The Homosexuality Discussion Thread

[Chrunch Houston]

 

[McLaren]

"Classical liberal, modern conservative".

Again, just more conservative trash trying to approach issues from a "gay person's view" to justify their bigotry against trans-people. Like Evan's video on how you don't have to be gay to have an opinion on gay issues; the message sounds good in general, but in reality, he's speaking to straight conservatives telling them they're more than free to voice their "opinions" on issues surrounding LGBTQ+ topics.

Man, seems like some folks like Chrunch or Dave Rubin will be more than happy to continue speaking on behalf of Conservative ignorance, even if it means to a point Republicans would actually be in a position to dispose of them.

 

[Scaff]

Complain about a (not actually) opinion piece and calls it (inaccurately) propaganda, then proceeds to (rather than offer any actually rational rebuttal) to post nothing but pure propaganda!

And if you actually buy that crap about this being 'brand new subject matter', as if the existence of LBGTQ+ people is modern and untested 'thing' then I have some really bad news for you about antiquity!

Here's an actual lawyer talking about why other due process from the SCOTUS are under threat and most likely the next target of the right.

Are your critical reasoning skills actually that poor you can't work out why that might be the case?

Big clue, it's not the California creating them option.

You know all those 'spinsters' your parents/grandparents/great-grandparents knew that were just friends who shared a house? Yeah them!

Ten Famous & Not-so-Famous Same-Sex Couples in Ancient History

History is recorded by individual human beings with their own beliefs and interests guiding what they choose to record, and, as such, many events and details may be omitted from the account of a certain...

www.worldhistory.org

 

[HenrySwanson]

Do you think there should be any teaching of sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and if so when would you say it is age appropriate?

Would you consider the same sex kiss in Disney's Lightyear "grooming"?

 

[UKMikey]

The important thing is that Gays Against Groomers has an appropriately emetic acronym.

 

[Joey D]

With regards to teaching stuff, it probably shouldn't be a lesson per se in school before a student reaches the appropriate level of biology or when schools teach sex ed (we got it in 5th grade). I don't think Kindergarten teachers would do that anyway. They're not having children gather around so they can show them hardcore gay porn and explain how it works. But kids are curious and ask questions. It's not unreasonable that a 1st grader would ask the question about two people of the same sex they saw kissing or asking why Suzie has two dads. Teachers are pretty good at giving age-appropriate answers and would probably say something along the lines of "well two boys or two girls can love each other" or "some people have two dads". Or they could just answer with a more scientific "there are millions of people in the world who love a person who's either a boy or a girl like them," which is a factual answer.

Those sorts of answers aren't "grooming" or whatever it's been labeled. It's a teacher answering a question posed by a kid. However, under these "don't say gay laws" that teacher could be fired or sued for merely answering the question of a curious kid. That's the problem with the laws.

The same thing goes for questions regarding transgender. A teacher could simply answer "there are millions of people in the world who don't feel comfortable as a girl or boy." If a kid presses for more information, a teacher could simply refer them to their doctor to have that discussion since that's probably where that discussion should take place. Although if a kid is struggling and feels comfortable with a teacher, there's no reason they shouldn't be able to come to that teacher before or after class to discuss it. Kids trust teachers and sometimes even spend more time with them than their own parents.

If a parent doesn't know their kid is struggling with their sexuality or gender identity, then they're not being a very involved parent or creating an atmosphere where your kid can come to you with a problem. I mean I have my own views on things, but if my son came to me with an issue like this, I would 100% listen and help him through it without villainizing him.

 

[Chrunch Houston]

Man, seems like some folks like Chrunch or Dave Rubin will be more than happy to continue speaking on behalf of Conservative ignorance, even if it means to a point Republicans would actually be in a position to dispose of them.

I am not a member of any political party, and I won't be disposed of (canceled) by anyone. I can't speak for Dave Rubin, who, in case people didn't know is a gay, married to a guy, conservative with either babies on the way, or a new father. I'm not sure if the babies have been born yet. But I believe he also won't allow himself to be canceled.

And if you actually buy that crap about this being 'brand new subject matter', as if the existence of LBGTQ+ people is modern and untested 'thing' then I have some really bad news for you about antiquity!

What is new is teaching this stuff to young children.

You know all those 'spinsters' your parents/grandparents/great-grandparents knew that were just friends who shared a house? Yeah them!

I don't need a gay history lesson from some straight guy. I know, and have lived the gay struggle. I realized I was gay while in the army. I was in before 'don't ask don't tell', and I was asked about my relationship with the guy I was in love with, and I had to lie to my platoon sergeant to avoid being thrown out.

I feel for those 'spinsters' and their lovers, their struggle was much harder than mine, but that was a long time ago.

Do you think there should be any teaching of sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and if so when would you say it is age appropriate?

I spent the first three and a half years of my education in the Jefferson County (Louisville Ky) Public School system. My mother sent me to a christian school in the middle of the fourth grade.

There was no sex talk, none. No gender talk at all. Kids don't need to be introduced to such things years before they even enter puberty.

I think kids should be taught about sexual orientation at about 13 or 14, when it begins to matter. If they are younger, and have a gay uncle or whatever, then the parents can explain it to them. But a whole class of fourth graders doesn't need to learn, in school, about sexual things just because little Johnny has a gay uncle.

Gender identity doesn't need to be taught at all. Up until about 5 minutes ago, gender dysphoria was considered a vary rare mental disorder and was treated as such on a case by case basis.

Would you consider the same sex kiss in Lightyear "grooming"?

I haven't seen the movie so I can't say. If it is important to the plot, then maybe it is ok, but thinking back, none of my toys were gay.

There have always been kid's films that contained innuendos that the adults got, but went over the heads of the kids. I don't know if the gay kiss was one of those or not.

 

[Danoff]

What is new is teaching this stuff to young children.

Citation needed. What is new is that some parents want to be able to get teachers fired for saying ANYTHING about topics like marriage or gender that goes against their zealot positions. Kindergarteners have a million questions for their teachers. Are you married? Who are you married to? How many kids do you have? Do you have a dog? Can boys marry boys? Why do I have to use that bathroom? Why do I have to close the door? Suzie says boys can marry boys but my mom says no, what's the answer?

There is a transgender elementary school aged kid in my neighborhood. Here's how that looks in kindergarten: "Can boys become girls"? "I heard a 3rd grade boy became a girl". "Suzie's sister is her brother now, can I do that? How does that work? Which bathroom does she use? Where does she pee from? Can she stand up to pee?"

Kindergarteners have a million questions, and some of their favorite topics are marriage, poop, pee, and gender. They're unbelievably pre-occupied with gender. The idea that a kindergarten teacher is facing being fired or prosecution for having ANY ANSWER AT ALL to these questions is the problem.

At least make an attempt to see the problem here.

Edit:

Full disclosure, one of my kids just finished kindergarten in May, and I've parented two kindergarteners previously.

 

[Chrunch Houston]

Citation needed. What is new is that some parents want to be able to get teachers fired for saying ANYTHING about topics like marriage or gender that goes against their zealot positions. Kindergarteners have a million questions for their teachers. Are you married? Who are you married to? How many kids do you have? Do you have a dog? Can boys marry boys? Why do I have to use that bathroom? Why do I have to close the door? Suzie says boys can marry boys but my mom says no, what's the answer?

There is a transgender elementary school aged kid in my neighborhood. Here's how that looks in kindergarten: "Can boys become girls"? "I heard a 3rd grade boy became a girl". "Suzie's sister is her brother now, can I do that? How does that work? Which bathroom does she use? Where does she pee from? Can she stand up to pee?"

Kindergarteners have a million questions, and some of their favorite topics are marriage, poop, pee, and gender. They're unbelievably pre-occupied with gender. The idea that a kindergarten teacher is facing being fired or prosecution for having ANY ANSWER AT ALL to these questions is the problem.

At least make an attempt to see the problem here.

Edit:

Full disclosure, one of my kids just finished kindergarten in May, and I've parented two kindergarteners previously.

When you were in kindergarten, did you have those questions? I sure didn't.

And if so, what did your kindergarten teacher tell you when you asked if you could become a girl? Absurd question, right?

If kids are asking questions like those it is because they were exposed to stuff they shouldn't have been exposed to.

 

[TexRex]

Broken beyond repair.

 

[Famine]

There was no sex talk, none. No gender talk at all. Kids don't need to be introduced to such things years before they even enter puberty.

This is insanely regressive.

Firstly, no kid grows up in isolation, and all kids are curious. Siblings and friend groups will always try and look at each others bits and there will be questions - not to mention seeing mummy/daddy naked in the bath/shower or whatever - siblings and friends are also the very worst place for kids to learn about their own genitals and why they're similar/different from the other one.

In addition, about 10% of the siblings, friends, parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, teachers, group leaders and so on will be trying to see the kid naked or touch their genitals. And that's a conservative estimate of the rate of noncing.

Kids must be taught about their genitals - and that their private parts are indeed private - so they don't learn stupid, wrong, and abusive things and get raped by babysitters or beat off their cousin because that's how grown-ups love each other. But I know bodily autonomy isn't high on your list of priorities since you think abortion is a states issue.

Puberty is also way, way too late to tell kids about puberty. Kids need to be prepared for puberty, because it's not exactly a joyride - and since it can start in normal circumstances at the age of seven (ignoring the adrenarche, which you shouldn't ignore [but then again biology is a word that Republicans only use in relation to LGBTQ+ and abortion, ignoring it in all other circumstances like immunology, evolution, and apparently sex education], and which can kick off at five) - thinking it's something for teenagers only is daft beyond words.

Boy puberty is embarrassing (things get bigger, hair appears in odd places, other things get bigger, your voice goes weird, you might get tits for a few months), but it's nothing compared to girl puberty. Girls have literally killed themselves after finding blood in their underwear for three days straight, thinking they were dying of cancer, because nobody told them it was normal and going to happen. Reminder: this can start age nine - adrenarche, pubarche and menarche are different stages of puberty.

I think kids should be taught about sexual orientation at about 13 or 14, when it begins to matter.

Why does it begin to matter then? You're usually aware of the outlines of your sexual orientation - particularly if it's more definitive - much, much younger than 13/14. Hell, kids have been electively having sex with each other younger than that for centuries.

I remember playing kiss-catch (also known as kiss-chase outside of Sheffield) when I was seven and I was very much into girls (particularly Alison Dale and Nancy... surname escapes me; she became a godbotherer later though; Edit: McLaren. Thank you 37-year long-term memory storage) and letting them catch me. I can't remember the name of the boy who'd try to catch me (and others), but that wasn't going to happen.

Again, 13/14 is waaaaay too late. And considering you're gay, bizarrely under-appreciative of the fact that one in ten kids in class will themselves be gay and wondering if there's something wrong with them for not fancying people of the opposite gender.

If they are younger, and have a gay uncle or whatever, then the parents can explain it to them. But a whole class of fourth graders doesn't need to learn, in school, about sexual things just because little Johnny has a gay uncle.

But gay things... exist. Gay teachers exist; are we to allow Mrs. Jones to tell her class, when asked or prompted, about things she's done with her husband over the weekend, but not allow Mr. Smith to tell his class, when asked or prompted, about things he's done with his husband over the weekend?

And gay kids exist. In a class of 30 "fourth graders" (9-10?), threeish will be gay. Do we just pretend that gay doesn't exist, forcing them to look only at a world that isn't real where men only marry women and never once allowing them the freedom to realise that they're normal too?

Seems awfully... "I had it hard being gay, so you have to as well".

none of my toys were gay.

Turned out not to matter though. Almost like you can't make gay kids straight by hiding gay from them. Or something.

 

[Danoff]

When you were in kindergarten, did you have those questions? I sure didn't.

No, I didn't. In fact, I lied about my kids being in kindergarten and made all of that stuff up. I've never even heard of a kindergartener being interested in marriage, boys, girls, bathrooms, or gender. I don't have a transgender kindergartener in my neighborhood either. I'm just gaslighting you and you found me out by pretending that back in the day kindergarteners didn't care about these OBVIOUS questions. [/s]

And if so, what did your kindergarten teacher tell you when you asked if you could become a girl? Absurd question, right?

I'm sure if anyone in my kindergarten asked if they could become the other gender, my teacher incorrectly said no. And I'm sure that happened, thousands of times across the country, when I was in kindergarten. Because as you say, it's "absurd" that you can change gender. And so many kids with deep issues grew up incorrectly thinking that they had no options.

If kids are asking questions like those it is because they were exposed to stuff they shouldn't have been exposed to.

Nonsense. Pure nonsense. You're saying my kinds shouldn't know about the elementary schooler one street over from me who goes by the other gender? Why? Why should I hide that, or lie? Is it sin or something?

My kids have an uncle who is now their aunt. Should they not know about that?

 

[Touring Mars]

If kids are asking questions like those it is because they were exposed to stuff they shouldn't have been exposed to.

But if kids are asking teachers or parents questions like that, then it is the responsibility/duty of informed adults to answer them properly and not leave kids to rely on dubious sources like the internet, chat groups, religious leaders or their peers who may not have a clue what they are talking about.

Although you seem to be alluding to the idea that kids shouldn't be exposed to this kind of information, as if it were the fault of some ultra-liberal teaching or political agenda, when it is very likely not. Kids' main source of questions is very likely (and ought to be) other kids - that's what they talk about whether you like it or not.

It is the duty of responsible adults to not only answer these kinds of questions properly, and also to make it clear to kids that having and asking questions about stuff like this is not only perfectly acceptable, but should be encouraged. The consequences of trying to suppress questions like this are far worse than actually answering them.

 

[Danoff]

My kids have a gay aunt, and a transgender aunt. I'm supposed to hide this so that they don't ask questions of their kindergarten teacher apparently...

 

[Joey D]

some of their favorite topics are marriage, poop, pee, and gender

I had no idea how much this was actually a thing until my son turned 3. So many questions revolve around pooping, peeing, or farting. I never thought I would have to look up "how do fish fart" so I could tell my son after a trip to the aquarium, but here I am.

If kids are asking questions like those it is because they were exposed to stuff they shouldn't have been exposed to.

Who decides what a kid should and shouldn't be exposed to? I don't care if my kid knows that people are gay, trans, whatever. Those people exist in society and my son asks questions every 12 seconds, chances are he's going to ask about it and I'm going to give him an answer. The only thing I try to protect my son from being exposed to is bigoted and racist assholes. Everything else is fair game and I'm not going to shelter him from sex-related topics, especially when it involves who can love who, since the answer is whoever you want as long as there's consent.

 

[TexRex]

My kids have a gay aunt, and a transgender aunt. I'm supposed to hide this so that they don't ask questions of their kindergarten teacher apparently...

It seems to me that simply not hiding this may actually make you a groomer.

 

[Danoff]

It seems to me that simply not hiding this may actually make you a groomer.

I know this wasn't serious but I'm on my soapbox now...

What am I supposed to do? Explain to my kids that the lady your aunt is with is just her friend, they don't live together. Errr... they do live together but they're just friends. Maids. Spinsters. Your uncle might look like a girl now, but let me tell you, he's a man. You should definitely keep calling him a he instead of a she because even though I call him she because that's the pronoun she prefers and I'm not an ass, I wouldn't want YOU to understand why I'm calling her a she so you should call him a he.

Or do I just shun one of my kids' relatives because they went against god's order and changed their gender? Then I can avoid telling my kids that their uncle is their aunt and instead tell them that their uncle is just a wicked demon-possessed skinsuit sent by the lord of sin to tempt them. That should make thing easier on their kindergarten teacher.

 

[Chrunch Houston]

Ok, I am not going to bother quoting here.

If a young child asks a kindergarten teacher questions regarding sexuality, what is wrong with the teacher simply saying ask your parents.

Ok, well I'll quote this. It's new and just popped up.

Who decides what a kid should and shouldn't be exposed to?

The parents.

You guys really do believe that 'it takes a village'.

 

[UKMikey]

Who decides what a kid should and shouldn't be exposed to?

The parents.

So why is state government getting involved?

You guys really do believe that 'it takes a village'.

And?

 

[Danoff]

If a young child asks a kindergarten teacher questions regarding sexuality, what is wrong with the teacher simply saying ask your parents.

"Ms. Teacher, are you married?"
"Ask your parents"
"Ms. Teacher, am I a boy?"
"Ask your parents"
"Mx. Teacher, are you a boy?"
"Ask your parents"

Idiotic.

 

[Famine]

The parents.

Just so you're aware, when you send your kids to school you literally give teachers the (limited) right to act as parents. It's a legal standard known as "in loco parentis" (in place of one's parents), and it allows teachers to act as parents in the best interests of a child (within the bounds of civil liberties).

If you don't wish that to happen, homeschool. Then you can shelter your kids from anything to do with penises and where they go until they're 21 if you like.

And yeah, kids talk about willies, fannies, bums, poo, farts, and wee pretty much 24/7. First time I saw a girl's parts we were both five.

 

[Scaff]

I am not a member of any political party, and I won't be disposed of (canceled) by anyone. I can't speak for Dave Rubin, who, in case people didn't know is a gay, married to a guy, conservative with either babies on the way, or a new father. I'm not sure if the babies have been born yet. But I believe he also won't allow himself to be canceled.

And if the law changes how will you manage that?

What is new is teaching this stuff to young children.

Define new, because it's certainly not that new in the UK, and as I mentioned in antiquity it was a normal part of life for a number of cultures, making it anything but new.

I don't need a gay history lesson from some straight guy. I know, and have lived the gay struggle. I realized I was gay while in the army. I was in before 'don't ask don't tell', and I was asked about my relationship with the guy I was in love with, and I had to lie to my platoon sergeant to avoid being thrown out.

It seems you do, given that what you suffered through you are more than happy for Florida to do to kids and teachers!

I feel for those 'spinsters' and their lovers, their struggle was much harder than mine, but that was a long time ago.

Yet you're supporting and cheering on laws that would/are seeing a return to that.

Ok, I am not going to bother quoting here.

If a young child asks a kindergarten teacher questions regarding sexuality, what is wrong with the teacher simply saying ask your parents.

Ok, well I'll quote this. It's new and just popped up.

The parents.

So you are 100% behind all aspects of relationships being removed from that environment, regardless of the sexual orientation it shows?

You guys really do believe that 'it takes a village'.

Yes, because some parents are utterly abhorrent individuals who have no intention of being honest and open with their kids, and should they wish to do so then home-schooling is an option. However a range and diversity of views is beneficial to child development when design and delivered by professionals (something that most parents are not in that regard).

 

[TexRex]

If a young child asks a kindergarten teacher questions regarding sexuality, what is wrong with the teacher simply saying ask your parents.

Timmy tells Lisa that he has two daddies; kids talk to one another. Lisa goes home and casually mentions between chicken nugget dunks during dinner what Timmy had mentioned to her, thinking nothing of it; kids talk to their parents about what other kids say. Lisa's daddy doesn't think nothing of it. Point of fact, Lisa's daddy thinks homosexuals are predators and doesn't shy away from telling Lisa as much. Lisa's daddy may not be such a good daddy. Lisa then goes to school the following day and relays to the class what her daddy said.

Would it not be a good idea to have a teacher offer an alternate viewpoint now that the class is fully engaged and what they're engaged in is a bigoted--and presumably you'd agree false-- viewpoint? Why not?

Ok, well I'll quote this. It's new and just popped up.

The parents.

So what Florida's HB 1557 does is it creates a civil cause of action with the barest of guidelines allowing parents to sue a school or district when an educator or another individual employed by said school or district discusses with children not explicitly limited to grade 3 matters of a "sexual" nature without defining that ambiguous descriptor or identifying anything that when subjected to children not explicitly limited to grade 3 results in legitimate harm. This happens even if other parents don't object to some of this broadly defined subject matter being discussed in class.

Why should such a broad cause of action exist?

And for those following along, you have still refused to identify legitimate harm.

 

[Scaff]

And so many kids with deep issues grew up incorrectly thinking that they had no options.

And the psychological harm that did to them will have almost certainly followed them into adulthood, if they lived that long. Yet @Chrunch Houston believes that should remain the case.

 

[Joey D]

The parents.

So why did you say "If kids are asking questions like those it is because they were exposed to stuff they shouldn't have been exposed to." Parents will have varying degrees of what they think their kids should and shouldn't be exposed to. So it's not kids being exposed to stuff they shouldn't be exposed to, it's kids being exposed to stuff that you disagree with. I don't care if my kid knows that homosexual people exist, or trans, or whatever. I don't care if my kid knows what sex is or asks questions about it. Just because you don't think he should know about that at his age, it doesn't bother me that he does. My parents were the same way and I grew up sheltered from pretty much nothing. I turned out just fine and I assume my son will too.

Teachers have the right to teach and answer questions while at school. Parents have the right to teach and answer questions while at home. If the answers are at odds with one another, then the kid can make up their own mind on it. This is why critical thinking skills are important. Having people accept whatever is told to them without thinking is the reason we have so many dumbasses believing conspiracy theories that are so far off in left field that they're practically in the bleachers.

You guys really do believe that 'it takes a village'.

Nope. I believe I'm responsible for my kid and will take the time to teach him the skills so he can come to a conclusion on his own. If a teacher says something to him, that's fine, it's just another perspective that can help him get to an answer. Living in an echo chamber is also how we get dumbasses.

The problem is too many parents don't do anything with their kids or just chastise them for believing anything other than what they (the parent) believe.

 

[UKMikey]

So why did you say "If kids are asking questions like those it is because they were exposed to stuff they shouldn't have been exposed to."

Sounds to me as if he considers himself part of the village.

 

[Scaff]

Nope. I believe I'm responsible for my kid and will take the time to teach him the skills so he can come to a conclusion on his own. If a teacher says something to him, that's fine, it's just another perspective that can help him get to an answer. Living in an echo chamber is also how we get dumbasses.

The other perspective would, in my view, constitute 'the village'. 'The village' doesn't remove parental responsibility, it builds upon it and challenges it, to (hopefully) result in a more rounded individual.

 

[TexRex]

So as a for-instance, I don't think a teacher should be discussing the ins and outs (no pun intended) of anal intercourse with elementary school students. To be honest, I don't know that I can identify legitimate harm resulting from said discussion, but I certainly think it's inappropriate.

Alternatively, I think it's plenty fine for a teacher to have a picture of his/her/their partner on his/her/their desk in class and for that teacher to explain the general circumstances of their relationship if a kid asks, understanding fully that kids are inquisitive and can be expected to ask.

 

[Danoff]

So as a for-instance, I don't think a teacher should be discussing the ins and outs (no pun intended) of anal intercourse with elementary school students. To be honest, I don't know that I can identify legitimate harm resulting from said discussion, but I certainly think it's inappropriate.

Alternatively, I think it's plenty fine for a teacher to have a picture of his/her/their partner on his/her/their desk in class and for that teacher to explain the general circumstances of their relationship if a kid asks, understanding fully that kids are inquisitive and can be expected to ask.

Agreed.

Sex education shouldn't go instantly from zero to 60. It shouldn't be "well, you had no idea sex existed yesterday, but today we're covering how whether aids can be transmitted via mouth-to-genital contact". Kids do kinda need to see those photos and have discussions about who can "get married" without understanding every detail behind that. It's how education works.

 

[Scotchboy]

So as a for-instance, I don't think a teacher should be discussing the ins and outs (no pun intended) of anal intercourse with elementary school students. To be honest, I don't know that I can identify legitimate harm resulting from said discussion, but I certainly think it's inappropriate.

Alternatively, I think it's plenty fine for a teacher to have a picture of his/her/their partner on his/her/their desk in class and for that teacher to explain the general circumstances of their relationship if a kid asks, understanding fully that kids are inquisitive and can be expected to ask.

What age is elementary school in other countries? Where I am (Scotland), primary school is age 5-11/12 and at age 10 we were taught the "ins and outs" of straight sex.

Incidentally, not directed at you but this topic generally, I was certain I was gay at 11. You know who spent years before that telling me that I am, that they think I am, etc.? The other kids at school, and because when I was a young kid Section 28 (a Conservative Thatcher 1980s policy banning the 'promotion' and therefore mention of LGBT topics in schools that was repealed in the 2000s) was still in force, teachers couldn't really do anything about the kids who were saying it. It wasn't allowed to be mentioned in schools, yet most kids all knew what gay meant at least enough to use it to identify those who probably were (e.g., me being a boy who is friends with all the girls) and use it to bully them. The only impression I had of being gay, as a result, was profoundly negative until I found resources and other things myself online. When I was 13, after section 28 was repealed, we finally got some very poor resources in PSE (personal and social education) in high school about it that were of no help whatsoever (one lesson literally encouraged us to come up with and even invent as many homophobic slurs as possible to illustrate things like perception, homophobia is bad (despite the lesson making homophobia fun), etc.) and often implied it as being a negative thing to be. Such a negative thing to be, in fact, that I went from being a generally successful, confident and happy kid who didn't let anything affect my sense of self to an indecisive, low-confidence, low self-esteem disaster person into my teens and that's still deeply affecting me now as I enter my 30s.
This aspect of the thread frustrates me because I can't understand why you wouldn't want your kids to learn about something in a safe and controlled environment rather than from a hateful relative or idiot kids down the street. I'd much rather everyone learned it was ok to be different or gay or trans or whatever from a very young age rather than having over a decade of negative bs from random idiots and surroundings informing a more hateful view instead. As for the kids asking things, yes they do ask unhinged questions all the time from a very young age. Kids will always ask their teachers about their lives once they realise teachers have their own lives, and that'll include asking about partners. If we ban them mentioning their same sex partners because 'that's forcing inappropriate sexuality on kids', then I would love to know what it is about straight sexuality displays that are significantly more overt and sexual and sometimes plain harassment/assault (prince kissing sleeping beauty, who is not able to consent because she is asleep) that is somehow absolutely fine? The double standard is not just madness, it's hateful.