It has been a few years since I last lived in California and I wasn't fully aware of how things were until recently moving back. I knew my cousin was homeschooling her kids- something I didn't think she would ever do. And I have been meeting a surprisingly increasing number of other young kids being home-schooled, instead of getting the social interaction with other kids by going to public schools. I recently heard of a bill or a proposition that was concerning teaching homosexuality in elementary schools. I guess they started teaching it in Elementary School, but they had to say which day they were teaching it, and several mothers took their children out of school that day. First off, don't we still have the right to walk out of a situation if it makes us uncomfortable? Now, I guess they want to have it be a surprise so the only option they have to avoid it is to home-school their kids. In some ways I understand why they want to start in Elementary School, but there was still something about it that bothered me.
Elementary School is all about the basics. The building blocks that help us through the rest of our schooling. We don't jump straight into chemistry, or calculus, or reading the classics like Moby Dick, we are taught little by little as our understanding increases. In my opinion, Kindergarten (sometimes Preschool now) is where kids first start learning to interact with each other, and to share and play WITH each other. It's the time to teach them that there are differences. Sally's favorite color may be pink, and Billy's might be blue- but that doesn't make them bad because they have different favorite colors. Bianca's parents may speak a different language; Shaniqua may have darker skin; Ralph may only have one parent; Sean may have two dads; everyone has differences, and everyone should be nice to everyone else. This is the extent of what they need to know in Elementary School- tolerance for others despite their differences.
Why not more? When I was in Elementary School, in 4th grade, there was a cartoon video as an introduction to sex education. We had to get parent permission on whether they thought their child was ready to watch a video. Why? Because it's ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, and some parents don't think sex ed is elementary and prefer to address matters in their own time. Homosexuality fits into this category. It is, after all, HomoSEXUALITY. Middle School was where puberty was addressed. Kids are going through it, and if their parents haven't addressed it by now, they're going to start having questions and possibly experimenting in harmful ways. So it's better to teach them what is going on. HERE is the time to introduce the details of homosexuality. Sure, in Elementary School kids may have crushes, but the actual hormones associated with sexual orientation don't start flowing until when? Puberty. Middle School. Now, if they want to make sure everyone hears about it at this point, I have no problem with them approaching it on a surprise basis. Whether the parents like it or not, some children do end up gay and deserve to know what's happening.
The thing is, whether you believe homosexuality is wrong, or a sin, or whatever, it still exists. It is REAL. Ignorance is not bliss and it is the schools' responsibility to teach, to give kids an education. If a situation in Elementary School pops up, then it should be approached as a mere difference that can be accepted. My gay friends, like me (being straight) am more than just my sexual orientation- there is more to me than who I am attracted to. Teach tolerance and love and acceptance of differences in Elementary School. Full details aren't needed. When hormones start acting up is the time to make sure they understand the aspects of sexuality, including homosexuality.
