From: twpierce@unix.amherst.edu (Tim Pierce)
Subject: Re: Call/Fax/Write Fernandez
Organization: Elitist Usenet Administrators, Turkey Division
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 00:11:55 GMT

In article <1gdji2INNt2u@hp-col.col.hp.com> smithw@col.hp.com (Walter Smith) writes:

>twpierce@unix.amherst.edu (Tim Pierce) writes:
>
>> >This is the only part of what you described I would not be comfortable
>> >with, from what I'm reading.  
>> 
>> Why?
>
>The other parts (cooking, singing and playing baseball in the park
>together, are non-loaded examples of 2 people who like/love each 
>other
>...
>The last part [sleeping together] has more connotations attached to
>it, that ... will
>lead to the issue being brought up, and not at the time the parent 
>is prepared for it.

The point of the curriculum is to introduce these concepts not at the
time which is most convenient for the parent, but at a time when it
seems most important to the child's development.  Contrary to what a
lot of people seem to think, children learn terms and concepts like
"gay" and "faggot" and "dyke" very early on.  It doesn't matter that
the parents aren't prepared to deal with those issues; the issues are
already there.

>At these early ages, (IMO) a child is too young
>to understand the sexual aspect of all this, let alone all the
>emotional ones.

I have always been aware that my parents sleep together, but I didn't
really know about the existence of this thing people call "sex"
(except perhaps in an extremely vague, superficial way) for many
years.  Hence, I don't think that the book saying that "Nancy and
Ellen sleep together" is sexually suggestive to the average
six-year-old.  It merely explains that some people of the same gender
have relationships on the same level as Mommy and Daddy's.

>What I still don't understand is why it is 
>not 'ok' just to 'live and let live'; to say "I think homosexuality is
>wrong, but so are a lot of other things people do; they should not 
>be harassed or discriminated against for it."  Why the need to 
>present it as an equally 'good' alternative, against the parent's will,
>if the parents do NOT feel it is an equally 'good' alternative.

It's my personal opinion that the schools should do this because the
evidence tends to point in the direction of same-sex relationships
being equally "normal" as opposite-sex relationships.  *However*,
that's beside the point here.  As others have pointed out, "Heather
Has Two Mommies" doesn't attempt to present homosexuality as a
positive or negative phenomenon; it merely presents it as a phenomenon
that exists.

>> To be truly honest, I *would* prefer that
>> parents deal with this issue with their children on their own time.
>> Realistically, however, that's simply not happening, so the
>> responsibility is left up to the schools.  
>
>I disagree.  Most parents I know, and knew as a kid, said that *all*
>people are people and should be respected, regardless.

I've already addressed why I think that's insufficient in another
post.  For the most part, I believe parents are not addressing the
subject of homosexuality with their children.

-- 
____ Tim Pierce                / 
\  / twpierce@unix.amherst.edu /               Rocks say goodbye.
 \/ (BITnet: TWPIERCE@AMHERST) /