When it comes to topics like LGBT issues, the meaning of "I don't want to have to explain that to my children" generally translates to "I think it's wrong and I'm worried they'll like it."
Are there good ages to actually discuss the actual mechanics of sex and adult sexuality? Sure. But the simple fact that some men are attracted to men and some women are attracted to women? That's not complicated or hard to explain to children. They already grow up in a society saturated in heterosexual lifestyle imagery that, again so long as it doesn't go too deeply into the mechanics of penises in vaginas, is considered perfectly normal and healthy.
I had good friend who was a gay man. He had married and then divorced. He owned a 2 flat and lived in the first floor apt and his ex wife lived upstairs with their 2 daughters. They were a family. Neither of his daughters were gay, but were aware that he was. So even having everyday contact with a gay person, doesn't turn you gay.
The worst that happens is that young LGBT people are more comfortable in understanding and revealing their own sexuality. (Deity of your choice) forbid that people aren't raised to hate themselves and either commit suicide or get elected to the senate before getting arrested for toe-tapping in the bathroom.
Nobody's ever produced an evidence-based argument for me as to there being any innate social harm in the existence of gay people. What it amounts to is that for generations we were raised to be squicked out by gay people doing things that het people take for granted, like kissing.
Which is a malfunction of heterosexual culture, not LGBT people. It's goddamn stupid that by this point we're still having to actually make these kind of points in 2022. But then we're also having to argue that it's bad for police to abuse POCs so thank you frigging Republican revanchism.
I think you nailed it, Josh, when you said that the problem is heterosexual people have been raised to be grossed out by gay people having sex. But young kids can also be grossed out by the mechanics of any kind of sex. I remember when my son and daughter-in-law had a talk with my grandson about sex with the help of an age-appropriate book meant to help with info and facts. My grandson was appalled that people would do such embarrassing things to each other, and said, "People walk around KNOWING this?? Does (named his older, favorite cousin) know about this???"
My point is that when you actually think about the mechanics, it's not hard to imagine being "squicked out", until you do it yourself and find out it's pretty fun. And who the fun is with is in the eye of the beholder, or, I guess, the doer.
When that blast of hormones hits and you start looking at the people around you in a different way.
In general a lot of what people are delicate about with kids is what they themselves are unsettled on. Generation upon generation of humans grew up in shared hovels and shared beds and somehow managed to function. We have socialized taboos in America and the west over bathrooms when prior generations had their morning socializing in the outhouse.
Every society has their share of 'we'll talk about this when you're older', it's normal. But again it's generally a reflection of adult taboos and not the delicacy of children.
Hey, we're also having to argue that storming the capital to overturn an election at the behest of dear leader is a problem worth paying attention to and demanding accountability for.
Fox and other right-wing propaganda sites are telling Trump supporters that the evidence being presented has been proven to have been fabricated, and that the videos are spliced and edited to promote the committee predetermined narrative a la Veritas. Evidence is never needed for any of their negative speculations and allegations about anyone who isn't a Trump supporter. Just putting it out there makes it a fact in their minds.
A certain segment of the population will always jump at whatever thin reed is offered to support their priors (and that's not just on the right).
What can be hoped is that those open to convincing and those who might need a bit of reminding are getting it.
Also, they can talk about splicing and editing all they want, but things like Barr calling it bullshit and other stuff doesn't lie, and anyone who might question that need only be reminded that those being shown testifying would be suing if it wasn't true. And they're not.
"Barr's a RINO who betrayed Trump," they say without the least self-awareness that they are admitting that for them fealty to Trump takes priority over loyalty to the Constitution, or that the true RINOs are Trump supporters because they have forsaken long-standing Republican values. Their TDS affliction may one day end up in the DSM-5-TR.
When it comes to topics like LGBT issues, the meaning of "I don't want to have to explain that to my children" generally translates to "I think it's wrong and I'm worried they'll like it."
Are there good ages to actually discuss the actual mechanics of sex and adult sexuality? Sure. But the simple fact that some men are attracted to men and some women are attracted to women? That's not complicated or hard to explain to children. They already grow up in a society saturated in heterosexual lifestyle imagery that, again so long as it doesn't go too deeply into the mechanics of penises in vaginas, is considered perfectly normal and healthy.
I had good friend who was a gay man. He had married and then divorced. He owned a 2 flat and lived in the first floor apt and his ex wife lived upstairs with their 2 daughters. They were a family. Neither of his daughters were gay, but were aware that he was. So even having everyday contact with a gay person, doesn't turn you gay.
The worst that happens is that young LGBT people are more comfortable in understanding and revealing their own sexuality. (Deity of your choice) forbid that people aren't raised to hate themselves and either commit suicide or get elected to the senate before getting arrested for toe-tapping in the bathroom.
Nobody's ever produced an evidence-based argument for me as to there being any innate social harm in the existence of gay people. What it amounts to is that for generations we were raised to be squicked out by gay people doing things that het people take for granted, like kissing.
Which is a malfunction of heterosexual culture, not LGBT people. It's goddamn stupid that by this point we're still having to actually make these kind of points in 2022. But then we're also having to argue that it's bad for police to abuse POCs so thank you frigging Republican revanchism.
I think you nailed it, Josh, when you said that the problem is heterosexual people have been raised to be grossed out by gay people having sex. But young kids can also be grossed out by the mechanics of any kind of sex. I remember when my son and daughter-in-law had a talk with my grandson about sex with the help of an age-appropriate book meant to help with info and facts. My grandson was appalled that people would do such embarrassing things to each other, and said, "People walk around KNOWING this?? Does (named his older, favorite cousin) know about this???"
My point is that when you actually think about the mechanics, it's not hard to imagine being "squicked out", until you do it yourself and find out it's pretty fun. And who the fun is with is in the eye of the beholder, or, I guess, the doer.
When that blast of hormones hits and you start looking at the people around you in a different way.
In general a lot of what people are delicate about with kids is what they themselves are unsettled on. Generation upon generation of humans grew up in shared hovels and shared beds and somehow managed to function. We have socialized taboos in America and the west over bathrooms when prior generations had their morning socializing in the outhouse.
Every society has their share of 'we'll talk about this when you're older', it's normal. But again it's generally a reflection of adult taboos and not the delicacy of children.
Hey, we're also having to argue that storming the capital to overturn an election at the behest of dear leader is a problem worth paying attention to and demanding accountability for.
Fox and other right-wing propaganda sites are telling Trump supporters that the evidence being presented has been proven to have been fabricated, and that the videos are spliced and edited to promote the committee predetermined narrative a la Veritas. Evidence is never needed for any of their negative speculations and allegations about anyone who isn't a Trump supporter. Just putting it out there makes it a fact in their minds.
A certain segment of the population will always jump at whatever thin reed is offered to support their priors (and that's not just on the right).
What can be hoped is that those open to convincing and those who might need a bit of reminding are getting it.
Also, they can talk about splicing and editing all they want, but things like Barr calling it bullshit and other stuff doesn't lie, and anyone who might question that need only be reminded that those being shown testifying would be suing if it wasn't true. And they're not.
"Barr's a RINO who betrayed Trump," they say without the least self-awareness that they are admitting that for them fealty to Trump takes priority over loyalty to the Constitution, or that the true RINOs are Trump supporters because they have forsaken long-standing Republican values. Their TDS affliction may one day end up in the DSM-5-TR.
And that vaccines work and basic functions of respiratory protection against inhalation hazards.
Yeah, stupidest friggin' timeline.
The Texas GOP: Hold my beer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiAJbEXutbY