How do kids really handle the idea of two men or two women who love each other? Take a gander...
This video was filmed by John Hill and Micah Schraft on a flip phone.. of all things..the day after Thanksgiving. Thats when Calen, who I would guess to be 6 or 7ish, decided to ask a very frank question about their relationship. You can plainly see that he wasn't used to the idea of two men being in love and getting married...it seemed to blow his mind for a second or two. Then he moved on to more important matters...like ping pong.
Telling Daniel and Selena was just as anti-climactic. If only the rest of the world could be that way...
I have never really had a big reaction and neither has Jake. I think I would actually like a "you will go to hell" if only from a casual aquaintance at work.
ReplyDeleteIts strange how the rest of the world gets so freaked out by the same concept, if only the adults in the world would be so understanding the world would truly be a better place.
ReplyDeletePS bounce points for adorable factor of the video!
Ok have no partner, but most of my friends, went with a "So what?" Moment and the to other things
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how caught up people get about having to explain it to their children when a gay couple turns up on TV etc when as we can see above it takes all of 1 minute 8 seconds. Kids are used to not knowing something and all of a sudden finding out about it - the revelation that men can marry men is just one more fact to tuck away.
ReplyDeletePing pong is clearly far more interesting.
When adults worry about what the children will think, I wish they could see this video. As my niece says some people have brown eyes, some people have blue, some have a mommy and daddy and others have two mommies or daddies..no lets play some games..:)
ReplyDeleteThe children ARE our future.
I doubt that little boy would stop talking to his friend ever again, let alone damn him to hell if he found out they were gay. Kids truly are an amazing thing. I think I would take fighting over who gets to use the green crayon than who has the right to get married and who doesn't an day. Glad to know that the future is going to be as bright as we all hope.
ReplyDelete-Jason
Davis, Ca
This video totally made my day. I was feeling awful today cause my "friends" some time just suck... but this kid just give a whole new meaning to the word "Hope" for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bryan
Arcadio
Hi. Im Bryan also. I live in Spain, where gay marriage has been up and running for a number of years. The world did not end. Spain carried on sparkling. I get the feeling here, that gay people are seen as part of families and not separate from them. I have been shocked to read some of the remarks on the Protect Marriage: One Man, One Woman Facebook page, one included someone suggesting that gays should be gassed. There is a beautiful speech by the Spanish Presidente, when gay marriage was introduced here in Spain
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi7DbJqkU2s
The little boy in this video shows when children are treated with honesty that they can take issues in their stride.
Great blog. x un besito Bryan de Espana
The world is new to children. They know there are boys and there are girls. They know that usually boys and girls love each other. They don't know the physical mechanics of how men and women privately express their love, so there's no reason for them to think boys loving boys and/or girls loving girls is somehow bad, sick or wrong, unless someone has TOLD them that.
ReplyDeleteIt is so refreshing to see those beautiful little minds and souls before they are poisoned by false adult hatred and bigotry... It is hard to imagine that Rev. Fred Phelps had one of those minds once. Wouldn't it be wonderful to transplant Fred back in time and to be a baby in the Leffew house?? Hell ya!
ReplyDeleteWow. That was a hilarious! Kids are too cute. And what a great response - using his quick logic to adapt to the new reality that he just discovered. "You two are much alike!" This kid is smarter than the average bear, that is definite.
ReplyDeleteI think we expect grand responses when people discover we are gay. I'm learning more and more that these are quite rare. It makes it a lot easier to just admit it, and then allow myself and the "other" to move on with life. Of course, there is a debriefing period, and many of my friends want me to go and find some boyfriend, but there is never really any opposition to it. And even if there is to begin with, it goes away once people are allowed more time to think about it.
It is nice to know that the world is changing.
Hey Bryan,
ReplyDeleteI was seeing "The O'Reilly Factor" last night and they had a story about a Preschool student who will not be allowed to re-enroll next year to a Catholic School in Colorado because the student's parents are lesbians. This probably has happened before, and maybe you have blogged about a similar story in the past. But, in case you haven't I wanted to let you know.
On the show they invited a Catholic priest as a guest, which basically supported the decision with no signs of sympathy towards the child at all (the child is probably about the age of Selena). But O'Reilly was really angry about the issue, because they went after the child. He gave the priest a hard time during the segment, and argued that if the Church is going to make such radical decisions that affect kids who have gay parents, why don't they do the same to couples that are divorced or have free unions, for example. The priest didn't address that but rather said that they do those kind of things when the parents lifestyle contradicts mayor Catholic teachings and are extremely public about it. To which O'Reilly replied that according to the investigation they did it was not the case of this lesbian couple, they were a quiet family living a normal life.
You can read more here and here
thanks for the update Sensorius...and how odd that this comes via Bill O'Reilly.
ReplyDeleteIt's strange but Bill seems to be becoming the "normal" voice on Fox, I hate to admit it but I do agree with I'm on some things (runs to corner to hid his same-full minor conservatism fetish LOL)
ReplyDeleteI can't watch the video, it's private.
ReplyDelete--Matt
For some reason I could not get this particular video to open, but the comments ring so true. The CHILDREN will LEAD! As a teacher of 28 years will at all grade levels from preschool to the GRADUATE level - it always amazes me that it is ONLY when the "ADULTS" get involved do we see the HATE. I became a foster parent of one of these students of mine several years ago - he at age 13. I made sure HE knew I was gay - as well as his mother (who was turning him over to state custody.) I next shared this with the FOSTER CARE agency. While in West BY GOD Virginia is is permitted to be a Foster Parent (AND BE GAY!) before this took place the boy's mother pressed charges against him and it was off to county court. At this time I had the BACKGROUND check - and the HOME INSPECTION - but I had not completed the three months of training to be certified as a foster parent. I had not taken even ONE of the classes, but the boy's social worker said "It would look GOOD if you show up in court" so when you have completed training this young man could possibly come live with me. I met his attorney just minutes before the case was to be heard - and I SHARED with HER. I wanted to make sure it was a part of court records that I was interested in becoming this boy's foster father, AND that I was gay. His mother's representative presented her case and she presented his. The judge said it seems sinceless to him to place this boy in a temporary home when "I" was there willing to take on this responsibility. She mentioned I had not had the proper training but I had been a teacher for over 25 years. THEN... BTW - "Judge, Mr. Samples is gay." He paused. Then he said - "SO?" He asked her if SHE had a problem with that (she assured him she did not) he asked his mother's attorney if HE had a problem with this news - and with him stating NO, the judge said "then THIS is NOT an issue." He was released to me THAT day - I went through the three months of training required by the state with HIM already with me! Ths boy's attitude about things always amazed me - while he had grown up in such a disfuntional family setting - he soon called me "DAD" - he KNEW what LOVE was all about.
ReplyDelete@GayFamilyValues: You're welcome. I don't know if he cares about the lesbian couple, but he was really pissed off the child was being stigmatized.
ReplyDelete@aNorthWestView: I'm not from the U.S but I like to see what going on over there, and I normally watch Fox News (I also get CCN Headline News & CNN international but it's not the same). Anyway, when it comes to an "opinion" show, I only watch Bill's. I think he generally does try to give everyone a fair chance, and he normally has both sides on the story, but there are times when he comes off as a really arrogant person (although he says "I may be wrong" more often). I really like when Juan Williams is on the show because they always have a good debate :P
I was intrigued about how he was going to handle the story last night and I wasn't disappointed. I really liked that he gave that priest a hard time (oh, I'm Catholic btw) and defended the innocent child.