Guess what? Your kids aren't stupid.

[apocalypsos]

Lesbian kisses at game ignite Seattle debate

A quote:

"I would be uncomfortable" seeing public displays of affection between lesbians or gay men, said Jim Ridneour, a 54-year-old taxi driver. "I don't think it's right seeing women kissing in public. If I had my family there, I'd have to explain what's going on."

*sigh* All right, let's try this again.

If you're out with your family and you see two people of the same sex kissing, you don't actually have to explain anal sex or fisting or the workings of a strap-on or the precise anatomical location of the prostate or what a bear is or how to put on assless chaps or what gay-for-pay means or how edible flavored lube really is or why that well at the tip of a condom has to be there or what kind of batteries go into a dildo or how many sexual positions two six-foot-tall guys can get into in the cab of a pick-up truck or why Heath Ledger was robbed of that Best Actor Oscar or what Melissa Etheridge needed David Crosby for or what poppers are or why those really flamboyant guys in the Pride parade only wear a sparkly thong or Leonid the Magnificent.

If you're having such a hard fucking problem understanding what to say to your kids about gay people, ask them. Ten bucks says they will look at two guys or two girls kissing, shrug, and say, "They must like each other a lot."

You know, if you haven't already broken them, you moron.

Comments

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

"I would be uncomfortable" seeing public displays of affection between lesbians or gay men, said Jim Ridneour, a 54-year-old taxi driver. "I don't think it's right seeing women kissing in public. If I had my family there, I'd have to explain what's going on."

IOW, "Me me me me me me!"

[caitirin.livejournal.com]

*claps* Well said. Seriously people!

[gypsyjr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, lord knows that whole icky "being in love" thing is so hard to dumb down for the kiddies.

[mercyisme.livejournal.com]

How much money would I get if I bet that he jerks off to women doing more than kiss?

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

Yeah! They should learn about lesbians the way normal people do, dammit- porn for straight guys!

[somedayleaving.livejournal.com]

::applause::



I'll just go back to lurking now, but I wanted to pop up and say that was awesome.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

I would be uncomfortable seeing public displays of affection between a man and a woman. I don't think it's right seeing a heterosexual couple kissing in public. If I had my family there, I'd have to explain what's going on.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

You've got a point: I *don't* particularly want to see het couples kissing in public. Or rather, kissing, fine, but not kissing. And so I don't want to see gay men or lesbians climbing down each other's throats, either. Expressing affection, sure, kissing in a way that means "I love you" without trying to mean "...and I'd like to rip your clothes off *right now*", no problem.

It's easy enough to tell a four-year-old, "That's because they love each other," and to say "Yes, they can" when the four year old says either "Girls can love each other?" or "Girls can't love each other!" But if you haven't previously brainwashed the kid too much, it's likelier to be the former question rather than the latter and all you have to do is say "Yes."

[titti]

Hehe, that reminds me about explaining my kids about the lesbian parents of a friend of theirs. They were about 5 at the time, and I said they are girlfriends. Two days later, Sabrina informed me that she was a lesbian because she had a girlfriend. Then I explained that it was only adults girlfriends and that was more than enough for a 5 year old.

Some people shouldn't be parents.

[azurelunatic]

Ha! Yeah, when I explained to my virtual nephew (about 4 at the time) that some boys only dated boys, some girls only dated girls, some boys only dated girls, some girls only dated boys, and some boys and girls dated either boys and girls ... the little guy's first response was that he wanted his mom's ex-boyfriend (a really nice guy) for his boyfriend. So then I had to explain that kids only date other kids, and grown-ups only date other grown-ups, and boyfriends and girlfriends mean there's kissing.

[scary-being-me.livejournal.com]

At least the uproar seems to be against the park asking them to stop; as opposed to them kissing in public.

Any kid old enough to know the significance of a man and woman kissing knows about gays and lesbians these days; so "having to explain" is a bullshit excuse.

[hawklaw.livejournal.com]

I just read that to my legal assistants, who happen to be an engaged lesbian couple. They agree that you rock.

[fakymcfakerson.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much what I was told about my gay neighbors, growing up, by my conservative, "I-don't-believe-in-homosexuality" Presbyterian-minister father.
Me (like, 2nd-3rd grade): "why are ken and greg living together? are they married?"
Dad: "No."
Me: "Where are their wives?"
Dad: "They don't have wives, sweetie. They just... live together."
Me: "Oh, like college roommates?"
Dad: "Something like that, sure."
Me: "They must like each other a lot to have lived together for so long, huh."
Dad: "*chokesplorfles* ...I guess so."

(I think I was much older- like 12-13 or so- when I figured it out. Duh, younger self.)

Also, er, what're poppers?

[apiphile.livejournal.com]

Amyl Nitrate. You sniff poppers, it makes your bum muscles relax.

It also gives *me* a headache and makes me feel sick, god knows why they're sold as "room fragrance" because they smell VILE.

[deathbymutation.livejournal.com]

So many people who claim to be forward-thinking are really backwards.

My mother claims to be a %100 ok with my liking girls as well as boys but she still looks at me funny when I compliment an actress on TV or make a dirty joke. (Apparently being a virgin justifies that I can't possibly know what I want.)

She claims to be ok with my uncle being gay and yet, we haven't spoken to him in over 8 years.

[theohsocurlyone.livejournal.com]

(Apparently being a virgin justifies that I can't possibly know what I want.)

I have SO much sympathy with you over that one; I studied drama this year with five slags who sleep with any male that moves, and yet feel the need to interrogate me about what I do, as "the token gay". They've actually called me that. And EVERY TIME, they ask me how I know, and when I reply that I just do, they say that I can't know properly, until I have sex. I just...gah. I want to punch them in their make up-plastered little faces.

...ahem. Sorry for the bile. But, yes, you're right.

[apiphile.livejournal.com]

Oh look, it's time for another metaquotesing!

[sniper3.livejournal.com]

A metaquotee come to say you rock. =D
I don't need some damn stiff trying to stumble his way through an explanation of what I do in the bedroom anyway.

From Metaquotes.

[i-amthecosmos.livejournal.com]

Oh, so much fucking word.

Here's my background: I'm 38, and from Alabama. This means I was five years old in 1975. And my mother took five minutes out of her day to explain homosexuality to me, and did so in a way that called for compassion, and didn't say anyone was going to hell.

Now, my mom was no doubt unusual for her time and place, but if she can do it, these modern parents can!

(I remember the conversation, and so does my mom, but we can't remember what brought it on. I must have said something. Basically she said that gay men existed, that some people thought it was wrong and against God but that she wasn't sure, and that it was a shame they couldn't have children. This was before the gay adoption boom, and she never mentioned lesbians, but not bad!)

[tinylegacies.livejournal.com]

And, again, you show why I adore you.

I saw that news story this AM and considering posting about it, but was too brain dead to say anything of value.

[wolfshark]

Wordy McWord with a side of word pancakes!

[justen.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Here from metaquotes...

[mhael.livejournal.com]

And you are made of Awesome.

*applause*

[rosefox8.livejournal.com]

Here from Metaquotes. You rock.

I read this aloud to my mom over the phone, and I could hear her rolling her eyes when she said, "What a fucking prick."
Then we discussed our memories of Susan and Susan, who were our neighbors when we lived in Brooklyn during my childhood. Mom had told me they were lesbians when I was old enough to ask, but I'd forgotten the word and just knew that Susan and Susan slept in the same bed and kissed the same way Mommy and Daddy kissed. I found nothing weird about it. I just knew that the Susans couldn't make babies with each other because one of them needed a penis.
I learned how babies were made when I was six, and that you could have sex without making babies. I asked how many positions you could do that in: "Can you do it lying on your side? Standing up? On your knees? Backwards?" And my mother answered every question honestly with a straight face. So for a while I would imagine a man and woman standing very close together and hugging naked, but since I wasn't entirely sure how the penis went into the vagina, their crotch areas were hidden from my imagination's view. I actually had a much easier time imagining lesbian sex. Gay male sex took me a little longer to figure out. Questions on that revolved around, "Do they have to wash their butts out so they don't get poo on the penises?"

[serene-orange.livejournal.com]

I do that with my son. I always took the position of "if he is old enough to ask, he is old enough to hear the answer" It has always worked.

[denorios.livejournal.com]

Amen, sister. People like that just make me want to throw things. Strap-on dildos and lube, preferably.

Also from Metaquotes

[melodies36.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. That guy isn't that bright. His kids probably wouldn't mind it at all. Also, you rock. :)

[lysimachia.livejournal.com]

A winner is you!

"I don't think it's right seeing women kissing in public.

I'm willing to bet money that he would love to watch women kiss each other if it was on a DVD.

[sandramort.livejournal.com]

Heh. I'm uncomfortable around lesbians making out in public, but I'm equally anti straight couples making out. I think stuff like that ought to be in private! But I suspect that hating PDA isn't the bigot's objection...

[devotiggermeeko.livejournal.com]

Here from metaquotes as well - you rock!!!

[popelizbet.livejournal.com]

Plus one on metaquotes, mentioning your incredible awesomeness over at shangy_feminism in my post on the subject.