Anonymous
Post 10/21/2013 20:18     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
Anonymous wrote:What the hell is this http://www.potomacschool.org/voices/kristin/index.aspx

gay alliance? It's one thing to be respectful it's another to promote it .

Cross this school off my list . What are some other privates in McLean that are more grounded? Maybe safe some money and go to Langley.


A gay/straight alliance, which is what that is, is a group of kids supporting gay rights and their gay friends as the struggle with issues of acceptance. You know that gay teens have an elevated rate of suicide, right? Because of ostracization? So, yes, some people think that supporting them and not ostracizing them is a good idea. It's called being a community, and being kind. Christ did it really well, actually.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2013 20:10     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is the most disturbing thread I've ever read on DCUM. I cannot believe how intolerant and bigoted so many people are. I am sure there's not a single independent school out there "promoting" the "gay agenda" or talking about people's sex lives. What they are trying to do is teach your children acceptance, understanding, compassion, and kindness, which they clearly will not learn from their parents based on the comments I have just read. At what age do you people think it is appropriate to discuss being LGBT? We discussed this with our children very young because we have LGBT relatives, neighbors, and friends. If you haven't had that discussion with your school-aged kids, you must be living very sheltered life, so it's a good thing your kids' school is acting responsible since you certainly are not.



It's not up to a school to decide how I introduce my child to sexual things. I don't want a nanny state. If my child is curious why Johnny has two dads..I am allowed to decide to answer.


Well, it kind of is up to the INDEPENDENT school what they want to introduce into their curriculum -- no "nanny state" at all, as there's no government action. If you disagree, don't make the TOTALLY VOLUNTARY decision to send your child to the INDEPENDENT school.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2013 20:09     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
When it comes to a same gender couple, we just tell our kids that so-and-so has a roommate.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2013 20:09     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
Anonymous wrote:No it isn't..this isn't talking about discrimination. Schools talking about why Johnny has two dads is confusing and is something that a parent has a right to introduce. I could understand more of the discrimination topic in high school or older middle school but kindergarten..nope.

Also, yes, you have a right to introduce any subject as a parent. But if you want to introduce it, you better move on it before the school does. It's not up to you to tell the school to delay it because you don't want to deal with it.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2013 20:07     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
Anonymous wrote:No it isn't..this isn't talking about discrimination. Schools talking about why Johnny has two dads is confusing and is something that a parent has a right to introduce. I could understand more of the discrimination topic in high school or older middle school but kindergarten..nope.


They address it because nearly every kid is going to knwo someone with two moms or two dads. And most kids who have a mom and dad ask about that. The school explains and makes it a non-issue, which in present day society is the majority view. Do you think that 30 years ago schools shouldn't have taught about civil rights as it related to interracial marriage?
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2013 18:53     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
Anonymous wrote:No it isn't..this isn't talking about discrimination. Schools talking about why Johnny has two dads is confusing and is something that a parent has a right to introduce. I could understand more of the discrimination topic in high school or older middle school but kindergarten..nope.


So, what would your answer be if your young child asks why Johnny has two dads? My 2.5-year-old DD has a girl with two moms in her nursery school class and it's just normal for the class (as it should be). But if she ever asks me why "Jane" has two moms, even at her age, I'd totally feel comfortable telling her the truth: Jane has two moms because they fell in love and had a baby, just like your dad and me. No sex talk necessary--we don't talk about hetero sex either! I don't see why this is "confusing" or should be left till later.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2013 18:41     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
No it isn't..this isn't talking about discrimination. Schools talking about why Johnny has two dads is confusing and is something that a parent has a right to introduce. I could understand more of the discrimination topic in high school or older middle school but kindergarten..nope.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2013 15:19     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is the most disturbing thread I've ever read on DCUM. I cannot believe how intolerant and bigoted so many people are. I am sure there's not a single independent school out there "promoting" the "gay agenda" or talking about people's sex lives. What they are trying to do is teach your children acceptance, understanding, compassion, and kindness, which they clearly will not learn from their parents based on the comments I have just read. At what age do you people think it is appropriate to discuss being LGBT? We discussed this with our children very young because we have LGBT relatives, neighbors, and friends. If you haven't had that discussion with your school-aged kids, you must be living very sheltered life, so it's a good thing your kids' school is acting responsible since you certainly are not.



It's not up to a school to decide how I introduce my child to sexual things. I don't want a nanny state. If my child is curious why Johnny has two dads..I am allowed to decide to answer.


No one is suggesting instruction on "gay sex" (or "hetero sex" or other sexual things), so chill out. Understanding the struggle of a minority that has been discriminated against in recent times is important.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2013 12:00     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
Anonymous wrote:This is the most disturbing thread I've ever read on DCUM. I cannot believe how intolerant and bigoted so many people are. I am sure there's not a single independent school out there "promoting" the "gay agenda" or talking about people's sex lives. What they are trying to do is teach your children acceptance, understanding, compassion, and kindness, which they clearly will not learn from their parents based on the comments I have just read. At what age do you people think it is appropriate to discuss being LGBT? We discussed this with our children very young because we have LGBT relatives, neighbors, and friends. If you haven't had that discussion with your school-aged kids, you must be living very sheltered life, so it's a good thing your kids' school is acting responsible since you certainly are not.



It's not up to a school to decide how I introduce my child to sexual things. I don't want a nanny state. If my child is curious why Johnny has two dads..I am allowed to decide to answer.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2013 08:33     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
Anonymous wrote:This is the most disturbing thread I've ever read on DCUM. I cannot believe how intolerant and bigoted so many people are. I am sure there's not a single independent school out there "promoting" the "gay agenda" or talking about people's sex lives. What they are trying to do is teach your children acceptance, understanding, compassion, and kindness, which they clearly will not learn from their parents based on the comments I have just read. At what age do you people think it is appropriate to discuss being LGBT? We discussed this with our children very young because we have LGBT relatives, neighbors, and friends. If you haven't had that discussion with your school-aged kids, you must be living very sheltered life, so it's a good thing your kids' school is acting responsible since you certainly are not.


Before anyone corrects my grammar, should be "responsibly."
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2013 08:30     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
This is the most disturbing thread I've ever read on DCUM. I cannot believe how intolerant and bigoted so many people are. I am sure there's not a single independent school out there "promoting" the "gay agenda" or talking about people's sex lives. What they are trying to do is teach your children acceptance, understanding, compassion, and kindness, which they clearly will not learn from their parents based on the comments I have just read. At what age do you people think it is appropriate to discuss being LGBT? We discussed this with our children very young because we have LGBT relatives, neighbors, and friends. If you haven't had that discussion with your school-aged kids, you must be living very sheltered life, so it's a good thing your kids' school is acting responsible since you certainly are not.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2013 18:29     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
Anonymous wrote:I thinks schools should teach respect and tolerance. But I don't want them promoting or celebrating homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle.


What does this mean? Schools shouldn't tell children, "You should be gay!"? Schools shouldn't say, "Hooray for gay people who aren't heterosexual!"?
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2013 16:20     Subject: What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
I thinks schools should teach respect and tolerance. But I don't want them promoting or celebrating homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2013 06:37     Subject: Re:What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
Anonymous wrote:15:50, I disagree. It is not the job of schools to counsel one child, to the extent that it makes so many others uncomfortable.


I for one like to think our educators patch the gaps in knowledge and understanding that result from children being sheltered by their parents. How else can you expect a child to understand climate change (as just one example) when the parents are deniers? Sheltering your children from reality is a form of child abuse that sets them up for failure.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2013 06:31     Subject: Re:What (if anything) is your DC's private school doing to celebrating LGBT History Month?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:15:50, I disagree. It is not the job of schools to counsel one child, to the extent that it makes so many others uncomfortable.


Like it or not, gay rights are regarded as a civil rights issue by much (not all) of contemporary American society. And real education, in the classical sense, often means learning about things that make people "uncomfortable." Again, these are independent schools. If they believe that educating the whole child means creating an environment where gay students can feel more comfortable/accepted, they have that right -- families who feel like the issue is detracting from their own child's education can choose to go a different direction. With that said, there is nothing wrong with having a dialogue with the school about age-appropriate conversations in this as in other areas (e.g., sex ed).


+1