“Mommy Got Married To Mommy.”
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In 2004, same sex marriage became legal in Goodridge vs. Mass. Department of Public Health, it was a landmark lawsuit in the state of Massachusetts. While reading “Heather’s Moms Got Married?” by Mary Cowhey. There’s a different between I have two mothers. Which is my real mother and my step mother (my father’s wife) to my mother and her lifelong partner (another female) who got married to each other. Now, will children really know the different? If so, is it fair to let them know, at such a young age, about this issue “Same Sex Marriage?”
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When one of the parents in this story was wearing a T-shirt saying: “We’re here. We’re gay. And We’re on the PTA.” How does that help me? As a Christian teacher there will be a lot of challenges ahead of me. “Don’t get me wrong,” I will not teach my personal belief onto my students. So how can a parent who is gay expect a teacher like me to teach other students their belief? I have an uncle who became an auntie and a cousin who is a lesbian, both of them have such a big heart and so much love for their family and friends. So it’s hard for me to pick sides. Until “Same Sex Marriage” becomes a curriculum in the educational system, I will not teach this subject.
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I have three questions: 1) How can we incorporate gay and lesbian themes and subject matters into our school curriculum? 2) How do we teach it? 3) How can we teach our students same sex marriage when they are just learning their ABC’s and 1-2-3?
Do we wait until it becomes a required part of curriculum to voice our objections on teaching alternative lifestyles in preschool or do we do something about it now. It is much like the article we read this week where children are taught that they can make a difference and in large group you have a voice that will be heard. So often we have just sat back and let government make decisions that we know is wrong and much to do with leaving God out of schools and government and yet it was Godly principles that this nation was founded upon. I wonder what is the percentage of people are we talking about, and what do the other families think about teaching such a topic to young children?
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point. It is increasingly more comfortable for society to talk about it, but when do we start with young children and how? It's a very sensitive subject as we all know, but it's reality. Children notice differences and will be curious and question. I like how you compared it to religion. You have your own beliefs and in a sense with people who are gay and lesbian have a different lifestyle "beliefs." It puts you in a tough position. Do you think at one point, the topic of race was as sensitive as this? Do you think it's hard to talk about because it's not accepted yet by everyone enough to be a comfortable subject? Will it ever be? I think people of gay/lesbian lifestyles need acknowledgment some how and some way since they too are parents of the children we teach.
ReplyDeletehi gary!
ReplyDeleteThis week's reading was a great topic. Yes, it's a very sensitive topic. How can we as educators start to discuss this with the young children we care for?
Family structures today are not always comprised of a mother and father, as we all know. I like how the author pointed out how some children are raised by step-parents.
In our field, we generally think of ourselves as providing education and care for children. In fact, in caring for the children we are also caring for their families. It is our role to support families, but how do we do it if they aren't comfortable sharing information with us?
-suzanne
Hi Gary,
ReplyDeleteDo teachers teach a hetereosexual curriculum in current classrooms? I am not sure what homosexual curriculum you are speaking about. What I do know is that 1 in 10 children are gay and same-sex partnerships are part of the community. Regardless of your beliefs, how will you welcome these children and families into your classroom? I also wonder how tolerance might be part of this discussion. As teachers, we are often positioned as leaders in the community and guides to young children. If we practice tolerance and acceptance, how might our classroom and community be impacted?
Jeanne
Hi, I just had to respond as I feel that people are talking about this as a "belief" as in religion but does a black person choose to believe in being black or are they just born that way? Same with homosexuality.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice that you have family who can give you some perspective of this matter. I think it is fine to have your beliefs but it is also important to make sure that all children have equal opportunities and feel included. Have you considered incorporating the topic in your classroom if there were children in the class who had parents who were homosexuals. It does not need to be made into a big deal, but children are often use to their kind of family and may not be understanding of those that are different. I would not want a child in my class to feel excluded because of their parent’s sexual orientation. You do not need to teach it as a full-length lesson but you could explain how all families are different and there is not a correct format for a family. Just as we would not want children who live with their grandparents to feel like they do not have a good enough family. It is our job to help children feel included and be accepting of others and we need to find ways to do that for the sake of the children.
ReplyDeleteHi Gary, your question about teaching children about the same sex parents is simple. Teach children about the different families that are in the schools and that no matter who raises a child the parents that do love that child. It may be a touchy subject with parents of the the opposite sex, this may be big deal and they may not want in their child to be apart of a lesson such as that, you could approach it in a way that makes parents feel comfortable. You could start of with something like family scrap booking for the class, have each family make a scarp book page and make it into a classroom family scrapbook. Let the children take the conversation from there, they will ask the questions that they need answered.
ReplyDelete