New York Times Misses the point on same sex families
David on Sep 22nd 2007
I’m excited to share this cross-post with you, thanks to our friend Dana Rudolph of Mombian.com.
The New York Times reported today on the Evesham, New Jersey School District’s decision to uphold a ban on the film That’s a Family, because of its inclusion of children with same-sex parents. (See my post on the matter.)
The Times tries to remain a neutral reporter, offering opinions both for and against showing such subject matter (depictions of same-sex families, not sex education) to children of elementary-school age. The big point they overlook, however, is that there are children of same-sex families already in preschools and elementary school classrooms. These kids know about same-sex families from birth—or at least from the point they can say “Mommy and Mama” or “Daddy and Papa.” This blows the whole “third grade is too early” argument out of the water.
When schools ban films and books showing same-sex families, they also make our children feel like oddballs and outcasts. No one would think of showing an educational film today that didn’t include racial diversity, and for good reason. Same principle should apply here. This isn’t a matter of teaching children about some distant community. This is about teaching children to respect others who may be sitting right next to them, sharing a juice box.
Furthermore, as I wrote a couple of weeks ago for Bay Windows (and have said before), “it is ridiculous to imagine notifying parents every time a child from an LGBT family wants to share family photos during show and tell or write an essay about going on an R Family cruise.”
They can ban curriculum items (films, books, etc.) that depict same-sex families, or have parents “opt out” of scheduled discussions, but to fully expunge us from the classroom, they’ll have to expel our children or limit their freedom to talk about their own families. And with most schools desperate for parent volunteers, do they really want to tell our children they can’t bring both parents to the school potluck? I make a darn good lasagna and my partner makes a mean batch of oatmeal cookies.
Great blog! I added you to my blogroll. I’d appreciate it if you’d consider linking back.
Most blogs allow you to enter your blog url in a special field in the comment section. If the blog doesn’t have that feature, then you will also need to put my url in the comment.
Dana,
I’m with you on your main point that rejection of this film is tantamount to a rejection of our kids and our families in their schools. It’s crazy that in a state like NJ, with all the publiciity about same-sex marriage and civil unions over the last year, that even young children wouldn’t have picked up news about same-sex relationships. Do they think these kids live under a rock?
I actually didn’t think the Times article was that bad, even though it missed your important point. I loved the last quote that said something like, even though parents say they’ll teach their children about this at home, who’s going to teach the parents?! That’s such an important thing to point out.
I’m so sick of these battles.
Cindy