Two topics related to diversity and identity development in young children that are important to address- but are often not addressed- are gender and sexual orientation. Some people may be uncomfortable about these topics, some may have strong beliefs about the morality of them, and others may not know where to begin, but not addressing them does more harm than good. Young children are aware of the world around them and the messages that it sends, as adults we may often overlook these subtle social messages that children readily pick up on. This past week I paid more attention to things in the media that influence children and was surprised at the number of heterosexist (and/or homophobic) and gender stereotypical messages that they sent.
Most of the books that I picked up at the public library depicted children in a two-parent heterosexual family and while flipping through children’s shows on TV, almost all of the families I saw were made up the same way: a mother, father, and children- all upholding stereotypical gender roles. Toys and their packaging were a similar story; most toys were gender-specific and advertised as such (dolls for girls, action toys for boys, etc.) in pink and blue packaging. Family games showed pictures of two parents, a mother and father, and their children. I did not see any TV shows or toy/game packaging with same-sex parents and I saw very few library books with diverse families. Children who look at these things are gaining messages-either that their family is not normal and represented (children with same-sex parents) or that their family is normal and right (children with heterosexual parents).
This is really saddening, and worrisome, because there are many children who come from diverse families, which include households of same-sex parents. For children with same-sex parents, seeing their families represented could help them feel that their families are accepted, and therefore that they are accepted; for children in heterosexual-headed households, seeing other family types can help them become more aware and accepting of other family types. My belief is that as early childhood professionals we need to put our personal beliefs and biases aside to create a welcoming and stable environment that promotes the positive identity development of all children-regardless of their family structure.
Some people believe that early childhood centers should avoid including books that depict gays, lesbians, and same-sex partnered families; this is very upsetting and unfortunate as it is restrictive and excludes quality literature and resources. As early childhood professionals, our goal is to foster healthy development (including identity development) in ALL children; excluding families is sending the message that we are not supportive or accepting of them. If we are including/representing all family types in our classrooms and responding honestly and accurately to children’s questions and comments then we are taking a big step towards promoting tolerance and acceptance and fostering positive identity development in all children. By providing books that depict same-sex partnered parents, we are not teaching sexuality or “promoting” homosexuality, instead we are recognizing that these families exist and are an important part of our community.
Note: This topic is part of the current news here in California; I found this article (Schools must teach more gay, disabled history) earlier this week and thought it was relevant to this topic that we have been discussing! I was extremely disheartened at the comments that objectors were making about this new law, it will be interesting to see when/how it goes into effect.
