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Originally Posted by carenkh  Ah! Here it is. I was thinking you must need an excuse to not be living as full and vibrant a life as you wish, and you've latched on to "the children" as your excuse. A confirmation I wasn't mistaken in that assumption. (yep, I'm indulging in RDD)
My responsibility to my kids entails living my life in such a way that they see others' opinions are inconsequential (unless the opinions come from people who know us well and love us - even then, it won't necessarily change our choices), that no matter what someone might say about them or me, if we are living lives of integrity, love, passion and joy, they can stay centered in that truth.
My son is straight. We were out with friends and he and his best friend were joking around, poking each other, etc. Another guy there said, "Dude, cut it out. People will think you're gay." My son put his arm around his friend's shoulders and said, "And what if they think we are? It won't bother me."
How frail do you believe children are? The ones I know are quite able to weather some false criticisms.
And, I don't know where you live, but your fear of physical harm coming to Steve's kids is irrational, to put it mildly. I'm in North Carolina, btw, not exactly a mecca of open-mindedness. I think if you really do have that fear, it's an opportunity to look inside and see what that's really about - because it's unrealistic. |
that's amazing that your son is so open minded.
way awesome indeed! it just shows that we ARE headed toward a bright future where being gay is just another day in the neighborhood. oh , except in that case no one's friend would give a crap if they might be mistaken as gay.
i did point out that it should be the child who initiates whether or not they choose to be open about things that could ultimately bring criticism and social ostrisization.
are you, by any chance, actually gay? and if so, did you become a public figure and post picture's of you and your family attending social functions? just wondering since you were making connections between what i am talking about and the success of your own family.
there has to be a balance between extremes. im certainly not saying that people living an alternative lifestyle should go hide out in bunkers and fear every second they are alive. but you cannot blatantly say that nothing bad EVER happens to people who push societal boundaries. that would mean ignoring the plain fact that many many people actually HAVE been the victims of hate crimes and torture, and violence just for standing up for their freedoms. it is absolutely possible that steve's family is in danger of attracting unwanted, and yes violent, attention from bad people.
i believe there are just smarter ways of spreading the love than potentially putting a child in harms way. in fact, i even listed some of them.
i also think we have minds SO that we can make judgements. it really just depends on the quality of said judgements. THAT is the mark of someone who is "smart". our ability to think for ourselves is actually what keeps one from rising to the top of the herd and taking power and control to manipulate others to their own ends. no "authority" will ever be able to suppress the freedom we always carry in our minds and hearts. it gives us the freedom to rise against such tyranny.