Teaching Kids Homosexuality?

[Sparkle]

Just wondered what you all thought about this headline?

BRAVE NEW SCHOOLS
Homosexual book
for 1st-graders
Parents outraged over story where prince finds love with another prince

© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

A North Carolina couple is outraged by a book their first-grade daughter brought home from the school library in which a prince finds his true love – in the form of another prince.


The leading character in "King & King," Prince Bertie, waves off a bevy of eligible princesses before falling for Prince Lee, Associated Press reported. The book ends with the two "marrying" and sharing a kiss.

"I was flabbergasted," Michael Hartsell of Wilmington, N.C., told the news service. "My child is not old enough to understand something like that, especially when it is not in our beliefs."

AP reports the 32-page book by Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland was published in March 2002 by Tricycle Press, the children's division of Ten Speed Press of Berkeley, Calif. A follow-up, "King & King & Family," was recently published. The publisher says the book is intended for readers age 6 and up.

The principal of Freeman Elementary School defended the book.

"What might be inappropriate for one family, in another family is a totally acceptable thing," Principal Elizabeth Miars is quoted as saying.

Hartsell and his wife, Tonya, said they intend to file a written complaint with the committee that reviews library books for the district and are considering transferring their daughter.

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=37643

 

[Volos]

Sounds like a good book…



I have a growing pile of nieces and nephews and am always looking for good books for them.



I disagree with your title for the OP though. Sexual orientation is not learned but acceptance is learned.

 

[revolutio]

"My child is not old enough to understand something like that, especially when it is not in our beliefs."

Homosexuality doesn't exist? That just sounded funny.

 

[TwinCrier]

I believe in it... believe it is one of the gravest wrongs that exists in the world today.

 

[Philosoft]

What is the substance of the complaint, I wonder? Presumably, it's something to do with homosexuality being inappropriate for first-graders. Yet somehow, had the couple in the book been man/woman, no complaints would have been lodged.

Double standard, anyone?

 

[Philosoft]

I believe in it... believe it is one of the gravest wrongs that exists in the world today.

It isn't. However, you need a visible, polarizing group to scapegoat for whatever evils may occur. I figure atheists aren't politically or ideologically cohesive enough to suffice.

 

[Matt Never Existed]

Did we not already have a thread on this before? I believe we did, since I posted the book cover on it.

 

[Sparkle]

I'm not sure if this should be about whether or not homosexuality is right or wrong, that would be a side bar. What this is about is the fact that we are losing control over what our children are taught in public schools.

Is it necessary for first graders to be taught about sexual orientation?

 

[stray bullet]

This is teaching children that homosexuality is ok, which is a moral issue and has no place in schools.

I'd feel the same way if this was about a book about a white prince meeting a black prince being given during the 1950s or 60s. While I'd fiercely defend the right of a person to love whomever they wanted, I don't think the schools should be taking a position on a contraversial issue.

Why not give "Sally gets an abortion", "Billy visits the NRA" or "Timmy the Palestinian Freedom Fighter"?

 

[ToddNotTodd]

I'm not sure if this should be about whether or not homosexuality is right or wrong, that would be a side bar. What this is about is the fact that we are losing control over what our children are taught in public schools.

Is it necessary for first graders to be taught about sexual orientation?

If you take out sexual orientation, you'll have to take out Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, etc. because they deal with sexual orientation too. Heterosexual orientation, but sexual orientation none the less...

 

[armed2010]

I believe in it... believe it is one of the gravest wrongs that exists in the world today.

Oh yes, one of the most gravest wrongs ever, espescially when compared to rape, murder, child abuse and slavery

 

[BobKat]

Oh, really...
You can't teach a child to be gay. You can teach a child that there are "gay people", but in no way will this cause a child to be gay. I'm beginning to think that gayness is the only concern that Christians have. Just as an example...could you make yourself ENJOY a gay act? Could somebody MAKE you gay? Just wondering...
Love,
BobKat

 

[McCracAttack]

Is it necessary for first graders to be taught about sexual orientation?

Well, since people in this country are making such a big deal over gay people wanting to marry it will come up sooner or later. I would want to actually read the book myself before I decide if it was appropriate or not.

 

[Philosoft]

I'm not sure if this should be about whether or not homosexuality is right or wrong, that would be a side bar. What this is about is the fact that we are losing control over what our children are taught in public schools.

I'm not sure having some book in the library amounts to "teaching."

Is it necessary for first graders to be taught about sexual orientation?

It seems so. Todd makes the point well.

 

[Philosoft]

This is teaching children that homosexuality is ok, which is a moral issue and has no place in schools.

Or, it's merely teaching children that homosexuality exists. Amazon's summary of the book suggests it doesn't make much of a moral statement one way or another.

I'd feel the same way if this was about a book about a white prince meeting a black prince being given during the 1950s or 60s. While I'd fiercely defend the right of a person to love whomever they wanted, I don't think the schools should be taking a position on a contraversial issue.

How do we go about deciding the degree of controversiality? Is evolution controversial enough to warrant its removal?

Why not give "Sally gets an abortion", "Billy visits the NRA" or "Timmy the Palestinian Freedom Fighter"?

Because these are all overtly political in ways that homosexuality isn't.

 

[Polycarp1]

This is teaching children that homosexuality is ok, which is a moral issue and has no place in schools.

I'd feel the same way if this was about a book about a white prince meeting a black prince being given during the 1950s or 60s. While I'd fiercely defend the right of a person to love whomever they wanted, I don't think the schools should be taking a position on a contraversial issue.

Why not give "Sally gets an abortion", "Billy visits the NRA" or "Timmy the Palestinian Freedom Fighter"?

Hmmm. A couple of questions:

1. I thought the right was all for teaching values in school.

2. I have not read the book, but I'm under the impression, from the synopsis I did see, that there's no question of sexual contact other than a kiss at the very end.

3. Teaching children respect for others and tolerance of those different from oneself seems to me to be a good idea.

4. Nice set of comparisons -- seems to me I've seen some books inculcating the values of evangelical Christianity aimed at that age level. Are they a bad thing to do, as well?

5. IMO, having a book in a school library is for the purpose of educating, not for "taking a stand on issues." Are you saying no child should ever take out a school library book about dinosaurs and/or woolly mammoths, because one group of YEC Christians doesn't believe they really existed?

 

[feral]

There is a painfully obvious double standard going on here. Why is it okay for one couple to kiss in a child's fairytale story, and yet unacceptable for a different couple to kiss? The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, etc...all have stories about falling in love. What's the difference? Personally I think it's a bad idea to give young children stories about excessive romance and people whose entire life is focused on it, but if you're going to permit heterosexual love you should expect to tolerate homosexual love as well...

 

[Mϋzikdϋde]

2. I have not read the book, but I'm under the impression, from the synopsis I did see, that there's no question of sexual contact other than a kiss at the very end.

Let me add to that:
Didn't Judas Kiss Jesus in near the end of that story?
Maybe relevant, maybe not. We should ban the Bibe from public schools!
Oh....forget it....we already did that.

One man kissing another is accepted in most cultures and not revered as a homosexual act.

Get over it.

 

[Mϋzikdϋde]

BTW. I thought this horse was dead, why are we still beating it? I'm sure this isn't the first thread about this book.

But I must say, another certain fairy tale has caused many a girl to kiss a frog. Maybe we should be worried.

 

[La Bonita Zorilla]

Well, since people in this country are making such a big deal over gay people wanting to marry it will come up sooner or later. I would want to actually read the book myself before I decide if it was appropriate or not.

If you haven't seen it, read the comic strip "Boondocks" from last week. It's about two African-American boys who live with their grandfather. The grandpa decides since gay marriage is in the news he needs to talk to the boys about it. At the end he asks them if they have any questions. The younger one says, "Yeah, how is Arnold Schwarzenegger Governor of California?"