Hah! You got me. It was my own lust towards the fetchingly drawn penguins in the book which I was denying.
Obviously that line should be “asked why 2 boy penguins want to live like a boy penguin and a girl penguin do”
BTW, I’m bringing the girls to see “Happy Feet” this weekend. I’m sure that’s filled with all sorts of penguin lust.
Gay male penguins, living in New York? I think it’s a given, but we could crank up some club music and find out.
Aren’t all female penguins gay? I mean, they all dress in mens tuxedos, like marlene Dietrich.
Why? What’s the negative outcome of your daughter learning about homosexuals now, as opposed to later?
But, for me, the question remains - so what? If the book wasn’t talking explicitly about sex, then you must be particularly uncomfortable about the atypical gender roles of one or the other penguin. Will you prohibit your daughter from reading books about girls who play football, or turn off the TV when that Brady Bunch episode where Peter joins the Sunflower Girls?
I do, and they sure do. However, it isn’t all that difficult to answer your child’s questions at the level that she is at. No need to go into rim jobs just to answer a question about why two guys are hanging out together doing stuff.
How about “Why do you think they were doing that?” It’s a good way to establish what level she’s at on the matter and formulate a response that fits.
Having said all that, she’s your daughter, and it is very much appropriate that you choose what you are comfortable talking to her about. My point isn’t to say otherwise.
Of course. That’s why she had to die.
They were afraid to name him Seigfried, right?
Exactly. (Barring the “silly” part, of course.) “It was just something that these two penguins did.” We don’t actually know what causes same-sex pair-bonding in some non-human animals, and we don’t have to pretend that we do know.
I understand the social pressures that make people uncomfortable with exposing their young children to any information about homosexual human couples or same-sex spouses having kids. But I think it’s kind of sad if those pressures are so insistent that they feel they even have to hide information about a couple of birds being same-sex parents, for heaven’s sake.
And in preview, I agree with Hentor that of course you’re the one who decides what you’re going to talk to your daughter about and what you’ll let her read. I’m not about to insist that you make different decisions. But since you voluntarily came in here to talk about your parenting decisions on this matter, your parenting decisions are fair game for disagreement or criticism by those with different opinions.
Why isn’t she ready for it? I can see explaining homosexuality to various four year olds I’ve known.
“Mostly, boys like girls and girls like boys. But, sometimes boys like boys and girls like girls. That’s what being gay is. No, I am not gay. But no girls like me! (fit of sobbing). No you can’t pick being gay. You didn’t pick loving chocolate. You just do. You didn’t pick hating cauliflower. You just do. People don’t pick being gay. They just are.”
I can handle other questions (are there any gay people in their movies, books, etc) similarly.
Try telling Disney that!
Happy Feet.
Yeah, like dancing penguins aren’t gay.
sheesh.
Tris
I don’t. I’m not trying to pick a fight or using a rhetorical technique. I honestly don’t understand it. Information won’t turn kids gay.
Yeah, the funny thing is when Disney or other kid’s books try to pretend that animals have human social arangements. It’s one thing if the animals are totally anthropomorphized, but when they’re supposed to be animal animals it gets weird. Because most daddy animals spend zero time caring for the baby animals, and wander off after mating season. So when you have a herd of horses composed of bonded male-female pairs it gets weird.
At least Bambi was accurate. Bambi knew his father was the Prince of the Forest, but his dad didn’t do squat for him except tell him his mother was dead.
And the problem with answering “yes, there are” instead of making up stuff about it being only a silly penguin thing would have been?
Like ** Doc Cathode **, I’m going to add that it’s not a rethorical question.
Kimstu, I think it’s naive to try and treat this book as “look - 2 boy penguins want to live together and have a baby penguin of their own”, and not expect it to lead to questions about humans. Kids look at stuff through what they already know. A story book is more about the story to them than it is about the species of the characters. Even if the animals in the story don’t talk, the fact that there is now a “penguin with 2 daddies” is going to lead to questions about kids with 2 daddies.
Hentor the book did not explicity talk about sex of course, but it was about pair bonding, and had a specific passage about courtship rituals between penguins. I think that’s different then Peter joining the Sunflower Girls or girls playing football. Hell, I try to get my daughters involved in traditionally boy activities - as a male who grew up with 4 brothers, and now dealing with 3 daughters, I’d love for them to get into something I’m familiar with. (Barbies and Princesses. All I see are Barbies and Princesses. Is one slot car racing set too much to ask?)
DocCathode, I don’t have an answer for you other than “Her mother and I think she isn’t ready for it, and we know our kids better than you.” Unsatisfying I know, but it’s the best I can do.
I was actually kind of hesitant to put in my first post, since I was worried I would be accused of bigotry (which thankfully hasn’t happened). But I think there was a point to be made. This book, like it or not, does deal with themes that some kids and/or parents are not prepared for. I don’t think there’s some big gay agenda or anything, but I do think this book does slide those themes under the radar. It would be a great first book for introducing these topics to younger kids, but I really think parents deserve to know what the theme of the book is before you get to page 5 and realize just how close Roy and Silo are.
You’re not out of the woods yet. It seems that for some reason the hordes of militant pro-gay posters haven’t quite found this thread yet. But, the bloods in the water. Like sharks, they’ll come.
You’re views are reasonable and probably more liberal than most American’s regarding gays. But, that won’t save you. Here on the SDMB full, unquestioning acceptance and encouragement of all things gay is the only acceptable position. Anything short of that gets you flamed and accused of bigotry and ignorance.
Good luck!
I agree with you here.
I’m still confused. She can deal with king and queen having baby who grows up to be Disney princess. What can’t she handle about two queens? She’s used to stories of a prince and princess falling in love, why not two princesses loving each other.
I agree. My godfather was gay, I knew he was gay from the time I was quite young, and honestly, I don’t remember it being an issue at all. It was “Uncle D. has a boyfriend, not a girlfriend, which means he’s gay. Okay. Can I go play now?”. My parents never made a big deal out of it, and his partner was a part of our family.
My son’s godfather is also gay. Again, we won’t make a big deal out of it. He and his partner will be coming to visit in a few months, and by the time Baby B is old enough to understand what ‘gay’ is, it won’t be a big deal to him because he’ll have been raised to know that it’s perfectly normal and fine in our world.
Kids are a lot more easygoing about these things than people give them credit for sometimes. When you make a big deal out of it, so will they, but if you don’t make a big deal out of it, they won’t either.
E.
They’re here! They’re queer! Love 'em or we’ll kill you!
Thanks for your zero value contribution to the thread. Funny that muldoonthief already said that he hasn’t been accused of bigotry. Why don’t you cast broad aspersions against everyone living in homo-lovin’ liberal Massachusetts as well?
Or how about contributing to the debate rather than just being a right-wing partisan jackoff.
As a confirmed, lonely conservative living in Massachusetts, sir, I must ask for satisfaction.