. My parents felt she needed to understand the people are different and my uncle is homosexual and she will wonder in the future why he isn't married to a female. I think many parents don't tell their kids because they may not understand homosexuality fully themselves or may find telling their kids to be quite intimidating and embarassing. It's a shame schools won't teach them but there are a few reasons behind that;
1) Many primary schools are still under influence by the Catholic Church which shuns homosexuality.
2) Many parents will kick uproar over it and agree that kids are to young to learn about it even though they're taught about heterosexual marriages and relationships. A classic example is in America where children were taught about different types of relationships by representation of Spongebob Squarepants.
3) Our government deliberately tries to avoid the subject of homosexuality. Hence, the topic of gay marriages in Ireland.

Well, Zillah and everyone we all need hope from other people in a world that can seem very hopeless at times but "when you walk through a storm keep your chin up high and don't be afraid of the dark".
Keep the posts coming and thanks to everyone who has already posted!

Rozie

carbonkid wrote:

Ideally thats the best way to stop homophobia, to make kids awear or it before they hear about it out in the schoolyard. Problem is alot of parents wont agree with it in fear that itll turn their kids!

I'm 100% behind this and I always have been. Best way to wipe it out within a generation. Contrary to popular belief, while you can't get rid of hatred, you can stop ignorance by cutting it off at the root.

I really think that more cartoons and kids shows should be targetted at this. I know, I know "Only parents should raise their kids" and that rubbish, but the fact of the matter is, that's just allowing them to make mistakes that we can nullify the effect of.

Why ARE there no gay characters in kids' shows, anyway? Family groups? Gods I hate them.

damien

Rozie wrote:

Gods I hate them.

How can you stop ignorance or homophobia if you hate so easily?

Hmm_Messiah

Contrary to popular belief, while you can't get rid of hatred, you can stop ignorance by cutting it off at the root

.

Popular Belief? again in this alternate reality of yours? You do understand popular belief means the commonly held view ?
You can't get rid of hatred? of course you can
and you stop ignorance by informing people, and providing a space where they can feel unthreatened as they form or change their opinion. its a bit more involved than "cutting it off at the root"

I know "Only parents should raise their kids" and that rubbish, but the fact of the matter is, that's just allowing them to make mistakes that we can nullify the effect of.

You seem determined that any one holding a different opinion is wrong and there is some imperative for you to correct them.

"cutting it off" "rubbish" "hate" do you never notice how aggressive and/or exagerrated your vocabulary is ? You'll eventually learn it doesn't help win any arguments.

btw I'd have no interest in a society where people are not "allowed to make mistakes"