Week 3 Response

Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families. I believe that avoiding gay and lesbian relationships do more harm than good. Children who don't have the ability to accept the differences of other people sometimes grow up with a negative opinion of people who aren't like them. I think that children should confront these types of relationships with the help of adults. Adults shouldn't let their own biases affect the teachings or the upbringing of children. How you would respond to a parent/family member who informed you they did not want anyone who is perceived (or self-reported) homosexual or transgender to be caring for, educating, and/or interacting with their child? I would attempt to try to listen to the parents as they voiced their concerns so that I could have an idea as to where all this was coming from. I would also tell them that being gay or transgendered is not a disease. People don't become gay by being in the presence of homosexual or lesbian individual. The last piece of conversation I would have with that parent would contain me telling them to put themselves in the shoes of the person who is being discriminated against. Once they have done this, I am sure some of them would change their views because no one wants to be discriminated against.