The following article is about a string of children's books (for ages 4-11) released in London that have gay couples as the primary characters. It has caused a lot of controversy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/mar/11/gayrights.books
I, personally, disagree with the gay characters. Homophobia is a controversial issue for more grown up people. Just like the topics such as sex and drugs, homophobia is not something the majority of people stand up and clap for. It is generally frowned upon or just not talked about publicly. There are those households out there with children who have two parents of the same sex, but I think that showing it in the children's books might be too over the top for the other children. The world is changing though. Sex, drinking, and drugs are more openly talked about, but I think most everybody would agree that it is still too young for a four year old to read about. The child would probably not even be able to comprehend the situation. It all depends on what leaders in the world want to see. Unfortunately, it is mostly up to them how future generations grow up.
What are your thoughts about gay couples in children's books? How do you think the release of books in London will affect people?
I don’t see how parents don’t understand that these issues will come up for kids in school and that in public schools there is no hiding such topics anymore. I think that it’s important to realize that you can’t hide social issues from kids unless you are going to choose to send them to a private school with all of the same types of kids. It seems to be a common trend that most parents either beat a kid to the punch with the “Birds and the Bees” talk or they have it as soon as their kid asks about it. I think it is important to have discussions with kids about social issues like gay marriage as soon as a kid is aware of it. That way they are less confused and influenced by what they hear on the TV, from their friends or in books but instead are directed in their thoughts by what we as parents or teachers tell them. Like you, I’m sure there are lots of other parents who don’t want their kids reading books about this topic because they don’t agree with it. While some teachers want to shape kids in other ways than just strictly teaching them the academic material, we don’t live in a world yet where that is acceptable. Teachers can’t teach kids about our opinion on an issue unless the parents agree with that view or else it could be a lost cause, considering the influence parents have on young kids. A few teachers deviating from the curriculum and incorporating books they feel are important sounds disastrous to me. This could cause so many problems with the parents and the school system that I don’t think it would be worth it for a teacher. This is why I think we are kind of stuck, because social change can happen through education but instances like this show that we can’t make changes in the schools until there are changes in society and the way parents think. Ultimately I think parents need to accept that fact that kids know more about social issues than they may want and they shouldn’t force teachers to avoid the subjects that are pertinent in their classrooms.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the age of children's books is too young to be discussing topics of that nature. I mean why? Why even open their eyes to that? It's unnecessary. Totally unnecessary because every human discovers that gay is an option. Much like every human discovers the idea of sex. So making that correlation, do we offer children's books discussing sex? At four years old, do we have the birds and the bees conversation? And if we don't, if we don't have the birds and the bees talk with my little girl by age five will she automatically become a stripper? No. The answer is no. That said, we don't offer children's books about sex. We shouldn't provide books to our elementary school kids revealing gay or lesbian to them unless parents are willing to discuss the birds and bees with them, as well as telling them "oh did we mention a man can do that with a man too," before they read it to them.
ReplyDeleteI don't see a problem at all with having gay couples in children's books. Just because there are books that bring up the social issue of gay couples doesn't mean that they need to be brought into schools. Every parent has their own opinion as to when they think their child should be exposed to such social issue, and I think their absolutely should be books out there for the parents to use for when they are ready for the children to learn about gay couples. The bottom line is that we live in a world where there are gay people, whether being gay is an “option” or they were born that way. Children will eventually be exposed to them, which gay people are just the same as everyone else. By not having any books with gay couples and not talking about gay people with your kids, basically hiding it from them, isn’t that just making it seem like there is something wrong with being gay? Once they do discover gay couples from their peers or other people around them, don’t you think that is just setting them up to treat them differently and automatically thinking it’s not right to be gay because they weren’t informed? Also, I agree with Rachel, the world IS changing. With this change there will be children that have two parents of the same sex. Why not provide them with a book that they can really relate to! I don’t see anything wrong with London releasing these books. I think they would be a really great resource for parents to use when they are ready to talk about such things with their children.
ReplyDeleteIntroducing young children to literature that involves sexuality issues that are beyond a normal understanding is not a good idea. I don't feel there is a realistic understanding to answer the simple questions that might arise about gay relationships. How are these things presented to children in a non harmful manor introducing same sex relationships in society? Are we as adults even ready or accepting of gay relationships openly? Children respond to what they see in the way their minds allow them at their present level. They operate with more instinctive minds seeing and reacting oppose to reflecting on what they see.
ReplyDeleteI think it all depends on how the gay couples are incorporated into the story and how often. I think we need to ease our way into exposing children to the fact that same sex couples exist. When you are a kid and you are first exposed to the idea it probably comes with shock and confusion. But I think that our society is moving in a direction that same sex couples will be much more common and accepted so kids need to be ready to enter society with that mind set. But I think if we are going to expose them it needs to be slowly, rather than reading them a whole bunch of books with gay primary characters. Eventually we may reach the point where parents are not afraid to expose their kids to homosexuality so there is no shock and awe factor accompanied with it.
ReplyDeleteWhen you think about a children's book like, And Tango Makes Three, which focuses on two male adult penguins who "adopt" a baby penguin to start a family (which I believe is actually based on a true story of two male penguins in a zoo), the point isn't to teach kids that adults have sex. I agree that four year olds are too young for that topic no matter what sexual orientation the parents are. Sex isn't brought up in books with gay parents any more than it is brought up in books with heterosexual parents. I think the point is to show all kids, whether they have homosexual or heterosexual parents that family isn't necessarily mom and dad. It can be mom and mom or dad and dad. I also think that if kids are exposed to the idea that a family is made up of people who love each other, they will not be judgmental as they grow up and meet gay people in their lives. Homophobia is caused because people are afraid of what's different and unknown and they're taught from a young age that homosexuality is wrong. If young readers are exposed to diversity regarding sexuality it will wipe out both of those factors. Homosexuality won't be unknown and scary and it won't be viewed as wrong since they are used to the idea.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aaron in the thought that its necessary to give adequate knowledge and detail of the topic in the medium it is delivered. If you deliver a product with a simplistic dumbed down view on gay or lesbian then the child will grow up reading a book that embodies a bias or an idea of something used as an adult that is underdeveloped.
ReplyDeleteYet I agree with Katherine that the point isn't to teach them that two males can have sex if there were a book with gay relationships but if it were to happen where the topic of sex isn't brought up in the matter at all. And perhaps the story is done tastefully with animal personification and allegory. It may be admirable.