Parents Sue School For Same Sex Fairy Tale

Parents in the state of Massachussettes sue a teacher for her reading of a fairy-tale about two princes in love.

Although I am 16 years old, if I were ever to have kids in my later years, I wouldn't mind them hearing a story like that. There are people like that in the world, and it should not be kept hidden from anybody (that has happened to me and it took a very long struggle to really see the world in a non-Christian point of view). There might be some parents who would object, simply because that's how the way they want to raise their children.

Your opinions?

--Natalie13

Oh come on, it's obvious that the issue here isn't that students were given an unauthorized sex ed lesson. I'm willing to guess that the majority of those kids didn't learn anything new--except maybe tolerance--from that book. Any preschooler can tell you that people fall in love and kiss. Most seven year olds have probably even kissed one of their classmates. And, it's not like kids don't know about homosexuality--they certainly know enough to call each other "faggots".

No, clearly the "problem" here is a teacher had the balls to recognize that homosexuality is a normal part of some adults' lives, and that has irritated some biggoted parents.

First of all, that sounds like an adorable story. I kind of want to buy it. I wonder if it has cute illustrations.

Okay, to start outk, I'd like to say I'm a bisexual, 20 year old female. This should dispel any sort of bias I might come off with.

While I think a lawsuit is too far, I do agree with the parents. The story is not appropriate. Why? It's a topic best left between parent and child. I would not want the story read to my child, because that is something I would prefer I talk to my child about. , when I feel the child is old enough to understand what I'm trying to say, instead of vague storylines.

So... better to keep out disney and the usual prince-princess story too, then right? I mean, if they're too young to deal with people falling in love, then they're too young to deal with people falling in love.

How horrible that they might not get the early training that only men and women can fall in love. Yes, much better to leave it unspoken and confusing until they're "older". Of course, by "older" we mean already programed to think that their own feelings might be wrong.

How much easier would it be to remove (a) homophobia in school children and (b) a lot of painful self-identification issues if the kids heard from an early age that people fall in love? A lot easier than giving them the early, unshakable notion that only princes and princesses can fall for each other.

Captain Nevarre
...the next thing you know they'll be telling stories where the princess falls for a poor person...

Okay, but how is it different to have them read king and king or sleeping beauty? Should "a prince met a princess and lived happily ever after" be something you need to talk to your children about before story time? Love is love.

That's exactly what I mean. Children should know what is out there in the world today. It's not as if the children were seriously exposed with homosexuality (pornography and the like).

It is very common for a child to be raised in a certain way, but they adopt newer ways for themselves. Everything that we do does not have to ascertain to how we have been raised. A group of children hear a story about two princes in love? That still does not mean that each child will become homosexual in their future.

--Natalie13

i'm not saying they will. I'm saying that that this should come from the parents first. They talk to their children before so when they DO come across something of a gay or lesbian theme, the parents can answer their questions. This story could have raised questions that the teacher would not have been suitable to answer. As much as we all want gay and lesbian equality, it's a hot-button issue right now. I'm definately not saying we should shelter our children from things of controversy, but seeing as there are radical opinions on these matters, the parent should be notified in the very least. Would you appreciate it if someone read an endearing story about, say, illegals crossing borders, or the right to life/peaceful death issues? We all have our opinions on certain matters, and some of us would be far less than thrilled to have someone protray these issues in a different light, and even better, as a preferred way of looking at things.

I do agree that your Happily Ever After stories should not be read in classrooms either. Whatever happened to Ramona the Pest or Goosebumps, things with age relevancy?

Yes, these things *should* be taught by the kids' parents first. But not every parent--in fact, probably relatively few parents--talks about people being gay. They often hear about it on the playground as something to be ridiculed.

Times are changing--being gay is slowly becoming more socially acceptable. We're obviously not all the way there yet. In short, what difference does it make if a fairy tale has a prince and a princess or two princes or two princesses? Love comes in many flavors.

This is ridiculous. If children can't have a story about two princes kissing because it's apparently 'sex education' than stories about princes kising princesses shouldn't be allowed either. It's no different. I think it's a good and positive thing for this kind of stuff to be taught to children at an early age. There's too much homophobia in schools and leaving it to their parents to talk to them about it isn't good enough. I'd rather children be taught a more rounded view at school than a one-sided view at home. Children can be taught it at a level they can understand and I don't see why it should be an issue. This is supposed to be the 21st century yet there are still people trying to drag us all back into the dark ages.

You can look at pictures of the book's cover and some of the inside pages on Amazon.com ascarletpimpernel.

I'm not arguing as to whether GLTBQ equality is on the same level as heterosexuality, I'm arguing as to whether it should be presented in schools favoring one side which, in many cases, could be against the express wishes of the parent. The parents were not notified of a controversial issue presented to their children, and in a light they may not want. I would have been pleased with a note going home explaining the book (perhaps even offering a reading copy to the parents so they can look it over), and offering discussion between child and parent BEFORE the story.

And this is what I have a problem with. I don't think it should come down to that at all. I don't think it's right to let children be excluded because they're parents are homophobic bigots. Children need to be taught both sides of the argument not just the parents side regardless of the parents wishes. The parents aren't always right and shouldn't really interfere with the curriculum. They can teach whatever the hell they want at home but they shouldn't interfere with schools to the point of children not being taught everything.

I can see why you would think that not notifying the parents was a mistake, but I would never want these parents to be responible for homosexuality education. They'll most likely teach these kids that 'fags are an abomination and need to be beaten to a pulp or killed so they can go to hell for being sick'. Other than playground namecalling, if that's they're first impressions on gays, it'll most likely stick.

The teacher obviously wanted to beat the parents to the chase and try and teach tolerance in these kids, which the parents are so obviously afraid of. If their little Billy is nice to gays, he must be a fag too. You know the mentality. 'You're either with us or against us' is the best way to sum it up.

And the note sent home to warn the parents would only serve to get the book banned. No other effect. Do you honestly think all the parents would get a note and just say "oh, ok. Glad I know. Well, I'd better be prepared to talk to little Billy in case he has any questions." Riiiight. These are the same parents that have left it to the TV to teach little Billy EVERYTHING. And if there's something that their kid hasn't learned? Perhaps a failure at math, science, English, or geography? Then it's the teacher's fault. Definitely not the absentee parents.

So if you send that little note, you may as well burn the book at the same time because that's the ignorant response you'll most certainly get back.

Since nobody is going to ban your average heterosexual fairytale, may as well give the kids a more open-minded view until the TV has become sufficiently broad to teach them the same lesson of tolerance.

Captain Nevarre

I think the whole thing is blown way out of proportion. A lawsuit?!
I think a more open minded approach to homosexuality should be taught in school anyway. It would be nice if parents could be left to talk to their kids about homosexuality, but unfortunately that isn't always possible as some parents will try and bias their children's opinions.