Blog: Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

 Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families

I believe that children should be sheltered from certain things until a certain age. When children are exposed to same sex relationships such as having two mom’s or two dads, parent should educate children to the degree in which the child understands. You can’t tell a two year old “mom like sue and we’re in love and expect the child to understand. Children should learn age appropriate materials on gay and lesbians. The same holds for same sex partners. I don’t feel that it should be avoided; I feel that it should be decided at what age/grade children should be exposed to information about people that live this type of lifestyle.

 

If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms such as "fag," "gay," "homo," "sissy," "tom boy," or "lesbo" as an insult by a child toward another child? Or, by an adult toward a child? Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all children? (Note: if you have not had a personal experience, ask a family member, friend, or colleague)

I have experienced my grandson saying or calling my daughter gay. He is five and she is thirteen. I’m sure he has heard and adult in a conversation with another adult say the word “gay” when referring to someone or the subject of the conversation. When I heard him say to my daughter “T.T. you’re gay, I asked him what gay meant. He laughed and said I don’t know.  I explained to him as best I could why T.T. wasn’t gay, but at five years old how could I explain to him what gay was/is? I just asked him not to say it anymore until he knew what he was saying and I told him to ask his dad what it meant. I know for a fact that he does not watch anything on television but educational programs or cartoons. Where he heard those words came from an adult. My best reaction at the time was to ask his dad.

Both internalized privilege and internalized oppression derive from misinformation about one's social identity group (e.g., being 'less than' or 'more than' other groups) and from the societal realities and messages (both overt and covert) about power differences between groups. While young children do not yet understand the full implication of the power and resource differences they observe around them, seeds of ideas about power and social identity do plant themselves and come to flower more fully in later childhood" (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p. 17).


"I will no sit by and allow my grand  child to be confused about what gay or any of the other sexisms. When he becoms age appropiate, I will talk to his parents about things he should know. All aprents are not aware of what children should and should not know and at what age thesy shoiuld know." Thanks God they (my children/grandchildren) have me.