Mar 06 2008
Conversation Thursday: Jack and Bill
Nephew: Titi Linda, do boys kiss each other in real life? I saw it on TV. That’s weird.
Titi Linda: Yes, sometimes they do.
Nephew: Isn’t that weird?
Titi Linda: Well, some boys like other boys and some boys like girls. And some girls like boys and other girls like girls. It’s okay.
Nephew: What do you like?
Titi Linda: I like boys.
Nephew: I like girls.
(silence)
Nephew: Why do boys like other boys?
Titi Linda: Because every person is different.
(nephew thinks)
Nephew: You’re right. People are different. You wear glasses and I don’t. I’m not weird.
Titi Linda: No you aren’t.
Nephew: Okay, boys kissing isn’t weird.
Auria here. This is a real conversation I had with my nephew when he was four years old. Four. Children are never too young to learn that everyone deserves respect.
You are so right. Any question asked was always answered by my mother (and I asked a lot of questions.–Go figure.), regardless of my age or the question. The gay question never was asked by me. I heard it explained over and over in very bad ways. Very hard for me to understand because I was a girl who liked girls, as long as I can remember, by 3yrs old I was throwind dolls away and ripping off dresses and grabbing toy trucks, guns, tools. My poor mom, she always wanted a little girl to dress up and do all he cutesy girlie stuff—she got me. Never phased her though, she loved me as I was.
Cute conversation. I think parents should start at a very early age explaining love and sex to children. We have gay and lesbians in both my family and my husbands family. So, our children learned early on.
Diane, you sound like my sister. I’ve always known she was a lesbian. I’m so happy that she came out, there isn’t anything sadder than seeing someone live a lie to please others. We still have a few backwards people in our family, thinking if she just met the right guy she’d change.