Last week, the Supreme Court made a ruling for people to play nice, be fair and to let everyone have a turn. Basically, the Supreme Court was the playground monitor, telling everyone to put away their mean words and to stay out of other people’s business. It is not for me or for you to say what Person X should or should not do, and it is none of our business who it is they love best. Just like Person X can’t do the same thing to you or me.
This is a tough, tough topic to broach with kids, even through teenage years. You’ll have uncomfortable conversations talking about The Birds and The Bees with your kids, regardless of what gender they feel they might be attracted to. You know what I think? I think our jobs as parents include helping our kids to feel whole and loved and right, no matter who it is they find attractive. Does being a homosexual make a person evil or wrong? Who’s to say? You know what I think makes a person evil or wrong? When they try to force their opinion or belief system on others, or when they try to make others feel as though they are less important/loved/accepted because of choices they have made, regardless of what those choices might be.
Last week, the Supreme Court decreed that when two people love each make the monumental decision to spend the rest of their lives together, they can do so legally, and they can get married regardless of the gender of each person involved in the union. It’s sad that they had actually do this, that this isn’t just an accepted right, but thankfully they did, because now when my boys get old enough to make this decision for themselves, they can make the decision based on whom they love and want to spend the rest of their life with, which is the way it should be. This decision should not be dictated by societal opinions, which are often led by those loudest amongst us, not necessarily those who are the most correct.
Trust me, my kids ask me about this. Explaining things to them about other lifestyles and belief systems is actually a lot easier, I think, because we live overseas, and they see so much even just on their commute to school. Embracing different belief systems is an accepted right in their eyes, and it extends from the big and enormous (religion and sexual orientation) to the mundane (that whole pants down around the mid-thigh fad that makes no sense to me). There are some things I won’t leave up to their own discretion such as decisions that would negatively impact their health (e.g. smoking); but if I start second-guessing all of their decisions, aren’t I undermining my own responsibility to raise self-aware, capable and independent people? If they make a well-thought-out and intelligent decision, and it is what they truly want, then I have to applaud their courage to try to do what makes them most happy. Even if it is not a decision I would necessarily make for myself. You know, these kids see, do and live through things I could not even have imagined when I was their ages. They are going to do things differently than I might. And good for them.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/26/photos-show-celebration-o_n_7671690.html