UPDATED May 30th, 2018
It’s hard enough educating your kids about the “traditional” birds and bees so LGBT sex education can be pretty daunting for many parents. One thing to keep in mind is that your kids probably much more likely to accept it as the norm than you realize. They’re growing up in a much different world than you did and they’ve been exposed to positive LGBT role models in the media, and hopefully in the real world, for most of their lives. So, while you should educate them about our country’s history of discrimination, why we celebrate gay pride and why issues like marriage equality are so incredibly important, you definitely don’t want to encourage them to start thinking something they already take for granted is abnormal.
June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, which makes it the ideal time to bring up LGBT sex education with your hetero and non-hetero kids. Why not start by giving them a quick history lesson about the June 28, 1969 Stonewall Riots and the birth of the LGBT rights in this country. It’s worth pointing out that although the movement started in 1969, it wasn’t until 2011 that Bill Clinton officially made June Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. As far as we’ve come, there’s still a long way to go. Just last month an Iowa legislator fought hard to pass an amendment banning the Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth in that state even though he was forced to admit he had no idea what LGBTQ stands for. Um….
Remind them of Barack Obama’s words: “When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free.”
Read Related: 15 Reasons Your Hetero Family Should Celebrate Gay Pride Day
