If you haven't already seen it on the internet, there is a small but relentless petition going around that is trying to convince Sesame Street to have Bert and Ernie get married. Now if you're like me, the initial thought of this being an issue is silly. They're puppets... well, muppets to be exact and why would we need to label them as being gay and then go as far as to having them get hitched. I thought, 'dont we in the gay community have more important things to worry about?'
Then today a childhood classmate of mine posted the story to her facebook and mentioned how she thought how this was going way too far and how topics like these didn't belong on a program that is aimed at children. Her friends would continue to comment with more of the same only each comment seemed to get more aggressive and more hostile, especially after I tried to give show the other perspective.
The more comments I read, the more it occirred to me that yes... I did think that Bert and Ernie should get married!
Think of this. Sesame street does not merely teach kids the ABC's and 123's as of of these debaters pointed out. Through the years, this program has been responsible for helping to enlighten kids on issues from littering, bullying, babies being born and even death. So why not gay marriage.
The main point of those with whom I was debating was that homosexuality as a whole was a topic that not only should children not be exposed to, but that it should be a parents choice when to expose their children to the notion of a same sex couple. As if WE have a choice when to see or not see heterosexual couples? Ron and I often hold hands in public and more than a couple times we've had bitchy mothers huff and puff while covering their child's eyes walking past us. This is no different.
Making such a fuss about the idea of Bert and Ernie getting married is sending the message that there is something wrong with gay people and / or gay marriage. If that is your position, than so be it, but you cannot then say that you are a supporter of gay rights or a single gay person for that matter. When a 7 year old boy is intentionally sheltered from gay people, he grows up to have a negative perception of "gay". So whether he grows up to be straight and just becomes a huge homophobe (in all likelyhood) or he grows up to be gay himself and has a horrible self image and tougher time accepting himself, it will be in part because of the messages that his parents sent to him in childhood by 'sheltering' him from the very notion of homosexuality.
In addition, imagine a world where from a young age, childen see being gay as no big deal... They grow up learning that it is just another way to love and that some people happen to be gay and some don't. If we take that stigma away right in the beginning of childhood, imagine the kindof accepting children / young people we would be raising. When my sister was born, I was 17 years old and had come out. My sister grew up, never knowing me to be anything other than gay, SO, it was never an issue. It was just another part of who I was, like my hair color or height. THIS is how it should be.
And maybe you're one of those parents who think that it's your right when to talk to your children about such things. And you know what? Maybe you're right. BUT unfortunately, parents are not having those talks as a whole, so if educational programs want to step in where parents are failing, I say bravo!
I wish we as a people were at a place when we hear the word gay that we didn't so much hear gay mean '2 people of the same gender having sex', but rather 2 people who happen to be of the same sex being in love. Because that's what we're talking about here. LOVE. And if you haven't noticed, this world of ours could use a little more love in it.
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