From personal experience, when I was around 10 years old I saw 2 men kissing and I felt like it was unnatural and dirty. I just remember feeling like it was wrong. Before this incident, my parents or no one else ever taught me about homosexuals so my reaction wasn't influenced by society at all it was just a gut reaction.
2006-12-21 10:24:44 · 42 answers · asked by Jack J 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Your gut reaction was completely correct. It's wrong and it's unnatural. I don't care what they say, God did not make them that way. The Bible says it is wrong. Leviticus 18:22. I feel sorry for children who have to grow up in that type of lifestyle, corrupted from the beginning.
2006-12-21 10:28:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 14⤋
Look, oh course it felt unnatural and dirty to you because you were never educated properly about homosexuals. Trust me when I say that most bigoted behaviour comes from the subconscious teachings of the parents. It's the little things they do and say that turn their children into haters! Had you spoken to someone who was unbiased and honest about what you saw that day ... you're outlook might be very different and not have remained so negative.
If at the time it was explained to you in a positive, empathetic and accepting way; you'd be the better for it. Don't make that mistake with your children, the last thing we need in society is more hate based on misinformation and unfounded stereotypes. What's wrong with being a good human being; no matter who you come across? Isn't it the "Christian" thing to do?
Have a Merry Christmas, I truly mean that!
P.S. Just so you know, my father claims to be a very accepting man; yet to this day I can remember the gay jokes, the anger and his belief in all the stereotypes. It mostly came out while he was telling jokes to his rich friends while having drinks in his home office ... he thought we coulden't hear. You're kids are learning from you, even when you don't think they are!!!!
2006-12-21 11:39:57 · answer #2 · answered by AJD 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That is because people around you thought you that homosexuality is wrong, instead of teaching you that love doesn't have a gender. Hopefully things have changed in the meantime.
Also, many aspects of social conditioning are transmitted to you from your parents at an extremely young age, and you might be surprised to learn that a 'gut' reaction at 2 is actually a mostly conditioned response. The only part of the 'gut' response that wasn't conditioned was probably your own early inclinations toward heterosexuality, if they were emerging at that time --
And most importantly, just because a 2 year old says 'yukky' to something, doesn't mean it's yukky. We don't base society or laws or rules for adults on the tastes or perceptions of 2 year olds.
You statement implies that you had some 'innate' response which proves 2 men kissing must be wrong. But anyone who has spent ant time with a 2 year old knows that their favorite word is 'no!' 2 year olds are famous for rejecting EVERYTHING, not just affection between adults.
If you were lucky enough to grow up in a family where gay men were respected, then you might have a different response, but only after you got a litle older. Most kids say 'yuk' when they see ANY adults kissing.
2006-12-21 10:38:14 · answer #3 · answered by Kedar 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
By definition, your reaction was in fact shaped by society. The fact that your parents never said anything about gay people is one major factor. Furthermore, the random portrayals that are inevitable in modern pop culture (I don't know how old you are now) of gay men as the butte of jokes says something. The types of jokes those are says something else. And, even if you don't remember it, society is coming at you from every angle trying to reinforce heterosexuality and procreation. If it were "just a gut reaction", then there wouldn't have been societies that accept homosexuality. Unless you've got faulty DNA, in which case you're the freak here. In short, no. If the situation is dealt with accordingly, there is no trauma or damage from children seeing same sex relationships in similar conditions as they see different-sex relationships.
2006-12-21 18:11:36 · answer #4 · answered by Atropis 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's always interesting when people use God and the Bible as their reference for hatred and bigotry. For some reason those people have become damaged and it had nothing whatsoever to do with seeing two people of the same sex kissing.
Whatever makes you think something is unnatural and dirty is due to societal and parental conditioning whether anyone has "taught" you about homosexuals or not.
2006-12-21 11:16:54 · answer #5 · answered by castle h 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, I don't think it is damaging. In fact, I think it is good that they see it. Children need to learn that there are different kinds of relationships and that it doesn't matter whether a person is gay or straight. We can learn a lot from children in general. When they see two people kissing, they just figure that they are happy and in love, I doubt many of them acknowledge the fact that they are the same-sex and that they shoudn't being doing that. They see true love and are not blinded by bigotry. They haven't had the chance to be brainwashed into thinking that their is only one kind of relationship, and that any other kind of relationship is wrong. Do yourself a favor, if you have kids or when you have kids don't let them be brainwashed into thinking that this kind of behavior is wrong. It is time we stopped this chain of hate.
2006-12-21 14:09:56 · answer #6 · answered by Hmmm... 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it would depend on the age of the kids and how they have been raised-----were they told that there are some people of the same sex that love each other more than just being friends. This day and age there is so much going on I guess it is totally up to the kid how they feel---if they are against it fine, if they are for it, fine, they will decide and no one can change or should try to change their minds. I dont think anyone should flaunt their actions in public no matter male female, or male & male or female & female.
2006-12-21 10:31:00 · answer #7 · answered by nickle 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You were taught from early on that 2 men touching was considered a no-no- whether you were aware of it or not. it's hard to get past that. If children are taught that people who care about each other kiss and touch, then the idea of 2 men kissing wouldn't be so strange. If children aren't exposed to diversity, then how will they understand other people's customs.
2006-12-25 07:51:26 · answer #8 · answered by reme_1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
BS, don't tell me you were never allowed to see television by the age of ten.
Don't tell me you weren't instilled by society already at that age, what were you, raised in an isolation tank?
Are you saying that kids in your area or at your school never played "Smear the Queer?" Or "Keep Away" or any of the NORMAL things kids do, which are actually really cruel.
By TEN I knew that people came in all shapes, sizes, colors, cultures, religions, family groups, family histories...I knew that television marketed to specific groups of audiences,
So unless you were raised in an insolated area, never watched television or listened to the radio or read popular magazines or newpapers and were completely homeschooled with NO outside influences, you're FLAT OUT LYING!
Come on, you're only lying to yourself if you actually believe your crap.
No, it's not damaging to kids, unless of course, like you they've been indoctrinated by society, peers, family, church that it's somehow wrong.
What's wrong is teaching children to not accept diversity and differences. What's wrong is societies way of subliminally force feeding bigotry, hate, intolerance into young minds.
2006-12-21 17:14:43 · answer #9 · answered by DEATH 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OH GEESH!! are you all serious? Listening to all of you self righteous christians go on and on about what is and what isnt right according to the bible is getting a little old! you seriously think everything in the bible is correct? you think the bible is in it's original state? the exact same as the day it was written? are you that closed minded, or STUPID? honestly why would you believe in a god that you have to fear? that you're told, HE LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT......as long as you do what this book says! oh brother! that seems like it would be a sad life. I went to church for the first 18 years of my life and have always had the hardest time trying to believe what the people standing on their soap boxes were trying to preach. come on you have to admit that you've questioned the whole religion thing yourself! If you say no, you're lying to yourself! If you all didnt spend your entire lives having people force feed you what to believe and what to hate, yes hate! There'd be a lot less hate, and prejudice in this world. Why can't christians just let people be who they are as long as they're not hurting anybody! It's our lives, why should you care? Save yourself!!!!! Besides the only unnatural thing I know of is being christian! it's like a hate and intollerance training ground! seriously, you all, get a life!
2006-12-21 11:10:58 · answer #10 · answered by justinlaken 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
the reason why you thought is was dirty and unnatural was because no one had told you about it. homosexuality is completely natural because people have been doing it since the beginning of time. animals do it to.
i will tell my children about homosexuality when i talk to them about sex. they should know and be told that it is NOT wrong.
2006-12-23 15:23:01 · answer #11 · answered by happyinblue 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋