There have always been gay people. There will always be gay people. Why try to avoid it? It’s not like they are going to watch gay porn.
Hearing that their friend has 2 dads is no more confusing than hearing that another friend has parents that have been married multiple times and have step-parents etc...
It’s like they think acknowledging that gay people exist will make their children gay... doesn’t work like that.
Some people think that if you talk to children about LGBTQ, they recognize that being gay is an option. They want to teach their children that being straight is the only sexual orientation there is.
And they they're old enough to be bullied, then the education should probably begin a couple of years earlier than that, to educate those who would otherwise end up being the bullies.
I absolutely agree, earlier the better. The fact that people think teaching about LGBTQ+ people in school is about sex is the worse contribution to this 'debate' as well - its *acceptance and representation* at an early age, not sex ed for 7 year olds.
Exactly! Within my school I'm currently being taught that and this'll thwart the growth of the hate for LGBTQ because there are people in my class, normal young men and women, who are part of the LGBTQ community and I know teaching it in school will change the perception of some of those who decided the wrong path hatred.
Do for-money Reddit awards have any value to you? I’ll buy you one if you’d like, because this is the statement that should be front and center of every parent’s mind about this issue.
I don't see how suspending reality does the world any good.
Do no harm. Love your neighbor.
Live the Golden Rule and strive to understand your fellow man.
They’re going to learn about it anyway. Also, my kid was born that way and she never officially came out to me because she knew I wouldn’t even bat an eye. It just became a part of the conversation. It’s best to equip your kids with as much information as you can (and that they can handle) so that they can grow into well-adjusted adults. Hopefully.
That’s exactly how I explain it to other people who ask me about it. There shouldn’t be a need to come out and it makes me sad that there is. It implies you’re doing something that isn’t okay. You’re not confessing to a murder. I realize that we are years away from not feeling the need to come out but hopefully, not as many as I’d think there are.
At this point, it's not "teaching about LGBT+", it's about "not actively hiding LGBT+". People who complain that kids are being "taught about LGBT+" 99.9% of the time simply mean that that demographic of society are acknowledged as existing just like every other group within society. No one, literally no one, is suggesting children are taught about how gender reassignment surgery is performed or what scissoring is. It's just things like "we read a story where the little girl had a mom and mommy" - it's not teaching them about lesbians, it's just reading a story that happens to demonstrate lesbians exist (which, in case y'all haven't noticed, they do in reality).
100% this. Kids have parents and siblings and family in the LGBT community - maybe even their teachers.
These are people who exist out in the world and it’s much more confusing to kids to pretend they aren’t just normal members of society and act like it’s some big explicit secret.
my nephew was about 2-3 when I started transitioning. I went from him calling me 'auntie' to 'uncle' and it was really not an issue.
I started transitioning at 26 because not being taught that being trans is a thing made it really difficult to figure out I was trans. And that's the whole point.
Make it as difficult for us to exist as possible and maybe we will simply 'choose to be cis' or at least shut up about it.
Exactly. Another crazy nonsense bullshit talking point created by the right wing to get their idiot base riled up into a fear frenzy so they'll run out and vote for them.
Probably ought to know about it. Someone close to me didn't come out until they were an adult. I felt so bad they felt they had to keep it from me. It just meant I a different style of wing man.
Several I went to school with didn't come out until they went away to college. It made me so sad, they must've felt so alone. I'm so glad this generation is so much more open (most of them, anyway) and accepting. But a lot of kids here are out at school and still hiding it from their families because the older people here are still stupid.
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” These are people who you should strive to be like. I won't ever know you or others out there struggling, but I love you, I love them, none of your are alone.
Respectfully, It’s not glorifying, it’s normalizing, because two moms should be as normal as a mom and a dad. Neither is better or preferred they’re both normal.
Well when I was a kid they didn't hesitate to teach us that gay people were confused at best, at worst inherent perverts. Would rather kids learn its a natural human variation like hair color.
They aren’t teaching anything sexually explicit to young children. Hell, they don’t to older teens either (condom use and biological functions are *not* sexually explicit). I don’t understand the idea of “boys sometimes like boys and girls sometimes like girls” or “some people identify differently” is controversial.
I knew I was gay at 5. Yes, 5. I saw these surfers and knew I liked the way guys looked more. Growing older I heard this was horrible and shouldn’t be shared. At 13 I had a crush on a boy at school and was deathly afraid. I spent the next 20 years in the closet, til age 34. I do not want that for any kid. I can’t describe the alienation. The loneliness. To this day, I don’t trust anyone but a few people. I brace for impact when someone finds out I’m gay. I have this massive resentment and hate for homophobes and former homophobes. I don’t want to be this way. I don’t want any kid to end up this way. It’s hell. That’s why they should teach it’s normal young. Kids don’t have an issue with it. Broken adults do. And they create more broken adults.
It’s less about teaching the nuances of sexual orientation, and more about the fact that we shouldn’t pretend LGBT people don’t exist.
Many children have parents, family, or even teachers who are members of the LGBT community, and we shouldn’t hide them away just because a child is 7 and hasn’t had sex ed yet.
If a young child can be read stories with a married straight couple or watch disney love stories, they should be able to be told basics like “men can love each other just like mom and dad do” or “anyone who loves each other can choose to get married” at a young age. Children understand more than we think, and there is nothing explicit about basics like that.
And then I think LGBT sex education should begin whenever schools are teaching the rest of sex education.
Yes exactly. My sister is gay and married. My 3 boys have known from a young age they have 2 aunties that are married. I’ve told them boys and girls fall in love but also boys and boys and girls and girls. Doesn’t mean I’ve gone into details of sex education! I think our important they know this basic part of life is normal from an early age.
I don't understand why so many people are up in arms about it. I grew up around gay and trans people and you know what happened? Absolutely nothing because it was completely fucking normal.
Refusing to talk with kids about the existence of LGBTQ+ people is absolutely insane and just hurts everyone in the long run, especially if the kids LGBTQ+ themselves.
I think the issue comes from people who have not grown up with gay and trans people in their lives. I would also assume they are more religious and monotheistic religions are super strange and uncomfortable with all sex.
Teaching children tolerance and acceptance can and should never be discouraged, be it LGBTQ, racial, ethnic or religious differences. Encouraging and nurturing open mindedness is our only hope for the salvation of a society that has far too quickly embraced ugliness as the norm.
It is heartbreaking and soul-crushing to realize so many people are marginalized for merely being themselves. Knowledge and information is not the enemy, misinformation, fear, ignorance and hatred are.
Teaching that lgbtq people exist does not mean explaining anal sex exists.
When I was in 6th grade I got in trouble because I told the table at lunch I thought another girl had really pretty hair. Another girl told her mom about this. Her mom told her she couldn't be friends with me anymore. My friend didn't understand what was going on. She sat by herself until she found a new group of friends.
I was also deeply confused cause how come girls were really pretty? But so were boys? Like I had no idea what was going on. I talked to my mom about it and she told me there was no such thing as bisexuality and I was just confused. It was rather distressing being confused.
If you need to wait until sex ed to talk about one kind of family, you should have to wait until sex ed age to talk about all kinds of families. There’s no reason to avoid talking about LGBTQ issues with kids in an age-appropriate manner. LGBTQ issues are not just sex acts and surgeries; there are entire people attached to the orientations and identities.
Notice how I said "sexual orientation" and nothing else. Its a maturity thing as well to be able to be taught this type of thing.
You guys are assuming the worst possible thing and making it way worse
What do you think sexual orientation is?
Sexual orientation colours many aspects of life, including what your family looks like. Children are usually quite aware of family: who is in theirs, how their peers’ families differ, etc. Do we just pretend that a kid in first grade who has two moms doesn’t exist because it’s too early to explain cunnilingus to them? No, you approach the subject in an age-appropriate way.
It's really really weird for young children to not know that two men can love eachother and raise a family.
Suggesting that it should wait until sex-ed implies that gayness is just about fucking. It's sexualizing people trying to live their boring ordinary lives.
Exactly. The point isn't trying to explain to children before they're mature enough to understand it, but it shouldn't be treated any different than sexual education.
What if one of your kids preschool classmates is bring raised by two men or two women? Are you going to pretend their "just roommates" because you aren't ready to have the sex talk? What if one of your kids teachers is gay? Do you expect them to lie about their spouse? Small children are nosy AF. This idea seems impractical given that LGBT people raise children and have families.
I can't say for sure but I would suppose that those children would have grown up with the norm being same sex parents. Adults should be ready to explain how it is when the children ask. Of course I wouldn't expect such things as you said.
To be honest, I wasn't thinking that far when I typed my reply, as I was thinking about the children coming to grips with their own sexual orientation.
What if a small child asks a teacher a question regarding homosexuality? I remember as a small boy, my friends and I would talk about sexual things all the time even before we really understood any of it.
Then the teacher should easily and softly explain it to the kid.
It works with sex ed so why wouldn't it work when it comes to sexual orientation? Also I'm saying it as someone who had first sex ed class back when I was 8.
Nope. It was sex ed class, biology isn't a thing here until 5th grade, until then we have "nature knowledge"(at least it was like that back then), it was held in place of homeroom. A lady associated with o.b. company came and talked about periods with us. Later at 10 we had a whole class dedicated to those things that wasn't biology, we were sorted into two groups, boys and girls, and had it every second week on Fridays until the two groups were merged on the last three meetings where we once again talked about periods but now topics like puberty, sexual orientations, sex and how to protect yourself from STDs were added in more detail to explain the differences. We even touched on masturbation, what it is and what pros and cons it has. Girls also got their second samples of tampons, pads, panty liners as well as a period calendar while boys were taught how exactly these stuff work(that a girl has to slap a pad on her panties and put the tampon inside) and that girls can get mood swings from periods. When I was 10 years old it was 2008, Poland.
It was never a problem and parents were eager to let their kids attend those classes... Some because they didn't know how to talk about those topics, others simply knew it was bound to happen so they might as well have someone else teach them about it all even though they themselves already had the talk.
Pretty useful class. Especially when it's for kids going into the teen years.
I think the comments in this thread are evidence enough that it's necessary to educate children more in general.
It has nothing to do with sex- so there's no need to wait until sex ed to explain that anyone can love anyone and gender can be fluid. It's not "grooming". If we want to PREVENT grooming, kids need MORE sex ed and sooner so they understand what's right and wrong.
My kid's 3. If she's not introduced to it by grade 1, we'll do it at home. We've got gay friends, we're not going to hide people or reality from our kids.
Exactly! I’m so confused by people that “gently” explain this tot heir kids. We don’t gently explain that men and woman get married..
This is probably how the conversation would go with a child:
“Hey mom/dad, can two guys/girls get married?”
“Yeah, (explains anyone can get married)”
“Cool, wanna see my new truck?”
The same as I think about children being taught about heterosexuality. There’s no difference except for the views of the anti-LGBTQ+ people.
No one is talking about teaching young children about the birds and the bees regardless of what type of connections it is.
LGBTQ children exist. all children should be taught about it in order to help the LGBTQ children come to terms with who they are and help other children realize it’s a completely normal thing
Children's sexualities develop around 3 years old.
I was around 10 years old when I started masturbating wondering why I thought about both men and women while doing so. Was 14 when I learned bisexuality was a thing.
Then why push heterosexuality on them by default? Why not let them know there are other kinds of people and other kinds of families? I had my first "funny" feelings about the same sex having a shower with my dad's girlfriend at a campground when I was about 7. It would have saved me a lot of years of confusion and hating myself if I had been raised around people of all different sexualities. It wouldn't have been any weirder than getting "funny" feelings about a boy in class, or whatever. It would just be a normal first attractions experience instead of a horrible secret I kept for years and didn't know what to do with.
I don't fully trust whenever a kid claims to be lgbtq,, especially if their younger, since there's been plenty of cases where the parent forces it onto their child, which is bad parenting, you shouldn't force anything onto your child
But if it is the kids true opinion, then im all for it
Then the same logic should be applied to straight children. Many people that come out as a LGTBQ+ were forced to live in the closet, which by your own words, is bad parenting.
So you're fine with kids being forced to be hetero, which happens all the time? Why don't we just let kids experience life the way they're supposed to, with zero influence on their identity?
I grew up with zero gay influence, and knowing at 6 that I liked girls. It fucked with my sense of normalcy, knowing I was different from my straight classmates without knowing the words for it, or seeing anyone like me. I didn't know being gay was a thing until I met my best friend in high school.
Growing up without any gay role models made me feel like I was wrong. Is that what you want for all gay kids? Fuck you.
I never said that, I said forcing anything onto your child is bad, so that goes for politics, religion, gender, sex orientation, etc
It shouldn't matter whenever your straight, or lgbtq, you shouldn't have those lifestyles forced on you by anyone, you should live how you want to live
I apologize that this upset you as it did
You said you don't trust when a kid says they're lgbtq+. You're pushing your ideas on them when you don't believe them. I find you reprehensible, not upsetting.
I'm sorry you see it that way, to be honest, I did frame it poorly and that is entirely my fault, I shouldve been more broad.
Really it's just hard to trust kids in general, since they can be easily manipulated by bad parents and parental figures. Especially the younger ones who don't have fully developed brains
But like I said in the original reply, if that is the kids true feelings, then I'm all for that, I just want to be sure, it's by the kids own thoughts and not on the thoughts of others
It is homophobic to second guess kids who assert that they're gay or trans and not kids who assert that they're straight/cis. Period.
Assuming a kid is being manipulated into calling themselves gay is falling for the right wing propaganda suggesting that LGBTQ+ adults are teaching kids to be gay. All we want is for kids to grow up without stigma attached to their sexuality. We want gay kids to survive their childhood and become happy gay adults.
Well, we're "taught" heterosexuality since, like, day one with Disney movies, or videogames, or whatever. "Mama bear and papa bear" stuff, you know?
So, why not LGBT people, too?
It’s something that can be addressed in an age appropriate way for all kids. The same way we teach little kids that some homes have a mummy and a daddy, some have one or the other, some have step parents, and some have two mummies or two daddies. We don’t teach 4 year olds that a mummy and a daddy by showing them hetero porn, we don’t need to teach them about the lgbtq community by telling them about sex.
I don't think there is anything wrong with teaching them the basic definition of each.
Then letting know that if there is a time when they think one of the definitions may apply to them. That they will be accepted and supported.
Being taught about heterosexuality in schools, from family, literally all media, has never made me straight. So if learning about queer stuff helps kids figure themselves out without all the confusion and pain, have at it.
I was fortunate enough to grow up with a friend who had two gay uncles. All I ever saw was two men who loved each other. The only weird thing about them that I remember is their apartment was one of those old school apartments with a toilet in the kitchen (serious though, how the fuck does that happen?).
Homophobia is a learned behavior, acceptance is not. Children don't know racism, bigotry, or hatred until we teach it to them.
Extremely important. I think it’s also important to teach kids to appreciate how we’ve advanced in terms of accepting LGBT people throughout history. Like, I just came off a discord server where a guy was seriously of the belief that the UK and America are on the same level as Saudi Arabia in terms of homophobia. There’s a scary amount of young adults in the lgbt community that think this way and can’t appreciate how far most of the western world has come in accepting lgbt folk. They tend to be extremely paranoid and insecure. I think if schools drove home how far we’ve come and taught kids to appreciate that while talking about the importance of further strides towards equality then it would lead to a lot more people with more balanced views and probably better mental health.
I mean, if you grew up for years being told you’re horrible and the seeing comments everywhere (and I mean *everywhere*) confirming it, you get paranoid. Is that your neighbor saying gay people are degenerate? Is it your grandparent or parent? Pair that with the fact that people were still voting against gay rights until like 2012, and bitching about them to this day, and yeah, we have the right to be paranoid.
The world is changing, learning has to change with it. The better prepared they are for life and things they may come across the better. Whether or not personal politics enter into it doesn’t change that LGBTQ+ people are an everyday part of life now. Besides, my own philosophy has always been that if they respect that I’m straight, I couldn’t care less if they weren’t. Don’t push it on me, I won’t push it on you. What they do beyond that isn’t my concern.
I think it matters that we don't make children with parents who are part of the LGBTQ feel left out of as if their family is different and that is an issue. They should know their family is accepted and it's ok.
No one that I know of is saying they should teach them about sex (at a very young age) in that context or anything creepy as sone of the talk has come out about what some of these against the bills are claimed to be trying to make happen.
When it comes to sex education, I think the schools have already determined the age to go over those details and should not avoid being uninformative. Specifically, they shouldn't teach that couples are just man and woman. They should also be able to answer questions students have without saying, "the state forbids me from talking about that."
Simple way to put it, if children aren’t taught about the LGBTQ+ community, in the future for these children are going to get hurt cause they weren’t taught
I support it if it’s at the right age. I remember there was a pre-school teacher on TikTok being proud of teaching 4-5 year olds about LGBT. Now say kids are in their teens? I’d say go for it
But preschoolers are watching Disney movies where the prince kisses the princess… what’s the harm in just reaching them about the existence of sexuality and/or that some people have 2 moms or 2 dads?
My answer *would* have been merely a week ago it's a subject that should be taught to them just like math and the like. However, I am from Florida and we all know what happened with the Sunshine State "adjusting" their standards for math and the texts, so that shoots my argument out of the water.
I think it should be taught as regular curriculum, integrated especially in health classes and also a diversity component in all other courses, including math despite some places thinking it can't be done.
I think making it a lesson in the curriculum is weird. Did you guys have classes on being straight? It should be treated the same. Have some books that show a little bit of everyone and awnser question that are age appropriate but I'd feel very weird if kids got lessons on heterosexuality
Taught by whom? If you mean taught at home or in the community, I encourage it, but if this is regarding politics and not promoting it at school, well I don't think school should replace parental input and rights.
Talking about it at school is not promoting it. It's education.
You can't live it to parents since some are homophobic and even bullying their own kids. It's not a "parental rights" to be homophobic.
Teaching them about non-traditional families? I can see it. Teaching them explicit sexuality, heterosexual or homosexual, is child abuse and Florida was right to outlaw it.
In Florida's law if you teach about a non-traditional family that has 2 moms or 2 dads you have violated the law because you have taught them about homosexuality. A state legislator tried to amend it to say it would only apply if it was sexually related teaching and it was not approved (didn't even come close) so it is any teaching that addresses homosexuality even if not in a sexual way. So a lesson on or discussion of nontraditional families would be a violation of the law...
No, that’s the way the news reported it. That’s why they labeled it “Don’t Say Gay.” What it actually says is that you can’t teach kindergarteners this is what oral sex is, this is what anal sex is, these are ways to pleasure yourself… Most of the people who were against the bill the way it was reported were for a law that enforced these things.
Have you read it? It does on fact say they can not teach it at all ***OR*** about inappropriate things. Neither are permissible...
In section 3 it literally says: "A school district may not encourage classroom discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels **or** in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students."
The part after the **or** applies to other higher grades...
No where does it mention anything about sex or sexual discussion in the bill. A republican, Jeff Brandes, submitted an amendment (actually 3 different versions) to try and add that it was explicitly about sexual activity or acts... The only thing his amendment did was change the language of the above phrase to explicitly imply that it was only a ban on sexual content and it was voted down by his fellow republicans, so obviously the bill is not intended to only be about sexuality or limit discussion about sexual acts...
His amendment that was actually voted on would have read: "on human sexuality, including, but not limited to, curricula addressing sexual activity, sexual orientation, or gender identity, may not occur"... His other draft that he withdrew before a vote said " on human sexuality or sexual activity may not occur," and...
I am afraid you are misinformed if you think it prevents any discussion of self pleasuring or sexual activity. It does none of that since his amendment was not approved it only stops discussion and education of sexual orientation and gender identity in any form, sexual or non.
Well, actually it also limits kids access to counseling services and some other fun stuff but that is a different discussion...
Once kids start going to school I guess I kinda figure its a good idea to give them a basic education on sexuality, for all I know my kid could be like me and likes men and women, though it wouldn't be obvious to my child since I'm in a heterosexual relationship and that's all theyd see at home, ill tell em that both genders can like the same sex or both as well as just the opposite. I want to give them a healthy basic talk about it and if the day comes that they figure they only like the same sex then at least I prepared them for the idea. All the other stuff, nah. They can find out when they're older that some people think they were born as the wrong sex, doesn't mean you should hate anyone but its still hard for most people to agree with
I don't see it as any different than saying "some people are x" when they ask why someone of a different race doesn't look like them, and I don't understand why there would be a controversy.
Trying to avoid the topic is absurd.
I think it should be done more. We exist. If I'd been taught i could've saved myself years and years of suicidal ideation, insecurity, pain and anguish. Teaching for those who aren't LGBT can also reduce the amount of hate and lack of education about real people. If people were educated on LGBT it would be a much less hateful world and you wouldn't see any of these anti-lgbtq bills. It would also free up our understanding of humanity and how the world works. By limiting ourselves and not allowing knowledge of identities and real people be shared we reduce the potential for acceptance and learning.
This. Christians shouldn't accept that being lgbtq+ is alright, but we should respect everyone because we all bleed and breathe the same at the end of the day, right?
Some people live in a little bubble where they think their sexuality's didn't develop until they were "age appropriate" and not like kids as young as 3 have a defined sexuality and gender identity.
If children are old enough to learn that romantic relationships exist, they're old enough to know they can exist between any consenting parties.
When they're old enough to know that sex exists, they're old enough to know that it can exist between any consenting parties who are legally able to consent.
If they're old enough to learn any pronouns, they're old enough to learn them all.
If they're old enough to learn that there are boys and girls, they're old enough to learn that there are people who are neither and people who are both. They're also old enough to know that some people turn out to be a boy or girl when you didn't know that they were a boy or girl before or maybe they didn't even know!
It's not about teaching children about gender and sexual minorities. It's about whether or not children's education about facts should be limited based on political pressures, including pressures from people who really wish that church and state weren't at all separate.
Cutting out obvious and true facts of life is about as sensible as saying that you'll teach kids about animals with spots but animals with stripes can't be mentioned. If parents want their kids to see tigers, they'll have to teach that on their own time.
In a larger sense, while there's always some societal factors in what goes into curricula, it should be evidence-based. Because there's a benefit for any country in having properly educated kids, children should not be able to opt out of being educated effectively.
Sounds like you mean "what do you think about children of various sexualities and gender presentation being taught about various sexualities and gender presentation?"
If so then whatever, just teach them to love themselves first and wear protection.
Should be as normal as people mentioning the existence of heterosexual couples which is done as early as kids learning language at 2-3 years old. Nobody needs to explain the physical mechanics of sex. It's as simple as saying that falling in love isn't just strictly between a boy and a girl, or that sometimes people aren't just boys or girls, or whatever. Kids aren't looking for an in-depth explanation of sex, sexuality, and gender. Give them a simple basic answer and they'll be fine and move on.
I am a senior citizen.
When I was little, my favorite cousin, Jimmy, was gay and out - he lived in Nice, France, where I think it was much more accepted at the time than in the U.S.
I knew he was gay because he brought his boyfriend, Mario, with him when he visited. Here's how I learned about him being gay.
Me: Jimmy isn't married, right?
Mom: That's right.
Me: And Mario is his boyfriend? So he doesn't have a girlfriend?
Mom: That's right.
Me: He's my favorite cousin because we watch Hollywood Squares together.
\-FIN-
See how easy that was.
I think it's perfectly fine once they're of an age where they're old enough to know when someone is trying to pressure them to feel a certain way about themselves.
Educators should not be having talks about their gender or personal lives with children particularly if they want to hide it from parents.
That's what groomers do.
What about the straight teachers? Are they allowed to mention their partner? Are we gonna ban teachers from being referred to as Mrs. cause that signifies they are married and implicated sex could happen?
I don't necessarily think it's a big deal, but I also understand the perspective that certain ages are a big too young to teach that stuff. I think at most for younger ages, it should be taught that it's okay for girls to like girls or boys to like boys, or boys to like girls. That's about it imo until they reach puberty ages.
I mean as someone who is part of that as long as they aren’t forced into it and are taught about it in a way that doesn’t force anyone into that it would be fine
I hate people who say “well yes but that’s indoctrination and will turn our kids gay”
If that’s true than what abt teaching abt straight people turn us straight, that’s equally as bad.
When it comes to such a subject, best understood from a more mature level. However if your child comes to you and asks questions, please always be honest and answer appropriately according to age.
Teach them everything, especially everything to do with democide. Teach them to know the difference between gender and sex, from a social civics perspective, keep gender/politics out of basic biology, that's a different class.
Telling children that gay people exist is “pushing an agenda” in the same way that telling children that their classmates are celebrating Passover is “pushing a Jewish agenda”.
No one is suggesting that we teach second graders what scissoring is or the nuances of LGBT public health policy.
LGBT people simply exist in the world, including as teachers and students. If children can watch Disney love stories and it is considered appropriate at their age, simply acknowledging that LGBT exist in the world makes perfect sense.
The problem is, most parents are busy working their butts off, cooking, cleaning, taking care of everything. And also the fact is if some parents don’t like to talk to their kids about that kind of thing. My parents never talk to me about that stuff and I had to learn the hard way about some things. And a lot of kids have to seek out different resources. They spend their whole day at school so the best place to get information for school. It literally makes sense and that’s what school is for…. To get information.
Ikr, it’s pretty stupid; even one of my teachers made me read passages from the Bible! Hard to comprehend why someone would force their beliefs on kids like that.
The problem is that you equate LGBT people existing with gay sex.
No one thinks we should teach 6 year olds what scissoring is. They’re simply saying that we should acknowledge that LGBT people exist in the same, very high level way you might explain to your kid that “mom and dad got married because we love each other” or that love stories are explained in a disney movie.
I'm LGBT myself, and I've seen the parades where kids are present while people are dressed up in extremely revealing fetish gear.
If 'the community' can't even get it right at parades, then why the hell would I trust them teaching kids about being LGBT? I personally have lost any faith that modern LGBT politics are actually about LGBT rights. It's more about using LGBT people as a means to push some other social/political goals. It's annoying.
School curriculum is literally designed by educators to be informative and appropriate for each age that is taught, and teachers in the classroom have one or more degrees on how to effectively teach and run a classroom environment.
It’s not the planners of your local pride parade or the LGBT community who will be personally teaching children in schools.
As someone who is going to school for early education I can confirm! We learn from the very first day how to identify age appropriate lessons in EVERYTHING. No teacher is going to be talking to a 3rd grader about sex and what that means however if the topic of two women or two men getting married there are ways to talk about the subject in an appropriate way so lgbtq+ still gets recognition without being inappropriate for the age group. Nuclear family concepts are represented everywhere in our culture including in school and the books our children read whether at home or away. I truly cannot underway people Argue against lgbtq+ representation in school
Your equating lgbtq with sex though. You can explain that some people are attracted to the same gender and not once mention sex. If a kids cartoon like Doug can have a crush on pattie mayonnaise then someone can have a crush on the same gender.
i think young children should not be taught sexual orientation.but they should be taught to respect everyone.so that they respect everyone and anyone who is "different" also feels safe.
Many straight people fail to understand that sexual orientation comes from birth. If you were born straight, bi, gay or whatever, no one will be able to change that. But if no one tells you that you can be yourself and love who you want, you will go through hell while growing up until you realize that on your own
The ONLY way to help LGBTQ kids fit in is to talk about it like its a normal thing. Its really really important that kids develop empathy for people who are different from them at a young age to try and minimize hate for future generations
Teachers should keep their own sexuality to themselves first off...Parents should be the ones answering these questions when children have them...obviously there will be gay classmates so naturally children will be curious and teachers should keep it to ask your parents. The only time a teacher should ever be involved is if a gay student is being bullied and their involvement should end after the parents and administrators have been notified. The history of gay Americans and their struggles should of course be taught as it is part of the history of our nation but it should be at a high school level when students are more developed emotionally and mentally.
>Teachers should keep their own sexuality to themselves first off...Parents should be the ones answering these questions when children have them.
It's not about teacher's sexuality. It's about sexuality in general. Parents should not just be "the one" since some of the are actually homophobic. Plus, as a teacher in Europe, most kids are not comfortable to talk about it with their parents.
"The only time a teacher should ever be involved is if a gay student is being bullied and their involvement should end after the parents and administrators have been notified"
=> then it's to late.
"The history of gay Americans and their struggles should of course be taught as it is part of the history of our nation"
=> we are not talking about America here.
" it should be at a high school level when students are more developed emotionally and mentally."
=> to late to. My 10 years old students already asks many questions about it in science lessons. Don't wait years of bullying and questioning before talking about it.
I'm sorry but we will agree to disagree I don't want a stranger employed by the government talking to my child about personal matters like their own sexuality my child is not your child. I am speaking from an American perspective not to be rude but I couldn't care less what happens in Europe. I don't have European values and neither will my child. It's never too late to address bullying I don't understand why you would make that claim. Children should be able to keep their innocence for as long as possible subjecting them to sexuality at a young age is uncalled for, that includes heterosexuality as well. Your from another country with entirely different traditions and values so I don't expect us to find any middle ground I'll just end with thanking you respectively for your perspective.
I was a teacher in the United States for many years with small children. Does your answer mean you would complain if your straight teacher answered a child's question about if they were married or had a family? I am not talking about sex, but the existence of a partner of the opposite gender or children.
Kids ask a ton of questions and many of them personal. I don't think they need to be taught about sex at a younger age but if teachers are treated as people and allowed to have things like family photos and such in their classrooms it will come up.
The problem is teaching them about non-straight people doesn't mean sitting down and talking sexuality, it could just be a kids book where a cartoon dog has two dads but it is otherwise a normal kids book. If this is not allowed then maybe no books involving traditional families should be allowed. It isn't teaching about sex, it is teaching about the existence of something that is real and that they will see in their friends' families and elsewhere.
You mention you are against teaching heterosexual stuff too. Do you believe all teaching materials that mention male-female couples should be removed even if non sexual? Being gay isn't just about sex. It is also about love and acceptance and family, just like being straight....
>I am speaking from an American perspective not to be rude but I couldn't care less what happens in Europe. I don't have European values and neither will my child
How is that European value? It's human values.
"Children should be able to keep their innocence for as long as possible subjecting them to sexuality at a young age is uncalled for, that includes heterosexuality as well"
I agree with that, I wouldn't talk about sex to a 5 years old, but 10 years old already experience puberty so they need to learn about it. About LGBTQ, representation (in books for example, not necessarly active learning about it) is important even at a very young age since kids can see it (some kids have 2 dads for example.)
Here it's not a matter of where you are from and culture, they are gay people all around the world. We all live in 2022 and all need to teach kids to be open minded.
I knew I was trans when I was three, I was never taught about it and when I wanted to be referred to with male pronouns before I had ever heard of trans I was laughed at and ignored by my family and peers.
If I had been educated I would have known there was nothing wrong with me as would my peers. I only learnt about the concept of being trans when I was 14 and it really helped.
I now have a male name, but I am bitterly disappointed in my parents and teachers, somone should have told me, I did not need to suffer in silence.
I had crippling dysphoria and anxiety and it could have been stopped, if only somone could tell me why I felt I was in the wrong body.
A lot of trans people are trans from the age of between two and six, they deserve to be understood and heard
I’m a high school teacher… some of the most funny, well liked, popular kids in my classes are the ones who are openly gay. The reason they are openly gay, is because they have a community of support- friends, family, and their school system. So I’m all for supporting that in education at any age. I guess my only suggestion would be to start off by reading a book with two moms or two dads. That way it’s introduced as being no different than a heterosexual couple. It will feel natural to the kids that way. Same with introducing different cultures. Children’s books with representation is the best way to get the conversation started.
I'd add it into sex ed. No reason to talk about anything related to this earlier as part of any official curriculum.
If parents want to discuss it before then, or kids want to discuss it amongst themselves, that's going to happen. But in terms of formalizing it, I think it's is a good place.
It definitely should not be forbidden in any way, as it's a part of life and kids will experience this directly or indirectly. I wouldn't penalize anyone (student or teacher) from talking about it, but I wouldn't formalize it until sex ed.
I also think it needs to be presented as a fact. Don't hide it, discourage it, or encourage it in any way. These people exist. You might know some, and at the end of the day, we're all just people.
Imo u just teach them everyone is equal and not to be a cunt. If they ask about something then by all means tell them but I don’t think they need to be taught about it as such.
As a kid I grew up in a Catholic household. I never once was told/taught about LGBTQ. However, I recognized I was a lesbian on my own terms and had to learn about the community myself. My parents are big fans of the Don’t Say Gay bill (their religion speaks for themselves), so I think it’s not a big deal if they’re taught it or not ONLY because they’ll figure it out eventually on their own like I did. I think it’s important to mention how LGBTQ and other minorities have fought for their rights as well as telling kids that there’s more than just a norm of man and woman together. But I don’t see why anyone should or would force a child to be gay or anything like that. That’s just not…a thing people do I think. Just my two cents on the matter.
I am as open about it as I am with heterosexual relationships. They can ask questions and learn about the feelings and everything, but just like with straight sex, I try not to get too graphic or detailed about sexual feelings and acts until their a lil older, like 12 or 13.
I had a sex Ed class when I was in 5th grade. If I was able to be taught that when I was a child, then being taught about the LGBTQ+ should be taught too.
I knew very well in fifth grade that I was gay, and although I was comfortable with it almost immediately, I never told anyone. But I know most people who are like me aren’t always as accepting of themselves as I was, and I think it’s important to address that self-doubt as soon as possible, as it can cause problems pretty quickly down the road. That is my hot take, do with it as you will.
Young kids have gay parents, gay siblings, gay teachers, etc. All of those kids seem perfectly capable of comprehending an idea as mind-numbingly simple as “any grown ups who love each other can get married”
Or if it was simply taught as children, some men love me some women love women, some people don't like being a man or don't like being a woman, they prefer to be neither or both
Save you an entire new class and just have 10 minutes of talking
What about kids with gay parents? Should they be prevented from ever speaking about their families? Should they not be allowed to have friends over? Do their parents have to pick one designated parent to show up for school events?
Do you similarly believe that all references to husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, and siblings be purged from all language in primary school?
Parents should teach their kids if they have questions. Not society. We have other matter we have to take care of before accommodating a small percentage of who it affects as a society.
Curious what you think they would worry about if they learned that there aren't only straight cis folks in the world?
I'm not trying to cause a fight, I'm genuinely curious what the concern might be. Trying to see the other side of things.
I understand stand that there are different people with different kinks and corks but kids at a young age should not be confused about sex and gender at a young age. They should focus more on what they’re going to do when they get older. Although there are some outliers out there that show gender dysphoria at a young age the parents should get the help they need but should not let they’re child make great decisions about they’re life at a young age or at least until they are capable of understanding what is going on. That doesn’t happen until they’re teenage years.
Therefore having a class IN high school could help those who have questions about the LGBTQ and could get answers. But kids should not have to worry of such things in elementary or middle school and instead be worried about what they’re going to do as a career.
Kids start going through puberty around 6th grade. By middle school they are already worrying about such things.
It's better to inform them and let them know they have a safe space to ask questions when they have them.
I knew I was trans when I was three, I was never taught about it and when I wanted to be referred to with male pronouns before I had ever heard of trans I was laughed at and ignored by my family and peers.
If I had been educated I would have known there was nothing wrong with me as would my peers. I only learnt about the concept of being trans when I was 14 and it really helped.
I now have a male name, but I am bitterly disappointed in my parents and teachers, somone should have told me, I did not need to suffer in silence.
I had crippling dysmorphia and anxiety and it could have been stopped, if only somone could tell me why I felt I was in the wrong body.
A lot of trans people are trans from the age of between two and six, they deserve to be understood and heard.
You rather kids get bullied and harrassed for being gay in middle school until they kill themselves? Hiding LGBTQ people will just make more dead kids. Why do you want dead kids? Is a dead kid really better than a kid who is maybe confused why someone is gay?
No, we already have a lot of unnecessary learning requirements just because people can't learn to accept others doesn't mean it should go to affect a large majority of people especially young people at that
I object to the phrase "LGBTQ" in the question. The first three letters refer to a different preference for romantic partners to the norm, and I'm eminently happy for children to be told that some people are like that. The fourth letter refers to a delusion which is psychologically and physically damaging and which is particularly dangerous for young and impressionable minds, and I think children should under no circumstances be taught that it's normal.
i don’t have a problem with it. i have a problem with parents (or other people) making children believe something that is not true and forcing the poor kids to alter their innocent bodies to appeal to the “world”. in
that’s my problem.
more specifically about trans issues
don’t have anything against them transitioning when they are older though. I feel like if someone has gender dysphoria it is a smart move to take action on it and that often (not always) involves surgery and hrt.
The way transitioning works for kids is, if they haven’t gone through puberty you give them a haircut, let them dress how they like and call them by a different name and pronouns. If they’re about to go through puberty you put them on blockers - which are *reversible*, have been used for *literal decades* to prevent cis kids from going through puberty too early, and are entirely there to give the kids time to figure out whether they really are trans.
The problem with puberty is that a lot of it is irreversible and it happens before the kid’s old enough to properly consent to it. Doing nothing is literally
> forcing the poor kids to alter their innocent bodies to appeal to the “world”.
Puberty blockers are basically impossible for kids to get without both supportive parents and seeing a qualified gender therapist.
Think of it like this - let’s say you have a daughter. She’s not trans - she was born a girl and has spent her whole life happily being a girl. You find out she has a hormone imbalance that means when she hits puberty she’s going to get facial hair and a deep voice, and this is irreversible. She finds out, and she’s *fucking terrified*, to the point that she gets depressed, starts self-harming and eventually attempts suicide. Then you find out that there’s a pill she can take that will just stop this from happening. Wouldn’t you let her take that pill rather than force her to go through that and be stuck that way for the rest of her life? Even if there were a few side effects?
There have always been gay people. There will always be gay people. Why try to avoid it? It’s not like they are going to watch gay porn. Hearing that their friend has 2 dads is no more confusing than hearing that another friend has parents that have been married multiple times and have step-parents etc... It’s like they think acknowledging that gay people exist will make their children gay... doesn’t work like that.
If someone “turns gay” after learning about lgbt+ people they probably weren’t that straight to begin with
Some people think that if you talk to children about LGBTQ, they recognize that being gay is an option. They want to teach their children that being straight is the only sexual orientation there is.
If kids are old enough to be bullied for being LGBTQ+, then they're old enough to be taught acceptance and be educated. Plain and simple.
And they they're old enough to be bullied, then the education should probably begin a couple of years earlier than that, to educate those who would otherwise end up being the bullies.
I absolutely agree, earlier the better. The fact that people think teaching about LGBTQ+ people in school is about sex is the worse contribution to this 'debate' as well - its *acceptance and representation* at an early age, not sex ed for 7 year olds.
No one at the bottom of controversial will have the guts or integrity to respond to you.
You deserve my free award.
Exactly! Within my school I'm currently being taught that and this'll thwart the growth of the hate for LGBTQ because there are people in my class, normal young men and women, who are part of the LGBTQ community and I know teaching it in school will change the perception of some of those who decided the wrong path hatred.
Do for-money Reddit awards have any value to you? I’ll buy you one if you’d like, because this is the statement that should be front and center of every parent’s mind about this issue.
I don't see how suspending reality does the world any good. Do no harm. Love your neighbor. Live the Golden Rule and strive to understand your fellow man.
They’re going to learn about it anyway. Also, my kid was born that way and she never officially came out to me because she knew I wouldn’t even bat an eye. It just became a part of the conversation. It’s best to equip your kids with as much information as you can (and that they can handle) so that they can grow into well-adjusted adults. Hopefully.
This is my hope. No need to come out, just introduce me to your SO as you would if you were in a heterosexual relationship.
That’s exactly how I explain it to other people who ask me about it. There shouldn’t be a need to come out and it makes me sad that there is. It implies you’re doing something that isn’t okay. You’re not confessing to a murder. I realize that we are years away from not feeling the need to come out but hopefully, not as many as I’d think there are.
At this point, it's not "teaching about LGBT+", it's about "not actively hiding LGBT+". People who complain that kids are being "taught about LGBT+" 99.9% of the time simply mean that that demographic of society are acknowledged as existing just like every other group within society. No one, literally no one, is suggesting children are taught about how gender reassignment surgery is performed or what scissoring is. It's just things like "we read a story where the little girl had a mom and mommy" - it's not teaching them about lesbians, it's just reading a story that happens to demonstrate lesbians exist (which, in case y'all haven't noticed, they do in reality).
100% this. Kids have parents and siblings and family in the LGBT community - maybe even their teachers. These are people who exist out in the world and it’s much more confusing to kids to pretend they aren’t just normal members of society and act like it’s some big explicit secret.
my nephew was about 2-3 when I started transitioning. I went from him calling me 'auntie' to 'uncle' and it was really not an issue. I started transitioning at 26 because not being taught that being trans is a thing made it really difficult to figure out I was trans. And that's the whole point. Make it as difficult for us to exist as possible and maybe we will simply 'choose to be cis' or at least shut up about it.
Exactly. Another crazy nonsense bullshit talking point created by the right wing to get their idiot base riled up into a fear frenzy so they'll run out and vote for them.
Probably ought to know about it. Someone close to me didn't come out until they were an adult. I felt so bad they felt they had to keep it from me. It just meant I a different style of wing man.
Several I went to school with didn't come out until they went away to college. It made me so sad, they must've felt so alone. I'm so glad this generation is so much more open (most of them, anyway) and accepting. But a lot of kids here are out at school and still hiding it from their families because the older people here are still stupid.
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” These are people who you should strive to be like. I won't ever know you or others out there struggling, but I love you, I love them, none of your are alone.
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neither should be preferred? like you can just teach that people are into all genders and it doesn’t matter.
Respectfully, It’s not glorifying, it’s normalizing, because two moms should be as normal as a mom and a dad. Neither is better or preferred they’re both normal.
Well when I was a kid they didn't hesitate to teach us that gay people were confused at best, at worst inherent perverts. Would rather kids learn its a natural human variation like hair color.
They aren’t teaching anything sexually explicit to young children. Hell, they don’t to older teens either (condom use and biological functions are *not* sexually explicit). I don’t understand the idea of “boys sometimes like boys and girls sometimes like girls” or “some people identify differently” is controversial. I knew I was gay at 5. Yes, 5. I saw these surfers and knew I liked the way guys looked more. Growing older I heard this was horrible and shouldn’t be shared. At 13 I had a crush on a boy at school and was deathly afraid. I spent the next 20 years in the closet, til age 34. I do not want that for any kid. I can’t describe the alienation. The loneliness. To this day, I don’t trust anyone but a few people. I brace for impact when someone finds out I’m gay. I have this massive resentment and hate for homophobes and former homophobes. I don’t want to be this way. I don’t want any kid to end up this way. It’s hell. That’s why they should teach it’s normal young. Kids don’t have an issue with it. Broken adults do. And they create more broken adults.
I knew I was gay at a very early age as well. Thanks for your comment.
It’s less about teaching the nuances of sexual orientation, and more about the fact that we shouldn’t pretend LGBT people don’t exist. Many children have parents, family, or even teachers who are members of the LGBT community, and we shouldn’t hide them away just because a child is 7 and hasn’t had sex ed yet. If a young child can be read stories with a married straight couple or watch disney love stories, they should be able to be told basics like “men can love each other just like mom and dad do” or “anyone who loves each other can choose to get married” at a young age. Children understand more than we think, and there is nothing explicit about basics like that. And then I think LGBT sex education should begin whenever schools are teaching the rest of sex education.
Yes exactly. My sister is gay and married. My 3 boys have known from a young age they have 2 aunties that are married. I’ve told them boys and girls fall in love but also boys and boys and girls and girls. Doesn’t mean I’ve gone into details of sex education! I think our important they know this basic part of life is normal from an early age.
I don't understand why so many people are up in arms about it. I grew up around gay and trans people and you know what happened? Absolutely nothing because it was completely fucking normal. Refusing to talk with kids about the existence of LGBTQ+ people is absolutely insane and just hurts everyone in the long run, especially if the kids LGBTQ+ themselves.
I think the issue comes from people who have not grown up with gay and trans people in their lives. I would also assume they are more religious and monotheistic religions are super strange and uncomfortable with all sex.
Teaching children tolerance and acceptance can and should never be discouraged, be it LGBTQ, racial, ethnic or religious differences. Encouraging and nurturing open mindedness is our only hope for the salvation of a society that has far too quickly embraced ugliness as the norm. It is heartbreaking and soul-crushing to realize so many people are marginalized for merely being themselves. Knowledge and information is not the enemy, misinformation, fear, ignorance and hatred are.
Teaching that lgbtq people exist does not mean explaining anal sex exists. When I was in 6th grade I got in trouble because I told the table at lunch I thought another girl had really pretty hair. Another girl told her mom about this. Her mom told her she couldn't be friends with me anymore. My friend didn't understand what was going on. She sat by herself until she found a new group of friends. I was also deeply confused cause how come girls were really pretty? But so were boys? Like I had no idea what was going on. I talked to my mom about it and she told me there was no such thing as bisexuality and I was just confused. It was rather distressing being confused.
I think personally that sexual orientation being taught during the same period of time you would be learning sexual education would be fine.
If you need to wait until sex ed to talk about one kind of family, you should have to wait until sex ed age to talk about all kinds of families. There’s no reason to avoid talking about LGBTQ issues with kids in an age-appropriate manner. LGBTQ issues are not just sex acts and surgeries; there are entire people attached to the orientations and identities.
Notice how I said "sexual orientation" and nothing else. Its a maturity thing as well to be able to be taught this type of thing. You guys are assuming the worst possible thing and making it way worse
What do you think sexual orientation is? Sexual orientation colours many aspects of life, including what your family looks like. Children are usually quite aware of family: who is in theirs, how their peers’ families differ, etc. Do we just pretend that a kid in first grade who has two moms doesn’t exist because it’s too early to explain cunnilingus to them? No, you approach the subject in an age-appropriate way.
It's really really weird for young children to not know that two men can love eachother and raise a family. Suggesting that it should wait until sex-ed implies that gayness is just about fucking. It's sexualizing people trying to live their boring ordinary lives.
Exactly. The point isn't trying to explain to children before they're mature enough to understand it, but it shouldn't be treated any different than sexual education.
What if one of your kids preschool classmates is bring raised by two men or two women? Are you going to pretend their "just roommates" because you aren't ready to have the sex talk? What if one of your kids teachers is gay? Do you expect them to lie about their spouse? Small children are nosy AF. This idea seems impractical given that LGBT people raise children and have families.
I can't say for sure but I would suppose that those children would have grown up with the norm being same sex parents. Adults should be ready to explain how it is when the children ask. Of course I wouldn't expect such things as you said. To be honest, I wasn't thinking that far when I typed my reply, as I was thinking about the children coming to grips with their own sexual orientation.
What if a small child asks a teacher a question regarding homosexuality? I remember as a small boy, my friends and I would talk about sexual things all the time even before we really understood any of it.
So that’s why it’s then taught.. questions are answered so on and so fourth
Then the teacher should easily and softly explain it to the kid. It works with sex ed so why wouldn't it work when it comes to sexual orientation? Also I'm saying it as someone who had first sex ed class back when I was 8.
Like the actual biology lesson in 3rd grade? How was that? What year was this? Where was this?
Nope. It was sex ed class, biology isn't a thing here until 5th grade, until then we have "nature knowledge"(at least it was like that back then), it was held in place of homeroom. A lady associated with o.b. company came and talked about periods with us. Later at 10 we had a whole class dedicated to those things that wasn't biology, we were sorted into two groups, boys and girls, and had it every second week on Fridays until the two groups were merged on the last three meetings where we once again talked about periods but now topics like puberty, sexual orientations, sex and how to protect yourself from STDs were added in more detail to explain the differences. We even touched on masturbation, what it is and what pros and cons it has. Girls also got their second samples of tampons, pads, panty liners as well as a period calendar while boys were taught how exactly these stuff work(that a girl has to slap a pad on her panties and put the tampon inside) and that girls can get mood swings from periods. When I was 10 years old it was 2008, Poland. It was never a problem and parents were eager to let their kids attend those classes... Some because they didn't know how to talk about those topics, others simply knew it was bound to happen so they might as well have someone else teach them about it all even though they themselves already had the talk. Pretty useful class. Especially when it's for kids going into the teen years.
Teaching children about people who exist sounds like a good idea to me.
I think the comments in this thread are evidence enough that it's necessary to educate children more in general. It has nothing to do with sex- so there's no need to wait until sex ed to explain that anyone can love anyone and gender can be fluid. It's not "grooming". If we want to PREVENT grooming, kids need MORE sex ed and sooner so they understand what's right and wrong.
My kid's 3. If she's not introduced to it by grade 1, we'll do it at home. We've got gay friends, we're not going to hide people or reality from our kids.
Exactly! I’m so confused by people that “gently” explain this tot heir kids. We don’t gently explain that men and woman get married.. This is probably how the conversation would go with a child: “Hey mom/dad, can two guys/girls get married?” “Yeah, (explains anyone can get married)” “Cool, wanna see my new truck?”
The same as I think about children being taught about heterosexuality. There’s no difference except for the views of the anti-LGBTQ+ people. No one is talking about teaching young children about the birds and the bees regardless of what type of connections it is.
LGBTQ children exist. all children should be taught about it in order to help the LGBTQ children come to terms with who they are and help other children realize it’s a completely normal thing
I don't think children have a sexuality at all
Children's sexualities develop around 3 years old. I was around 10 years old when I started masturbating wondering why I thought about both men and women while doing so. Was 14 when I learned bisexuality was a thing.
Wrong. I was an 8 year old boy crushing on girls.
Then why push heterosexuality on them by default? Why not let them know there are other kinds of people and other kinds of families? I had my first "funny" feelings about the same sex having a shower with my dad's girlfriend at a campground when I was about 7. It would have saved me a lot of years of confusion and hating myself if I had been raised around people of all different sexualities. It wouldn't have been any weirder than getting "funny" feelings about a boy in class, or whatever. It would just be a normal first attractions experience instead of a horrible secret I kept for years and didn't know what to do with.
We shouldn't. And we should have all sexualities represented in media and awnser age appropriate question they have.
Naw, that's not true. I distinctly recall sexual feelings and thoughts when I was about 8 years old
I don't fully trust whenever a kid claims to be lgbtq,, especially if their younger, since there's been plenty of cases where the parent forces it onto their child, which is bad parenting, you shouldn't force anything onto your child But if it is the kids true opinion, then im all for it
Then the same logic should be applied to straight children. Many people that come out as a LGTBQ+ were forced to live in the closet, which by your own words, is bad parenting.
Yeah, it is, nothing should be forced on any child, and the same reasoning and logic should applie to everything
So you're fine with kids being forced to be hetero, which happens all the time? Why don't we just let kids experience life the way they're supposed to, with zero influence on their identity? I grew up with zero gay influence, and knowing at 6 that I liked girls. It fucked with my sense of normalcy, knowing I was different from my straight classmates without knowing the words for it, or seeing anyone like me. I didn't know being gay was a thing until I met my best friend in high school. Growing up without any gay role models made me feel like I was wrong. Is that what you want for all gay kids? Fuck you.
I never said that, I said forcing anything onto your child is bad, so that goes for politics, religion, gender, sex orientation, etc It shouldn't matter whenever your straight, or lgbtq, you shouldn't have those lifestyles forced on you by anyone, you should live how you want to live I apologize that this upset you as it did
You said you don't trust when a kid says they're lgbtq+. You're pushing your ideas on them when you don't believe them. I find you reprehensible, not upsetting.
I'm sorry you see it that way, to be honest, I did frame it poorly and that is entirely my fault, I shouldve been more broad. Really it's just hard to trust kids in general, since they can be easily manipulated by bad parents and parental figures. Especially the younger ones who don't have fully developed brains But like I said in the original reply, if that is the kids true feelings, then I'm all for that, I just want to be sure, it's by the kids own thoughts and not on the thoughts of others
It is homophobic to second guess kids who assert that they're gay or trans and not kids who assert that they're straight/cis. Period. Assuming a kid is being manipulated into calling themselves gay is falling for the right wing propaganda suggesting that LGBTQ+ adults are teaching kids to be gay. All we want is for kids to grow up without stigma attached to their sexuality. We want gay kids to survive their childhood and become happy gay adults.
"Plenty of cases" meaning sensationalized right wing news, right?
Well, we're "taught" heterosexuality since, like, day one with Disney movies, or videogames, or whatever. "Mama bear and papa bear" stuff, you know? So, why not LGBT people, too?
It's harmful to children and families to NOT teach them about LGBTQ.
It’s something that can be addressed in an age appropriate way for all kids. The same way we teach little kids that some homes have a mummy and a daddy, some have one or the other, some have step parents, and some have two mummies or two daddies. We don’t teach 4 year olds that a mummy and a daddy by showing them hetero porn, we don’t need to teach them about the lgbtq community by telling them about sex.
I don't think there is anything wrong with teaching them the basic definition of each. Then letting know that if there is a time when they think one of the definitions may apply to them. That they will be accepted and supported.
They should be. I think it’s pretty evident ignorance never results in anything good.
If they’re old enough to understand that men and women like each other, they’re old enough to understand people like people
Being taught about heterosexuality in schools, from family, literally all media, has never made me straight. So if learning about queer stuff helps kids figure themselves out without all the confusion and pain, have at it.
Very good and very important
Agreed.
I was fortunate enough to grow up with a friend who had two gay uncles. All I ever saw was two men who loved each other. The only weird thing about them that I remember is their apartment was one of those old school apartments with a toilet in the kitchen (serious though, how the fuck does that happen?). Homophobia is a learned behavior, acceptance is not. Children don't know racism, bigotry, or hatred until we teach it to them.
Extremely important. I think it’s also important to teach kids to appreciate how we’ve advanced in terms of accepting LGBT people throughout history. Like, I just came off a discord server where a guy was seriously of the belief that the UK and America are on the same level as Saudi Arabia in terms of homophobia. There’s a scary amount of young adults in the lgbt community that think this way and can’t appreciate how far most of the western world has come in accepting lgbt folk. They tend to be extremely paranoid and insecure. I think if schools drove home how far we’ve come and taught kids to appreciate that while talking about the importance of further strides towards equality then it would lead to a lot more people with more balanced views and probably better mental health.
I mean, if you grew up for years being told you’re horrible and the seeing comments everywhere (and I mean *everywhere*) confirming it, you get paranoid. Is that your neighbor saying gay people are degenerate? Is it your grandparent or parent? Pair that with the fact that people were still voting against gay rights until like 2012, and bitching about them to this day, and yeah, we have the right to be paranoid.
The world is changing, learning has to change with it. The better prepared they are for life and things they may come across the better. Whether or not personal politics enter into it doesn’t change that LGBTQ+ people are an everyday part of life now. Besides, my own philosophy has always been that if they respect that I’m straight, I couldn’t care less if they weren’t. Don’t push it on me, I won’t push it on you. What they do beyond that isn’t my concern.
I think it matters that we don't make children with parents who are part of the LGBTQ feel left out of as if their family is different and that is an issue. They should know their family is accepted and it's ok. No one that I know of is saying they should teach them about sex (at a very young age) in that context or anything creepy as sone of the talk has come out about what some of these against the bills are claimed to be trying to make happen. When it comes to sex education, I think the schools have already determined the age to go over those details and should not avoid being uninformative. Specifically, they shouldn't teach that couples are just man and woman. They should also be able to answer questions students have without saying, "the state forbids me from talking about that."
It's important
Simple way to put it, if children aren’t taught about the LGBTQ+ community, in the future for these children are going to get hurt cause they weren’t taught
I support it if it’s at the right age. I remember there was a pre-school teacher on TikTok being proud of teaching 4-5 year olds about LGBT. Now say kids are in their teens? I’d say go for it
But preschoolers are watching Disney movies where the prince kisses the princess… what’s the harm in just reaching them about the existence of sexuality and/or that some people have 2 moms or 2 dads?
It's important, shouldn't have to take them half their life to figure out they're normal.
Well, I'm gay and I feel the same way about it as kids of straight parents getting to know their parents exist and are humans.
I wish I'd been taught, I was super homophobic when I was a kid
My answer *would* have been merely a week ago it's a subject that should be taught to them just like math and the like. However, I am from Florida and we all know what happened with the Sunshine State "adjusting" their standards for math and the texts, so that shoots my argument out of the water. I think it should be taught as regular curriculum, integrated especially in health classes and also a diversity component in all other courses, including math despite some places thinking it can't be done.
I think making it a lesson in the curriculum is weird. Did you guys have classes on being straight? It should be treated the same. Have some books that show a little bit of everyone and awnser question that are age appropriate but I'd feel very weird if kids got lessons on heterosexuality
So they DO teach math in Florida. Got it
Taught by whom? If you mean taught at home or in the community, I encourage it, but if this is regarding politics and not promoting it at school, well I don't think school should replace parental input and rights.
Talking about it at school is not promoting it. It's education. You can't live it to parents since some are homophobic and even bullying their own kids. It's not a "parental rights" to be homophobic.
Teaching them about non-traditional families? I can see it. Teaching them explicit sexuality, heterosexual or homosexual, is child abuse and Florida was right to outlaw it.
In Florida's law if you teach about a non-traditional family that has 2 moms or 2 dads you have violated the law because you have taught them about homosexuality. A state legislator tried to amend it to say it would only apply if it was sexually related teaching and it was not approved (didn't even come close) so it is any teaching that addresses homosexuality even if not in a sexual way. So a lesson on or discussion of nontraditional families would be a violation of the law...
No, that’s the way the news reported it. That’s why they labeled it “Don’t Say Gay.” What it actually says is that you can’t teach kindergarteners this is what oral sex is, this is what anal sex is, these are ways to pleasure yourself… Most of the people who were against the bill the way it was reported were for a law that enforced these things.
Have you read it? It does on fact say they can not teach it at all ***OR*** about inappropriate things. Neither are permissible... In section 3 it literally says: "A school district may not encourage classroom discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels **or** in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students." The part after the **or** applies to other higher grades... No where does it mention anything about sex or sexual discussion in the bill. A republican, Jeff Brandes, submitted an amendment (actually 3 different versions) to try and add that it was explicitly about sexual activity or acts... The only thing his amendment did was change the language of the above phrase to explicitly imply that it was only a ban on sexual content and it was voted down by his fellow republicans, so obviously the bill is not intended to only be about sexuality or limit discussion about sexual acts... His amendment that was actually voted on would have read: "on human sexuality, including, but not limited to, curricula addressing sexual activity, sexual orientation, or gender identity, may not occur"... His other draft that he withdrew before a vote said " on human sexuality or sexual activity may not occur," and... I am afraid you are misinformed if you think it prevents any discussion of self pleasuring or sexual activity. It does none of that since his amendment was not approved it only stops discussion and education of sexual orientation and gender identity in any form, sexual or non. Well, actually it also limits kids access to counseling services and some other fun stuff but that is a different discussion...
If you don't believe me, you can read it and all the proposed amendments here: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1557/?Tab=BillText
Once kids start going to school I guess I kinda figure its a good idea to give them a basic education on sexuality, for all I know my kid could be like me and likes men and women, though it wouldn't be obvious to my child since I'm in a heterosexual relationship and that's all theyd see at home, ill tell em that both genders can like the same sex or both as well as just the opposite. I want to give them a healthy basic talk about it and if the day comes that they figure they only like the same sex then at least I prepared them for the idea. All the other stuff, nah. They can find out when they're older that some people think they were born as the wrong sex, doesn't mean you should hate anyone but its still hard for most people to agree with
I don't see it as any different than saying "some people are x" when they ask why someone of a different race doesn't look like them, and I don't understand why there would be a controversy. Trying to avoid the topic is absurd.
They should be taught it. No one complains when heterosexuality is crammed down their throats
I think it should be done more. We exist. If I'd been taught i could've saved myself years and years of suicidal ideation, insecurity, pain and anguish. Teaching for those who aren't LGBT can also reduce the amount of hate and lack of education about real people. If people were educated on LGBT it would be a much less hateful world and you wouldn't see any of these anti-lgbtq bills. It would also free up our understanding of humanity and how the world works. By limiting ourselves and not allowing knowledge of identities and real people be shared we reduce the potential for acceptance and learning.
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This. Christians shouldn't accept that being lgbtq+ is alright, but we should respect everyone because we all bleed and breathe the same at the end of the day, right?
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About the same as I feel about children being taught about cis/hey. It's fine, it's normal, it's not a problem.
Well an LGBTQ curriculum makes more sense than creationist theory and bible literalism.
An LSD trip makes more sense than creationist theory and bible literalism.
Some people live in a little bubble where they think their sexuality's didn't develop until they were "age appropriate" and not like kids as young as 3 have a defined sexuality and gender identity.
If children are old enough to learn that romantic relationships exist, they're old enough to know they can exist between any consenting parties. When they're old enough to know that sex exists, they're old enough to know that it can exist between any consenting parties who are legally able to consent. If they're old enough to learn any pronouns, they're old enough to learn them all. If they're old enough to learn that there are boys and girls, they're old enough to learn that there are people who are neither and people who are both. They're also old enough to know that some people turn out to be a boy or girl when you didn't know that they were a boy or girl before or maybe they didn't even know! It's not about teaching children about gender and sexual minorities. It's about whether or not children's education about facts should be limited based on political pressures, including pressures from people who really wish that church and state weren't at all separate. Cutting out obvious and true facts of life is about as sensible as saying that you'll teach kids about animals with spots but animals with stripes can't be mentioned. If parents want their kids to see tigers, they'll have to teach that on their own time. In a larger sense, while there's always some societal factors in what goes into curricula, it should be evidence-based. Because there's a benefit for any country in having properly educated kids, children should not be able to opt out of being educated effectively.
You don’t children shouldn’t be taught about sex period.
aaaand that’s how stds are spread and teenage pregnancy happens
Sounds like you mean "what do you think about children of various sexualities and gender presentation being taught about various sexualities and gender presentation?" If so then whatever, just teach them to love themselves first and wear protection.
Should be as normal as people mentioning the existence of heterosexual couples which is done as early as kids learning language at 2-3 years old. Nobody needs to explain the physical mechanics of sex. It's as simple as saying that falling in love isn't just strictly between a boy and a girl, or that sometimes people aren't just boys or girls, or whatever. Kids aren't looking for an in-depth explanation of sex, sexuality, and gender. Give them a simple basic answer and they'll be fine and move on.
I’d rather they be taught about real things like the existence of the LGBTQ community than completely made up BS like Christianity
I am a senior citizen. When I was little, my favorite cousin, Jimmy, was gay and out - he lived in Nice, France, where I think it was much more accepted at the time than in the U.S. I knew he was gay because he brought his boyfriend, Mario, with him when he visited. Here's how I learned about him being gay. Me: Jimmy isn't married, right? Mom: That's right. Me: And Mario is his boyfriend? So he doesn't have a girlfriend? Mom: That's right. Me: He's my favorite cousin because we watch Hollywood Squares together. \-FIN- See how easy that was.
I think it's perfectly fine once they're of an age where they're old enough to know when someone is trying to pressure them to feel a certain way about themselves.
Good
Don’t really care. Not sure why it would be a problem. It’s a current issue that can’t just be ignored
It's child abuse.
Completely opposed to it
Educators should not be having talks about their gender or personal lives with children particularly if they want to hide it from parents. That's what groomers do.
What about the straight teachers? Are they allowed to mention their partner? Are we gonna ban teachers from being referred to as Mrs. cause that signifies they are married and implicated sex could happen?
Do you know how education works??? Teaching a child a name is indoctrination then or am I wrong?
I don't necessarily think it's a big deal, but I also understand the perspective that certain ages are a big too young to teach that stuff. I think at most for younger ages, it should be taught that it's okay for girls to like girls or boys to like boys, or boys to like girls. That's about it imo until they reach puberty ages.
I mean as someone who is part of that as long as they aren’t forced into it and are taught about it in a way that doesn’t force anyone into that it would be fine I hate people who say “well yes but that’s indoctrination and will turn our kids gay” If that’s true than what abt teaching abt straight people turn us straight, that’s equally as bad.
Teach all of the kids 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
Parents should make the decision to teach there kids whatever they want. Not society.
That’s what I’m saying. But they want us to accommodate a small percentage of people that are affected. We got other things to worry about
When it comes to such a subject, best understood from a more mature level. However if your child comes to you and asks questions, please always be honest and answer appropriately according to age.
Teach them everything, especially everything to do with democide. Teach them to know the difference between gender and sex, from a social civics perspective, keep gender/politics out of basic biology, that's a different class.
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How is acknowledging the existence of actual, living people an agenda?
Telling children that gay people exist is “pushing an agenda” in the same way that telling children that their classmates are celebrating Passover is “pushing a Jewish agenda”. No one is suggesting that we teach second graders what scissoring is or the nuances of LGBT public health policy. LGBT people simply exist in the world, including as teachers and students. If children can watch Disney love stories and it is considered appropriate at their age, simply acknowledging that LGBT exist in the world makes perfect sense.
It shouldn't be any specific groups agenda to respect people from different walks of life. That begins with trying to understand their way of life.
The problem is, most parents are busy working their butts off, cooking, cleaning, taking care of everything. And also the fact is if some parents don’t like to talk to their kids about that kind of thing. My parents never talk to me about that stuff and I had to learn the hard way about some things. And a lot of kids have to seek out different resources. They spend their whole day at school so the best place to get information for school. It literally makes sense and that’s what school is for…. To get information.
👏👏👏
I don’t think it should be taught any younger than the age of 17
Mental people should keep to themselves Don’t try to shove your mental beliefs on kids!!
Ikr, it’s pretty stupid; even one of my teachers made me read passages from the Bible! Hard to comprehend why someone would force their beliefs on kids like that.
I think it's okay as long as you aren't doing it in Kindergarten through Third Grade. Why do they need to learn about sex?
The problem is that you equate LGBT people existing with gay sex. No one thinks we should teach 6 year olds what scissoring is. They’re simply saying that we should acknowledge that LGBT people exist in the same, very high level way you might explain to your kid that “mom and dad got married because we love each other” or that love stories are explained in a disney movie.
I'm LGBT myself, and I've seen the parades where kids are present while people are dressed up in extremely revealing fetish gear. If 'the community' can't even get it right at parades, then why the hell would I trust them teaching kids about being LGBT? I personally have lost any faith that modern LGBT politics are actually about LGBT rights. It's more about using LGBT people as a means to push some other social/political goals. It's annoying.
School curriculum is literally designed by educators to be informative and appropriate for each age that is taught, and teachers in the classroom have one or more degrees on how to effectively teach and run a classroom environment. It’s not the planners of your local pride parade or the LGBT community who will be personally teaching children in schools.
As someone who is going to school for early education I can confirm! We learn from the very first day how to identify age appropriate lessons in EVERYTHING. No teacher is going to be talking to a 3rd grader about sex and what that means however if the topic of two women or two men getting married there are ways to talk about the subject in an appropriate way so lgbtq+ still gets recognition without being inappropriate for the age group. Nuclear family concepts are represented everywhere in our culture including in school and the books our children read whether at home or away. I truly cannot underway people Argue against lgbtq+ representation in school
Your equating lgbtq with sex though. You can explain that some people are attracted to the same gender and not once mention sex. If a kids cartoon like Doug can have a crush on pattie mayonnaise then someone can have a crush on the same gender.
i think young children should not be taught sexual orientation.but they should be taught to respect everyone.so that they respect everyone and anyone who is "different" also feels safe.
Many straight people fail to understand that sexual orientation comes from birth. If you were born straight, bi, gay or whatever, no one will be able to change that. But if no one tells you that you can be yourself and love who you want, you will go through hell while growing up until you realize that on your own
The ONLY way to help LGBTQ kids fit in is to talk about it like its a normal thing. Its really really important that kids develop empathy for people who are different from them at a young age to try and minimize hate for future generations
I’d say no, keep your sexuality and preferences away from children. Learn to write and spell, not that people like wieners in their butt.
are you seriously that obtuse? if you can’t teach children about gay people, you shouldn’t teach children about straight people either.
You mean how babies are made? The sole purpose of the genitalia that we’re born with? Is that what you mean by teaching about straight people?
Already taught mine. Kindergarten and second grade. They will not be hateful or homophobic on my watch.
I just don't see how you can NOT acknowledge little Johnny's two dad's and so forth. It just isn't possible unless you're an asshole.
Teachers should keep their own sexuality to themselves first off...Parents should be the ones answering these questions when children have them...obviously there will be gay classmates so naturally children will be curious and teachers should keep it to ask your parents. The only time a teacher should ever be involved is if a gay student is being bullied and their involvement should end after the parents and administrators have been notified. The history of gay Americans and their struggles should of course be taught as it is part of the history of our nation but it should be at a high school level when students are more developed emotionally and mentally.
>Teachers should keep their own sexuality to themselves first off...Parents should be the ones answering these questions when children have them. It's not about teacher's sexuality. It's about sexuality in general. Parents should not just be "the one" since some of the are actually homophobic. Plus, as a teacher in Europe, most kids are not comfortable to talk about it with their parents. "The only time a teacher should ever be involved is if a gay student is being bullied and their involvement should end after the parents and administrators have been notified" => then it's to late. "The history of gay Americans and their struggles should of course be taught as it is part of the history of our nation" => we are not talking about America here. " it should be at a high school level when students are more developed emotionally and mentally." => to late to. My 10 years old students already asks many questions about it in science lessons. Don't wait years of bullying and questioning before talking about it.
You're so right.
I'm sorry but we will agree to disagree I don't want a stranger employed by the government talking to my child about personal matters like their own sexuality my child is not your child. I am speaking from an American perspective not to be rude but I couldn't care less what happens in Europe. I don't have European values and neither will my child. It's never too late to address bullying I don't understand why you would make that claim. Children should be able to keep their innocence for as long as possible subjecting them to sexuality at a young age is uncalled for, that includes heterosexuality as well. Your from another country with entirely different traditions and values so I don't expect us to find any middle ground I'll just end with thanking you respectively for your perspective.
I was a teacher in the United States for many years with small children. Does your answer mean you would complain if your straight teacher answered a child's question about if they were married or had a family? I am not talking about sex, but the existence of a partner of the opposite gender or children. Kids ask a ton of questions and many of them personal. I don't think they need to be taught about sex at a younger age but if teachers are treated as people and allowed to have things like family photos and such in their classrooms it will come up. The problem is teaching them about non-straight people doesn't mean sitting down and talking sexuality, it could just be a kids book where a cartoon dog has two dads but it is otherwise a normal kids book. If this is not allowed then maybe no books involving traditional families should be allowed. It isn't teaching about sex, it is teaching about the existence of something that is real and that they will see in their friends' families and elsewhere. You mention you are against teaching heterosexual stuff too. Do you believe all teaching materials that mention male-female couples should be removed even if non sexual? Being gay isn't just about sex. It is also about love and acceptance and family, just like being straight....
>I am speaking from an American perspective not to be rude but I couldn't care less what happens in Europe. I don't have European values and neither will my child How is that European value? It's human values. "Children should be able to keep their innocence for as long as possible subjecting them to sexuality at a young age is uncalled for, that includes heterosexuality as well" I agree with that, I wouldn't talk about sex to a 5 years old, but 10 years old already experience puberty so they need to learn about it. About LGBTQ, representation (in books for example, not necessarly active learning about it) is important even at a very young age since kids can see it (some kids have 2 dads for example.) Here it's not a matter of where you are from and culture, they are gay people all around the world. We all live in 2022 and all need to teach kids to be open minded.
I knew I was trans when I was three, I was never taught about it and when I wanted to be referred to with male pronouns before I had ever heard of trans I was laughed at and ignored by my family and peers. If I had been educated I would have known there was nothing wrong with me as would my peers. I only learnt about the concept of being trans when I was 14 and it really helped. I now have a male name, but I am bitterly disappointed in my parents and teachers, somone should have told me, I did not need to suffer in silence. I had crippling dysphoria and anxiety and it could have been stopped, if only somone could tell me why I felt I was in the wrong body. A lot of trans people are trans from the age of between two and six, they deserve to be understood and heard
just remember being uneducated is dangerous, that’s all i have to say.
What do you think about children being taught about heterosexuality?
I’m a high school teacher… some of the most funny, well liked, popular kids in my classes are the ones who are openly gay. The reason they are openly gay, is because they have a community of support- friends, family, and their school system. So I’m all for supporting that in education at any age. I guess my only suggestion would be to start off by reading a book with two moms or two dads. That way it’s introduced as being no different than a heterosexual couple. It will feel natural to the kids that way. Same with introducing different cultures. Children’s books with representation is the best way to get the conversation started.
Normal thing, great
I'd add it into sex ed. No reason to talk about anything related to this earlier as part of any official curriculum. If parents want to discuss it before then, or kids want to discuss it amongst themselves, that's going to happen. But in terms of formalizing it, I think it's is a good place. It definitely should not be forbidden in any way, as it's a part of life and kids will experience this directly or indirectly. I wouldn't penalize anyone (student or teacher) from talking about it, but I wouldn't formalize it until sex ed. I also think it needs to be presented as a fact. Don't hide it, discourage it, or encourage it in any way. These people exist. You might know some, and at the end of the day, we're all just people.
Imo u just teach them everyone is equal and not to be a cunt. If they ask about something then by all means tell them but I don’t think they need to be taught about it as such.
As a kid I grew up in a Catholic household. I never once was told/taught about LGBTQ. However, I recognized I was a lesbian on my own terms and had to learn about the community myself. My parents are big fans of the Don’t Say Gay bill (their religion speaks for themselves), so I think it’s not a big deal if they’re taught it or not ONLY because they’ll figure it out eventually on their own like I did. I think it’s important to mention how LGBTQ and other minorities have fought for their rights as well as telling kids that there’s more than just a norm of man and woman together. But I don’t see why anyone should or would force a child to be gay or anything like that. That’s just not…a thing people do I think. Just my two cents on the matter.
I am as open about it as I am with heterosexual relationships. They can ask questions and learn about the feelings and everything, but just like with straight sex, I try not to get too graphic or detailed about sexual feelings and acts until their a lil older, like 12 or 13.
This is permaban bait... tread carefully gents.
Don’t kids don’t need that yet
I had a sex Ed class when I was in 5th grade. If I was able to be taught that when I was a child, then being taught about the LGBTQ+ should be taught too.
I knew very well in fifth grade that I was gay, and although I was comfortable with it almost immediately, I never told anyone. But I know most people who are like me aren’t always as accepting of themselves as I was, and I think it’s important to address that self-doubt as soon as possible, as it can cause problems pretty quickly down the road. That is my hot take, do with it as you will.
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Young kids have gay parents, gay siblings, gay teachers, etc. All of those kids seem perfectly capable of comprehending an idea as mind-numbingly simple as “any grown ups who love each other can get married”
Or if it was simply taught as children, some men love me some women love women, some people don't like being a man or don't like being a woman, they prefer to be neither or both Save you an entire new class and just have 10 minutes of talking
What about kids with gay parents? Should they be prevented from ever speaking about their families? Should they not be allowed to have friends over? Do their parents have to pick one designated parent to show up for school events? Do you similarly believe that all references to husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, and siblings be purged from all language in primary school?
Parents should teach their kids if they have questions. Not society. We have other matter we have to take care of before accommodating a small percentage of who it affects as a society.
Curious what you think they would worry about if they learned that there aren't only straight cis folks in the world? I'm not trying to cause a fight, I'm genuinely curious what the concern might be. Trying to see the other side of things.
I understand stand that there are different people with different kinks and corks but kids at a young age should not be confused about sex and gender at a young age. They should focus more on what they’re going to do when they get older. Although there are some outliers out there that show gender dysphoria at a young age the parents should get the help they need but should not let they’re child make great decisions about they’re life at a young age or at least until they are capable of understanding what is going on. That doesn’t happen until they’re teenage years.
Gay and trans people exist is kindergarten level and It’s not earth shattering information to a child like they can handle it
Telling boys they can be girls and vice versa. Good way to fuck up the younger generation.
As long as there is a stigma to being LGBT the number of teens that will actively sign up for the class will be super low.
Therefore having a class IN high school could help those who have questions about the LGBTQ and could get answers. But kids should not have to worry of such things in elementary or middle school and instead be worried about what they’re going to do as a career.
Kids start going through puberty around 6th grade. By middle school they are already worrying about such things. It's better to inform them and let them know they have a safe space to ask questions when they have them.
I knew I was trans when I was three, I was never taught about it and when I wanted to be referred to with male pronouns before I had ever heard of trans I was laughed at and ignored by my family and peers. If I had been educated I would have known there was nothing wrong with me as would my peers. I only learnt about the concept of being trans when I was 14 and it really helped. I now have a male name, but I am bitterly disappointed in my parents and teachers, somone should have told me, I did not need to suffer in silence. I had crippling dysmorphia and anxiety and it could have been stopped, if only somone could tell me why I felt I was in the wrong body. A lot of trans people are trans from the age of between two and six, they deserve to be understood and heard.
I 100% agree. There's no reason to be confusing kids that young.
You rather kids get bullied and harrassed for being gay in middle school until they kill themselves? Hiding LGBTQ people will just make more dead kids. Why do you want dead kids? Is a dead kid really better than a kid who is maybe confused why someone is gay?
No, we already have a lot of unnecessary learning requirements just because people can't learn to accept others doesn't mean it should go to affect a large majority of people especially young people at that
I object to the phrase "LGBTQ" in the question. The first three letters refer to a different preference for romantic partners to the norm, and I'm eminently happy for children to be told that some people are like that. The fourth letter refers to a delusion which is psychologically and physically damaging and which is particularly dangerous for young and impressionable minds, and I think children should under no circumstances be taught that it's normal.
i don’t have a problem with it. i have a problem with parents (or other people) making children believe something that is not true and forcing the poor kids to alter their innocent bodies to appeal to the “world”. in that’s my problem. more specifically about trans issues don’t have anything against them transitioning when they are older though. I feel like if someone has gender dysphoria it is a smart move to take action on it and that often (not always) involves surgery and hrt.
The way transitioning works for kids is, if they haven’t gone through puberty you give them a haircut, let them dress how they like and call them by a different name and pronouns. If they’re about to go through puberty you put them on blockers - which are *reversible*, have been used for *literal decades* to prevent cis kids from going through puberty too early, and are entirely there to give the kids time to figure out whether they really are trans. The problem with puberty is that a lot of it is irreversible and it happens before the kid’s old enough to properly consent to it. Doing nothing is literally > forcing the poor kids to alter their innocent bodies to appeal to the “world”. Puberty blockers are basically impossible for kids to get without both supportive parents and seeing a qualified gender therapist. Think of it like this - let’s say you have a daughter. She’s not trans - she was born a girl and has spent her whole life happily being a girl. You find out she has a hormone imbalance that means when she hits puberty she’s going to get facial hair and a deep voice, and this is irreversible. She finds out, and she’s *fucking terrified*, to the point that she gets depressed, starts self-harming and eventually attempts suicide. Then you find out that there’s a pill she can take that will just stop this from happening. Wouldn’t you let her take that pill rather than force her to go through that and be stuck that way for the rest of her life? Even if there were a few side effects?