School Defends Gay-Themed Children’s Book
April 23, 2006: Michael Rogers from PageOneQ talked about this on the most recent show. It’s great to see a school superintendent doing the right thing.
Boston (WBZ Newsroom) — A classroom controversy in Lexington has some parents upset at school officials.
A second grade teacher at the Eastabrook Elemenatary School read the book, called King and King to her class.
Parent Robbin Wirthlin first learned about the book when her 7-year old son told her about what he called “a silly book he read at school.” She realized the fairytale about a wedding had a gay theme when he said the story ends with a picture of two princes kissing.
Wirthlin didn’t like the school introducing this theme to her child, saying it should be up to the parent to discuss such matters.
The Lexington School Superintentendent defends the reading of the book, telling the Boston Globe “Lexington is committed to teaching children about the world they live in, and in Massachusetts same-sex marriage is legal.”
April 25th, 2006 at 1:24 am
I love this! I love it when every now and then I get the chance to hear about a community where people are supporting open-mindedness. The idea that children walk around with proverbial blinders on, blinders put their by dogmatic parents is so sad. As a gay community we have never pushed or shoved our lives down the throats of heterosexual society. We simply ask that things such as innocent, “fairy” tales inclusive of our homes, lives and families be out there for children. Not only out there for our children to be able to feel “normal” and accepted by seeing that there are stories, “our” stories that are worth publishing. But also to help introduce other children to our wonderful world of diversity.
May 3rd, 2006 at 10:41 am
I’m told that the community where this “controversy” erupted is pretty liberal, so hopefully this will all go away. Thanks for the comment, Anne!