Should Schools Teach Children About Homosexuality?

[Sunstone]

From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070224/us_nm/usa_gays_suit_dc

A federal judge in Boston has dismissed a suit by two families who wanted to stop a Massachusetts town and its public school system from teaching their children about gay marriage, court documents show.


The families last year filed the suit asserting that the reading of a gay-themed book and handing out to elementary school students of other children's books that discussed homosexuality without first notifying parents was a violation of their religious rights.
Federal Judge Mark Wolf ruled on Friday that public schools are "entitled to teach anything that is reasonably related to the goals of preparing students to become engaged and productive citizens in our democracy."


"Diversity is a hallmark of our nation. It is increasingly evident that our diversity includes differences in sexual orientation," he said.


He said the courts had decided in other cases that parents' rights to exercise their religious beliefs were not violated when their children were exposed to contrary ideas in school.


The complaint filed against the town of Lexington, about 12 miles west of Boston, had said the school had "begun a process of intentionally indoctrinating very young children to affirm the notion that homosexuality is right and normal in direct denigration of the plaintiffs' deeply held faith."


The book that sparked the case was "King & King" which tells the story of a crown prince who rejects a bevy of beautiful princesses, rebuffing each suitor until falling in love with a prince. The two marry, sealing the union with a kiss, and live happily ever after.
The Lexington school system had said reading the book was not intended as sex education but as a way to educate children about the world in which they live, especially in Massachusetts, the only U.S. state where gays and lesbians can legally wed.


A lawyer for the families said they would appeal the ruling, the Boston Globe reported on Saturday.


Should schools teach children about homosexuality?

Do parents have a right to block children from being taught about homosexuality on the grounds that teaching them violates the parent's religious beliefs?

 

[Bishka]

Honestly.....no.

But then again, I do not think the schools should be teaching any sort of sexual education, that should be up to the parents. The parents should really stop expecting the educational system to do their job, and start doing it themselves. As I see it, that will probably never happen, but I'd settle for an 'optional' sex education as long as the responsible parents would educate their children at home and the lazy ones could take the optional course of action.

Long answer for a short question..

 

[MaddLlama]

I agree with Becky, though in the article it said it wasn't really sex education, but it was a lesson on society - mainly since MA is one of the few states that has gay marriage, they're just teaching kids that such a concept exists. I wasnt under the impression that the school or the lesson was making some sort of political statement.
The state already says that "gays are ok", and parents who disagree for whatever reason have every right to tell their kid "your teacher is wrong, and gay people are not ok".

Does it violate a families religious beliefs to talk about world and classical religions in history class? Will we be hearing about lawsuits for teaching children about Islam and Greek mythology? Where does the line get drawn about what is and what isn't offensive to teach a kid? I suppose thats off topic.

 

[Comprehend]

Honestly.....no.

But then again, I do not think the schools should be teaching any sort of sexual education, that should be up to the parents. The parents should really stop expecting the educational system to do their job, and start doing it themselves. As I see it, that will probably never happen, but I'd settle for an 'optional' sex education as long as the responsible parents would educate their children at home and the lazy ones could take the optional course of action.

Long answer for a short question..

Ditto. Nice post soup.

 

[Quiddity]

Ditto. Nice post soup.

echo echo....

 

[Sunstone]

Honestly.....no.

But then again, I do not think the schools should be teaching any sort of sexual education, that should be up to the parents. The parents should really stop expecting the educational system to do their job, and start doing it themselves. As I see it, that will probably never happen, but I'd settle for an 'optional' sex education as long as the responsible parents would educate their children at home and the lazy ones could take the optional course of action.

Long answer for a short question..

But the article clearly states this is not about sexuality education. Rather, it's about teaching kids that there are such people as homosexuals. Are you opposed to schools teaching kids that homosexuality is a fact of life?

 

[Bishka]

But the article clearly states this is not about sexuality education.

I know

Rather, it's about teaching kids that there are such people as homosexuals. Are you opposed to schools teaching kids that homosexuality is a fact of life?

No, but are they teaching that heterosexuality is a fact of life? I don't for one recall it being taught except in sex ed. You just sort of knew it; and I think children just sort of 'know thing' without us having to tell them. Personally, I still think parents should be teaching this to their children.

 

[MaddLlama]

No, but are they teaching that heterosexuality is a fact of life? I don't for one recall it being taught except in sex ed. You just sort of knew it; and I think children just sort of 'know thing' without us having to tell them. Personally, I still think parents should be teaching this to their children.

If you live with something every day, do you need to be told that it exists?

 

[CelticRavenwolf]

Honestly.....no.

But then again, I do not think the schools should be teaching any sort of sexual education, that should be up to the parents. The parents should really stop expecting the educational system to do their job, and start doing it themselves. As I see it, that will probably never happen, but I'd settle for an 'optional' sex education as long as the responsible parents would educate their children at home and the lazy ones could take the optional course of action.

Long answer for a short question..

I disagree. The only sex education that I got was in school. Now, you may say that is a poor reflection on my parents, and I don't necessarily disagree - I probably wouldn't have been so awkward about it through my teen years if my parents had have been more forthcoming - but at the same time, I don't think all parents have the sheer facts. How many people would really know exactly how the reproductive system works if we didn't learn it in school? Crazy myths would run rampant because some parents would teach their kids that women can't get pregnant on their period, if the male pulls out before ejaculation, or if she doesn't have an orgasm. There's a lot of crazy stuff out there that adults believe, and they'd just be passing that ignorance on to their children.

Likewise, I believe that schools should be informing children about homosexuality. It seems that a lot of parents are afraid the schools will present this as a choice, eg "When you grow up you can be a doctor, lawyer or homosexual!". I don't think that is the case, and I think that teachers would have to be very careful to ensure that it isn't the case. But kids are going to learn about homosexuality one way or another, so in my opinion a school is an excellent controlled environment to do so.

 

[Bishka]

If you live with something every day, do you need to be told that it exists?

No. Just like people are living with homosexuality everyday. It's in our schools, at work, all around. I personally don't see why it needs to be discussed, but that is me. You don't see me passing any laws that it shouldn't be!

 

[MaddLlama]

Eh, I could go either way on this, so I choose the easy way out and opt not to have an opinion. It's over and done with at this point, so my opinion doesn't matter anyway

 

[Reverend Rick]

I believe the biggest issue was at what age children should find out about such things. If I remember correctly they were 8 years old. That is too young in my opinion.

Let me tell a story. An 8 year old child came home and asked where they came from. The Mother sat the child down and explained about reproduction. "Thats funny" the child said, "our neighbors came from Ohio!"

 

[CelticRavenwolf]

No. Just like people are living with homosexuality everyday. It's in our schools, at work, all around. I personally don't see why it needs to be discussed, but that is me. You don't see me passing any laws that it shouldn't be!

Again, I disagree. Grade school children don't necessarily know anything at all about homosexuality, and I don't think it's something that is instinctive knowledge, because the vast majority of the population just isn't wired that way. Do parents want to wait until they're walking in the mall with their kids and pass two women kissing and have to explain to their kid then and there what's going on? Or wait until they come home crying because kids on the playground called them a *** and they don't know what it means except that it was obviously an insult?

Lack of knowledge leads to intolerance, which is why there is still so much violence against gays.

 

[Reverend Rick]

If they want to teach this at 10 or 11, I have no problem with it. 8 years old is too young!

 

[klubbhead024]

Honestly.....no.

But then again, I do not think the schools should be teaching any sort of sexual education, that should be up to the parents. The parents should really stop expecting the educational system to do their job, and start doing it themselves.

Not once growing up did either of my parents talk to me about sex. I learned about it from the mandatory sex ed class, and then eventually learned on my own. I think the schools SHOULD teach sex ed.

I do however agree that parents rely to much on the educational system..

 

[klubbhead024]

If they want to teach this at 10 or 11, I have no problem with it. 8 years old is too young!

With 11 and 12 years olds getting pregnant, is it really to young?

 

[Reverend Rick]

That should be my judgement call not the schools. I don't live in the dark ages but want children to have a childhood. If your 11 year old is getting pregnant, they are unsupervised. 15 years old is another thing all together. You know what they say about the preachers daughter.

 

[klubbhead024]

That should be my judgement call not the schools. I don't live in the dark ages but want children to have a childhood. If your 11 year old is getting pregnant, they are unsupervised. 15 years old is another thing all together. You know what they say about the preachers daughter.

While I don't disagree with you about the fact that they are unsupervised.... why take the chance? Wouldn't it be possible for little Suzy to ride her bike over to little Tommy's house after school one day while the mother thinks she is at little Jenny's house?

 

[Comprehend]

But the article clearly states this is not about sexuality education. Rather, it's about teaching kids that there are such people as homosexuals. Are you opposed to schools teaching kids that homosexuality is a fact of life?

I am really not a big fan of schools teaching kids about social issues in general. I think that is what parents are for. I wonder how much Japanese and Chinese schools spend on social issues. Is there a reason they mop the floor with American students in Math and Science (and probably everything else too)?

A school should teach kids math, science, english, history, etc. I don't think they should address why Jimmy has two daddies.

 

[Reverend Rick]

This is a hot topic for me because I have a 15 year old daughter. She goes to the movies or stays at friends houses and does have unsupervised time as she should at that age. At 11 she did not have these opportunities. She was drove to school and picked up from school and extra activities we were there to cheer or coach. She was never unsupervised. You have to let your children grow up, you do not have to travel in the fast lane.