“Why are you showing this to kids?”
It’s an important question, and one that gets asked more and more lately, especially with Pride Month. The answer typically given: Kids should see that LGBTQ+ members are real and exist, and kids should learn not to be bigoted toward them.
Which brings us to Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California. One teacher decided her class needed to see a video about people kissing—a pride month video, as they call it now.
The class (who were filming the interaction) became upset. One even asked why it was on.
The teacher responded with: “I’ll warn you guys now, if you’re going to be inappropriate, I will have supervision down and give all of you Saturday school.”
So, either watch the adult material, or get detention. Where is the “show kids tolerance” or learn about fighting bigotry?
Childhood is a period of innocence and wonder. Exposing children to adult material (people kissing, even under the guise of pride month) prematurely robs them of this vital stage of development. Adult content often includes explicit and inappropriate material that can overwhelm and confuse young minds.
This is why it’s important for parents to determine when a child should be exposed to such concepts. ALL sexuality, not just LGBTQ+ relationships shouldn’t be seen going too far in front of a child. They may or may not be ready for such facts and content.
So why is the teacher thrusting it upon a class of unwilling children?
Protecting our children from “kissing videos” is not about restricting their freedom or suppressing their curiosity—or even teaching them to be bigoted. It’s a vital responsibility held by parents. By shielding children from explicit content, parents preserve the kids’ innocence and promote healthy relationships.
So perhaps the answer to “should we show this to kids?” should be some form of “What do the parents think?”
