Just So You Know - Your Worst Fear, It's Already Too Late

This week's visit meter is kind of flipping me off.

You seem bored; have something to read:

One of the biggest reasons conservatives say they are against gay marriage, and even the normalization of homosexuality in general, is the worry that the gay life style and same-sex marriage will be taught in public schools and will sway confused children to experiment with immorality.

So much about this argument drives me beyond crazy. (and if you happen to be a conservative who would like to clarify or rephrase this stand feel free)

So, did you watch the video? The one that anonymous kindly suggested for you? About Robb and Robin who's little 2nd grader had to sit through a reading of King and King? And they sued? And lost?

Did you read the article? The one that called the mom "dutiful if somewhat dour" and the dad "handsome, bright, hard-working" and said my church's "real concern is preventing gay and lesbian people from accessing equal rights." Because Mormons are a bunch of bigots. (Thank Dan Aiello for that bit of unbiased journalism).

I dismiss both pieces of evidence. They are both full of lies, misrepresentations, and seek to further an agenda rather than expose truth. Hateful, ignorant lies, with a dash of truth to make it go down easier, but swallowing either of those whole will make you sick. (makes me sick anyway)

YOU silly people who think that legalizing gay marriage will mean that SUDDENLY your kids will be taught to accept and embrace the homosexual lifestyle: YOU ARE THE PARENTS. You are responsible to teach your children right from wrong, as best you can. If you're child comes home saying that the speed of light is 1,255,466 gazzillion bubillion miles an hour, you tell them, "No, no, sweetie, it's 299,792,458 m/s". And if they ask you to prove it? Then you have to go into how we just have faith and because that's what the scientists say is true.

And YOU silly people, on both sides, who CLEARLY have not been volunteering in elementary schools lately. They already know. The big brothers have been calling the little brothers "gay" every time they wanted to hug for their whole life. The problem is, just like all of us, for the most part, gay is used as an insult. Of course, so is being a girl. So is every other physical detail or behavior that fails to conform with whatever standard the childish think is right.

I volunteered on Friday to chaperon a walking field trip to the local grocery store. "Find a buddy," teacher yells. "Hold your buddy's hand and stick together!"

"EWWW! NO WAY! That's gay," says two boys in front of me. Then, they see two other boys complying with the teacher's orders and respond, "You guys are gay!" At which point these boys stop obeying teacher to maintain respect with peers.

Later that day, my 3 year old Canon got it in his head that he really, really wanted to kiss and hug on his big brother. A lot. He was being obnoxious and silly. "Canon, get off me, you're being gay."

They were tumbling just to the side of me (I'm almost always sitting on the floor - ring side seats, watch the action) and I said, in a completely casual, almost mocking tone, "Do you know what that means?" (he and I have discussed it once before, a bit, but he'd never used it as an adjective; he asked me if I knew what it meant, as if to educate me, in case I was out of the loop - yeah, he doesn't read the blog much).

Here's what 1st graders know: "It's when a boy and a boy wanna be all smoochy smoochy or a girl and a girl wanna be all smoochy smoochy. Or even if a husband and wife want to be smoochy smoochy with another boy or girl. That would be gay too, for one of them."

"Who told you that?"

"[My teacher?]"

"[Your teacher]? Why would she tell you that?"

"I don't know."

Me either. But I'm not offended. Maybe the kids in class kept calling each other gay inappropriately (as opposed to the appropriate usage examples they demonstrated when I was there). Maybe one of the students asked her, and, being a professional educator, she answered the question. When my kids ask me something, I try to give them the right, true answer.

Except for the polygamy confusion, he knows what it means. He just can't quite wrap his head around the concept that it's a sometimes accurate description of behavior, not an always accurate description. Boys can hold hands, hug, kiss and be totally not gay. Or they might be. 1st graders just aren't elegant thinkers.

That's all I wanted to say: Don't be so naive. It's being taught, they already know ... it's not a big deal. Go about your business of teaching your kid right from wrong, as you see fit. But just FYI, this is the real world and you should probably start talking to your kids NOW. Or yesterday. Tolerance is good; very, very good. Let's be tolerant.

The end.