At what age should kids be exposed to teachings about homosexuality in school?

[Maidenrules29]

Big hubbub in the Temecula, CA school district over the banning of a CA history textbook that has a short Harvey Milk bio. Should 4th graders be learning about assassinated gay rights activists? Is that maybe a little too young? Chime in!!

California replaces textbooks canceled by far-right board

Newsom's announcement is the latest development in a feud between state Democrats and a conservative school board.

www.politico.com

 

[Phys251]

Big hubbub in the Temecula, CA school district over the banning of a CA history textbook that has a short Harvey Milk bio. Should 4th graders be learning about assassinated gay rights activists? Is that maybe a little too young? Chime in!!

California replaces textbooks canceled by far-right board

Newsom's announcement is the latest development in a feud between state Democrats and a conservative school board.

www.politico.com

If it's OK for a child to see a man kissing a woman, it's OK for a child to see a man kissing another man.

 

[noonereal]

Big hubbub in the Temecula, CA school district over the banning of a CA history textbook that has a short Harvey Milk bio. Should 4th graders be learning about assassinated gay rights activists? Is that maybe a little too young? Chime in!!

California replaces textbooks canceled by far-right board

Newsom's announcement is the latest development in a feud between state Democrats and a conservative school board.

www.politico.com

Exposed? You mean taught that some people differant.
I don't know what age is appropriate as I am not an educator. I would defer that decision to the professionals.

 

[Jessie C]

I agree Phys, but as far as education in school, 4th graders being what, 9 or 10? That's too young. At least wait till they're hormonal tweens in middle school. Just mho...

 

[Maidenrules29]

If it's OK for a child to see a man kissing a woman, it's OK for a child to see a man kissing another man.

That's not the topic.

 

[Phys251]

That's not the topic.

You can infer my position to the OP based on Post #2. Try hard, you just might get it.

 

[Credence]

Exposed? You mean taught that some people differant.
I don't know what age is appropriate as I am not an educator. I would defer that decision to the professionals.

I think it is the parents who are more uncomfortable than the child. A child inherently is inquisitive and IMO the topic could just be discussed in an age appropriate manner.

I also think most teachers know what is age appropriate and most just answer questions posed by the child

If nothing else, I believe it encourages respect for others who are different from them

I think questions are best answered by an educator than for a child to hear stuff from a friend

 

[Geoist]

Big hubbub in the Temecula, CA school district over the banning of a CA history textbook that has a short Harvey Milk bio. Should 4th graders be learning about assassinated gay rights activists? Is that maybe a little too young? Chime in!!

California replaces textbooks canceled by far-right board

Newsom's announcement is the latest development in a feud between state Democrats and a conservative school board.

www.politico.com

Here's a similar question right back at you: At what age should kids be exposed to heterosexuality in school?

 

[Geoist]

If it's OK for a child to see a man kissing a woman, it's OK for a child to see a man kissing another man.

^This

 

[OrphanSlug]

Big hubbub in the Temecula, CA school district over the banning of a CA history textbook that has a short Harvey Milk bio. Should 4th graders be learning about assassinated gay rights activists? Is that maybe a little too young? Chime in!!

California replaces textbooks canceled by far-right board

Newsom's announcement is the latest development in a feud between state Democrats and a conservative school board.

www.politico.com

Why, specifically, is this an issue to learn about at the 4th grade level?

All we are talking about is a textbook including "a half-page bio of Harvey Milk" with seemingly very little in-depth conversation on the reasonings for the event, meaning very little reason to conclude that 4th graders are all of a sudden going to be jedi mind tricked into becoming militant gay rights advocates, nor magically become gay themselves, because of this one half-page bio.

 

[Credence]

If it's OK for a child to see a man kissing a woman, it's OK for a child to see a man kissing another man.

They may also have a friend they like who has two moms or two dads and can be confusing and more likely than not a young child will just have questions
It should be explained in an age appropriate manner which as I mentioned above encourages respect for others who are different.
This could also relate to different races, religions, etc

 

[Maidenrules29]

Exposed? You mean taught that some people differant.
I don't know what age is appropriate as I am not an educator. I would defer that decision to the professionals.

I think that kids learning about homosexuality should be organic, and not forced by whatever "professional educators" think is the right way and right age. If a kid is with his parents at a restaurant, and in the booth across the aisle there are two men or two women having a quick kiss, that is a good way for the parents to tell their kids that sometimes men like other men, etc. instead of boys liking girls and vice-versa. I believe parents hold the exclusive right to be the ones to teach their kids about homosexuality before the school system gets involved. Are some parents maybe bigoted againsts homosexuals? Yes. But in time and with exposure to people, most of those kids will become tolerant. My parents were somewhat bigoted against homosexuals. They were southern baptists. All it took for me was a little exposure in my late teens and early 20's while working with lots of different types of people in the restaurant industry to realize my parents were ignorant.

 

[Maidenrules29]

Why, specifically, is this an issue to learn about at the 4th grade level?

All we are talking about is a textbook including "a half-page bio of Harvey Milk" with seemingly very little in-depth conversation on the reasonings for the event, meaning very little reason to conclude that 4th graders are all of a sudden going to be jedi mind tricked into becoming militant gay rights advocates, nor magically become gay themselves, because of this one half-page bio.

It would be interesting to see the actual text so that we could know whether those who canceled the textbook were being hypersensitive.

 

[Credence]

I think that kids learning about homosexuality should be organic, and not forced by whatever "professional educators" think is the right way and right age. If a kid is with his parents at a restaurant, and in the booth across the aisle there are two men or two women having a quick kiss, that is a good way for the parents to tell their kids that sometimes men like other men, etc. instead of boys liking girls and vice-versa. I believe parents hold the exclusive right to be the ones to teach their kids about homosexuality before the school system gets involved. Are some parents maybe bigoted againsts homosexuals? Yes. But in time and with exposure to people, most of those kids will become tolerant. My parents were somewhat bigoted against homosexuals. They were southern baptists. All it took for me was a little exposure in my late teens and early 20's while working with lots of different types of people in the restaurant industry to realize my parents were ignorant.

Why do you think educators force the discussion?

Also I am sorry that it took you until you were in your late teens/early 20's when you learned about different people.

Children can tolerate questions answered as early as day or pre-school. No one is saying they have to have a full blown discussion but questions answered appropriate to a child's age

IMO the younger the child learns about differences whether gay, race, religion; the better off they are as they age and it encourages respect and tolerance

I have seen younger children teach their parents ........... a child learns what he/she lives

 

[weaver2]

Big hubbub in the Temecula, CA school district over the banning of a CA history textbook that has a short Harvey Milk bio. Should 4th graders be learning about assassinated gay rights activists? Is that maybe a little too young? Chime in!!

California replaces textbooks canceled by far-right board

Newsom's announcement is the latest development in a feud between state Democrats and a conservative school board.

www.politico.com

The topic of homosexuality should be introduced when kids start calling each other "fag" on the play-ground.

 

[Maidenrules29]

Here's a similar question right back at you: At what age should kids be exposed to heterosexuality in school?

If, by heterosexuality you mean basic human reproductive biology, I believe that occurs around 8th grade unless I am mistaken. At least it was back in my day.

 

[Geoist]

If, by heterosexuality you mean basic human reproductive biology, I believe that occurs around 8th grade unless I am mistaken. At least it was back in my day.

Is it heterosexual for a man to kiss his wife? Are we implying heterosexuality when we discuss the wives of former presidents?

 

[Maidenrules29]

Also I am sorry that it took you until you were in your late teens/early 20's when you learned about different people

I just wasn't exposed to any homosexual people. But I did overhear some disparinging remarks about homosexuals. This was the late 70's- early to mid 80's in Texas.

 

[Credence]

One of my favorite poems, printed and taped to my fridge when my children were very young
I am so proud of the children we raised.

Children Learn What They Live
~ Dorothy Law Nolte

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy.

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.

If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient.

If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate.

If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.

If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.

If children live with security,
they learn to have faith in themselves and others.

If children live with friendliness,
they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

 

[Geoist]

I just wasn't exposed to any homosexual people.

You were, you just didn't know about them. Assuming you're 40+, most of them were likely in the closet because society was far less accepting of them.

Do you want to return to the time when gay people were in the closet?

 

[JasperL]

Big hubbub in the Temecula, CA school district over the banning of a CA history textbook that has a short Harvey Milk bio. Should 4th graders be learning about assassinated gay rights activists? Is that maybe a little too young? Chime in!!

California replaces textbooks canceled by far-right board

Newsom's announcement is the latest development in a feud between state Democrats and a conservative school board.

www.politico.com

I think the question is whether a couple of paragraphs about an assassinated GAY!!! rights 'activist' in supplemental materials enough to ban a book, and the answer is of course not. It's culture war BS, and the worst kind of that stuff.

 

[OrphanSlug]

It would be interesting to see the actual text so that we could know whether those who canceled the textbook were being hypersensitive.

Until someone gets their hands on the textbook in question, to review why this half-page bio is even there, all we have is speculation.

But to the broader point of kids being "exposed" to teachings about homosexuality, one must ask themselves what is the fundamental purpose of education. If you agree that the main purpose, even at the risk of being overly simplistic about this, is to provide an opportunity for acquiring the knowledge and skills that will enable people to develop to their potential, to become successful members of society, and to prepare them for what they will encounter *then* you can conclude that a 4th grader at least learning what homosexuality is should not be all that alarming.

Again, the caveat of how that conversation is being framed and to what end. Knowledge is one thing, indoctrinating to an ideology or political goal is another.

It may be risky assumption but it seems like some overreaction here, what I did no notice from the article (nor a subsequent search on this story) was some notion that the bio (or the lesson itself) was some intentional piece designed to force a choice on the subject. We may be wrong but until we have something, anything, that suggests ideology or political intentions then... perhaps Newsom is not that far off the mark even with the pushback.

But, perhaps others are right and see something in the lesson that should bring us conversation.

 

[Maidenrules29]

Is it heterosexual for a man to kiss his wife?

I would suppose so. I've also read that heterosexual men can kiss other heterosexual men on the lips for "good feelings"

Are we implying heterosexuality when we discuss the wives of former presidents?

Please elaborate.

 

[Jessie C]

I think it is the parents who are more uncomfortable than the child. A child inherently is inquisitive and IMO the topic could just be discussed in an age appropriate manner.

I also think most teachers know what is age appropriate and most just answer questions posed by the child

If nothing else, I believe it encourages respect for others who are different from them

I think questions are best answered by an educator than for a child to hear stuff from a friend

Completely agree. If adults didn't make such a big deal about it by calling attention to it, their kids wouldn't either! These damn parents are projecting their own beliefs on their kids. Sickening. But something tells me it's gonna come back to bite them down the road.

 

[Maidenrules29]

Again, the caveat of how that conversation is being framed and to what end. Knowledge is one thing, indoctrinating to an ideology or political goal is another.

^^^