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Kids love a Pride parade
Yesterday, I took my sons, for the first time, to the Pride parade. We sat in front of Walker's Pint, and like other parades, they had a blast collecting hundreds of pieces of candy, beads and other baubles thrown from colorful floats.
My 6-year-old was particularly enamored with a small Ziploc bag he snatched off the street after a man in a dress threw a bunch of them into the crowd. Inside the bag was, what my son called, "balloons and hand sanitizer."
I mentioned this to my friend standing next to me, and she asked, half-joking but maybe half not, "Teachable moment?"
We chuckled, but it became the theme of the afternoon. How much do I explain to 6- and 7-year-olds? We started the event with my son asking what "pride" meant. This was easy; I was happy to reiterate that people have different preferences and lifestyles. Then we talked a little about boys kissing boys and girls kissing girls. I told him it was OK.
Also, we talked about "boys who become girls" which was apparently something he caught wind of at school. He asked excellent questions, like if a person has different thoughts after they have a surgery that changes them from a boy to a girl. I found all of this fodder to be healthy, and appreciated the parade for opening up this line of discussion.
I also took the opportunity to reinforce my favorite "bumper sticker" family value. I told him love, not blood, makes a family. This is particularly important for me to express because my son is adopted and also because his father and I are not together anymore and we might welcome others into our family someday.
But when he asked, straight up, if indeed the items inside his Ziploc bag were "balloons and hand sanitizer" I decided enough information had already been dispensed. And so I said, "I'm not sure" and eventually swapped it from his little hand for an assortment of Tootsie Rolls.
Talkbacks
tvgal2000 | June 21, 2010 at 10:20 a.m. (report)
It appalls me that there are so many f*cked up people out there! PEOPLE! Being gay/lesbian IS NOT A CHOICE! ITS NOT A 'LIFESTYLE'!! As a lesbian of color, I can tell you that I had no more choice in being queer than I did being a member of a minority.... Molly, you go grrl! It's never too early to teach kids about diversity and tolerance and frankly, kids don't pick up on all the stuff that adults do anyways - look at the double entendres in animated movies! Besides, there's a lot more heterosexual sexuality that they're exposed to on a daily basis than what they get at a once-a-year pride parade! I wonder how many of those closed-minded posters have same-sex feelings that they haven't come to terms with?????
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Willia | June 17, 2010 at 12:02 p.m. (report)
FYI: info on the fagbug. Sounds like it would be an interesting documentary. http://www.fagbug.com/
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warriorwoman | June 17, 2010 at 2:53 a.m. (report)
re:hckyboy00 Though there are websites I'm sure you pay regularly to visit, that my butter churnin' friends and I would not be" empty", I mean, "open minded" enough to appreciate the artistic abilities of such women, it's digressive or as you put it, "progressive thinking" like yours that has not only destroyed the moral back bone of society, but is catapulting us into the fulfillment of the end times. If you haven't progressed to that point in your reading abilities, you might be able to get the Book of Revelation on 8 track and listen to it in your 1970's Ford Pinto, the same one you and your family will be living in as soon as the President you & your friends have elected,for the sake of diversity, turns this into a socialistic third world country. And while you sit around thinking up clever banter, my barn-raising friends and I have been out yonder at the VA hospital praying and contending for the healing of a man who has been suffering from AIDS for 20 yrs and Dr's say is on his death bed. I wouldn't wish that kind of suffering on any human being, especially God fearing people who have defended our rights to be free in this country. It's just unfortunate that the same freedoms, have destroyed our morality in this country. The whole point about this article is that children do not need to be exposed to that kind of behavior, they will automatically chose that lifestyle if the are "BORN THAT WAY" right??!!!. Gay/ lesbian/ transgender people have many great qualities and have contributed great things to society, but their desire for us to be in agreement with their sexual immorality has no place. I don't flaunt my straight relationship/marriage and sexual behavior in public and neither should they. I also don't want my children force fed their lifestyle as an option to morality. WHY should we rewrite our constitution to include immoral choices. What's next? Two brothers or sisters can marry since they can't have children? That a man can marry and have sex with any beast of the field and have his vet bills covered by his health insurance? Or the animal can claim half of his Social Security benies or SSI because it has heart worm or couldn't be a guard dog cause he lost a leg chasing cars? Where does this end? I guess narrow minded people such as myself should just burry our heads in that obsolete book (which is still being published today) and let the world run ramped with their unbridled desires!!( and yes I am a sinner too : ) Forgive me !!!!!
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StMegofMilwaukee | June 15, 2010 at 1:06 p.m. (report)
I have no problem with the gay and lesbian community, and I'm proud that Milwaukee is tolerant and accepting enough to allow them to have a festival to celebrate them. I'm not a parent, but even if I were, I don't think I would have a place to judge other parents. I do, however, question the author's choice to take her children to this event. While being GLBT is a lifestyle, it most definitely is a lifestyle that - at the very core - revolves around sexuality and would be considered an "adult" subject. I'm not sure that introducing your children when they can't full understand that is fair.
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