I’m curious as to what everyone thinks about this video from The Young Turks, which features a brief discussion regarding a Huffington Post blogger who writes about how she and her husband support their son who just came out as gay at the age of 7. The panel discusses whether or not a 7-year-old is able to determine if he or she is gay and if parents who are “overly supportive” can confuse the child, steering them in the wrong direction. I don’t want to give my input just quite yet but I don’t quite agree with the conclusion the majority of the panel came to. What do you think?
Yes, it’s possible to realise your sexual orientation by the age of 7 (you can discover it at any age). While I’m still a bit unsure about mine, I always knew that I was attracted to girls. I’ve always found girls more attractive than guys.
I think the guy is overreacting a bit and he annoys me. If you’re kid comes out of gay, accept them. Maybe they’re just bi-curious or bisexual/pansexual, etc. Don’t say things like are you sure or you’re just too young to know yet. That’s not alright, you support you’re child even if it’s “just a phase” (which I doubt). You can’t push a kid to be gay, just like you can’t push a kid to be straight.
Honestly sometime of the stuff from The Young Turks frustrate me so much. The thing the parents might be worried about is if other kids are gonna start bullying him. That’s the only concern I can see, other than that there’s nothing to worry about. The kid shouldn’t have to tone his behaviour down just because some people wont like it or maybe he isn’t really gay.
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fickle-indigochild answered:
If anyone calls being supportive of their child’s understanding of self “steering them in the wrong direction” I think that’s a big problem.
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pancakepower answered:
You have to “revisit the issue” if your son says he’s gay, but you wouldn’t have to if he liked girls? This is definitely stupid..
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unshackled answered:
“wrong direction”? Parents should say that’s nice honey and go an as usual. Gay or not gay isn’t right right or wrong direction
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teronidas answered:
Of course they could decide they were gay by that age.
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alloursongswillbelullabies answered:
I dislike the implication that there’s something wrong with changing your mind. Just don’t encourage the idea that ANY sexuality is preferred
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mindbabies liked this
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blixums answered:
If the kid eventually thinks he’s wrong about it, then he still knows he has supportive parents. What’s the harm either way?
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hushifyoumust answered:
I think it could confuse the boy. It’s great the parents are supportive but they should tone it down because 7 year olds say a lot of things.
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concretebeach reblogged this from mohandasgandhi and added:
Honestly, I thought I was Batman for...straight year. And that was from no loss
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sweetcalamity answered:
I think it is just important to be supportive. The child may change later, but knowing he has his parents’ support is essential.
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acaskofbrando said:
Love and free will go hand in hand. One will love whoever he or she so pleases, regardless of gender. All people must simply accept this and try their best to accommodate their child as best they can to avoid ill treatment by others.
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cernunnos6 answered:
These Men don’t know what they are talking about. They equate sex with orientation There is more to being gay than who you “do it with.”
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jessforbes liked this
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rushedinfluence liked this
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metamorphoseandbodhi answered:
I love that they’re so acepting of their son but one’s sexual orientation is something one doesn’t fully understand until at their teens.
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tellmebirdie liked this
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frankmunstah answered:
i’m skeptical as well. i mean 7 years? the kid hasn’t even hit puberty. If the kid was 11-12 then i won’t be skeptical.
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fromthemargintothecenter answered:
The boy knows himself/the parents unconditionally supportive. Hence the panel doesn’t matter, nor can it determine such a thing anyway, smh.
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guardianfirstdrsecond answered:
I agree that publicizing it to the teachers might be a bit much, but supporting the kid at whatever age is important.
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thenoblestlemon said:
That they even question whether the parents could be wrong is compulsory heterosexuality at work. I dare say a kid’s orientation is a non-issue, loosely related to how he will identify when he matures. I had opposite sex crushes until I was 14.
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zeal4truth answered:
Most 7 year olds I know love Pokemon and Jimmy Neutron. My opinion: too young to think about sexuality. They can deal with it during puberty
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bonjoursex said:
I think there are also a lot of influences in a child’s life that encourage heterosexuality. I haven’t read the article tbh, but it sounds like they’re just trying to create a safe space. The way they talked about it rubbed me the wrong way.
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lovingremixed reblogged this from subalh and added:
ia ia ia. except for the part about the teacher, because i understand why they would inform his teachers. what if he...
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subalh reblogged this from mohandasgandhi and added:
Yeah, being 7-years-old is definitely too young for a boy...know his sexual orientation …...
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haphazardthoughts reblogged this from mohandasgandhi
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sushiinthecan liked this
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dovryn reblogged this from mohandasgandhi and added:
think. You can’t fight nature and get good results.
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ghostlie answered:
You can’t MAKE someone gay & I don’t think being supportive is going to confuse a kid. Disagree w/telling teachers though.
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afterthefires said:
No one ever tells their son who has a crush on a girl in the 1st grade if he’s really sure he’s straight. Also, the idea of being “overly supportive” is homophobic.
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dovryn liked this
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theheaviestburden said:
Additionally, the ‘swaying’ does not have be ‘forced’ and it could simply be that the child feels happiness because of his parents acceptance with his proclaimed (whether true or not) sexuality.
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octosquid answered:
I would go with “okay, that’s fine!” and just not make a big deal out of it at all? and like if he thinks otherwise later on let it be?
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gotaproblemwithfeminists reblogged this from mohandasgandhi and added:
Yes, it’s possible...realise your sexual orientation by the age of 7 (you can discover it...
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skyorb said:
Tell the kid to love who he wants! If this is a “phase” it doesn’t have to be solidified into his personality forever, just like so many gay people don’t come out until later in life and any false “straightness” isn’t solidified. Love can be fluid.
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theheaviestburden answered:
If a young child does not fully understand what sexuality is, his opinion and beliefs can be swayed easily by parenting /etc? Is that ageism?
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coachman answered:
I think a parent should support their child’s dreams, educate them, and allow them the space to change.If he is gay, he knows they support hi
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quality2 answered:
If the parents make it clear to the child that they don’t care if it changes its mind it shouldn’t really matter IMO. Character limit…
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imanilin liked this
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great-perhaps answered:
did they read the blog post? the mom didn’t say “you’re special,” she said “I love you the way you are.” I think they responded perfectly.
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socialismandnakedpeople reblogged this from mohandasgandhi and added:
I think I agree with...majority here. While I’d be fully supportive
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notlawrj answered:
No comment on the subject of child rearing. However, it is disheartening that this young man’s mind is preoccupied with something so trivial
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yahoofightroom answered:
Everyone develops knowledge of their sexuality at different times, but I’m with you. I don’t quite agree with the majority of the panel.
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tooyoungforthelivingdead said:
if kids aren’t “out” at 7, then you’re just gonna assume they’re straight? specifying a sexual orientation doesn’t necessitate being sexual! how can there be anything wrong with this??
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morphetamine answered:
What about the issue of bullying? There’s no need to set your kids sexual orientation from 7-yo, you’re only setting him up to be bullied IMO
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ilovejeopardy liked this
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naughtydred answered:
In retrospect I knew I was gay by 5 yrs old my parents did nothing to encourage me just the opposite and i learned to cope- support wont hurt
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team-artemis reblogged this from mohandasgandhi and added:
There’s no such thing...being “overly supportive”...if a...
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anytimewilldomylove answered:
I’m responding in an ask.
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adornyourhearts answered:
I’d say society wrongfully steers kids towards heterosexuality at an even younger age.
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