It's definitely been psychologically proven that being gay isn't "learned" behaviour- our kids can't "become gay" by having an adult talk about the existence of gays.
What can happen, on the other hand, is that your children who already have gay feelings, or have friends with those feelings, can discover that there is a society here that is accepting of their differences and that they don't need to be ashamed of having the sexuality that they do- once they are old enough to actually be sexual, that is. There is so much anti-gay propoganda being thrown around that children are exposed to, from the media, their churches, schools, other parents, etc that we shrug off as "part of life". How many 2nd graders do you know that don't know the word "faggot" and that it's a bad word? Do they know why it's a bad word? Do they know who it hurts? Certainly you're teaching them why "n*gger" is a bad word, right?
When the side of kindness of heart and acceptance of diversity side has their say, everyone gets up in arms! It's OK for everyone to spew messages of hate at our kids but it's not OK to teach them that it's OK be be gay- or that it's OK to care for their friends that are?
It's critical that we teach our kids acceptance and kindness at a young age- if we don't then they'll accept hatred as a way of life and it will be ingrained in them their entire life. I've seen it happen too many times with kids who are naturally kind-hearted. I won't let it happen with my family or any that I have any influence over.
"Silence == Death." Think about that. Will it be your sweet kid who turns out to be involved in a gay-bashing death in 15 years, because you refused to enforce the fact that everyone deserves a happy, healthy life? Certainly not mine, because I won't Censor them from knowing about all of the different wonderful types of people in the world.
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What can happen, on the other hand, is that your children who already have gay feelings, or have friends with those feelings, can discover that there is a society here that is accepting of their differences and that they don't need to be ashamed of having the sexuality that they do- once they are old enough to actually be sexual, that is. There is so much anti-gay propoganda being thrown around that children are exposed to, from the media, their churches, schools, other parents, etc that we shrug off as "part of life". How many 2nd graders do you know that don't know the word "faggot" and that it's a bad word? Do they know why it's a bad word? Do they know who it hurts? Certainly you're teaching them why "n*gger" is a bad word, right?
When the side of kindness of heart and acceptance of diversity side has their say, everyone gets up in arms! It's OK for everyone to spew messages of hate at our kids but it's not OK to teach them that it's OK be be gay- or that it's OK to care for their friends that are?
It's critical that we teach our kids acceptance and kindness at a young age- if we don't then they'll accept hatred as a way of life and it will be ingrained in them their entire life. I've seen it happen too many times with kids who are naturally kind-hearted. I won't let it happen with my family or any that I have any influence over.
"Silence == Death." Think about that. Will it be your sweet kid who turns out to be involved in a gay-bashing death in 15 years, because you refused to enforce the fact that everyone deserves a happy, healthy life? Certainly not mine, because I won't Censor them from knowing about all of the different wonderful types of people in the world.
Peace.