"Even if you don't embrace the homosexual lifestyle, these families do exist," says Villegas-Reimers.
On the other hand, this teacher believes, it is entirely appropriate for young children to learn what the words "gay and lesbian" mean. I don't lead a closeted life, but I just don't want some irate father to be out there waiting for me in the school parking lot." "My experience is that there's horrible reactions (when teachers come out to students)," she observes. Joyce B., an elementary-school music teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, thinks it's "wonderful" that David Gaita answered his students with such honesty and directness, but would hesitate to do so herself. I tell her it's a different kind of love."įor gay and lesbian teachers, the decision to talk with kids about their sexual orientation is seldom an easy one. "My daughter's only seven but we already talk about same-sex relationships. "I think it promotes tolerance," says Jean M., mother of a second-grader. On the other hand, some parents believe such classroom discussions are an opportunity to teach young children the value of diversity. "Children should not be put in the middle of a highly charged controversy where their parents might takes sides against their teacher - their only other authority figure." "I personally don't think the classroom is the place to discuss sexual preference and personal issues, no matter what the students' age," says Susan Y., mother of five and an evangelical Christian.
Still, some wonder: How young is too young to talk with kids about sexual orientation? Is the classroom the best place for such a dialogue to occur? "My point is, the same standards of discretion should be applied for homosexual and heterosexual teachers, and therefore the same standard of tolerance and respect should be applied." "Had he divulged details of the intimate affairs of his life, it would have been inappropriate, as it would have been if a heterosexual teacher had done that," Newton School Superintendent Jeff Young told The Boston Globe. Newton's school superintendent and many parents have thrown their support behind the teacher, commending him for the way he handled the situation. That afternoon, students carried home a note from Gaita, informing parents that the discussion had taken place. When a student asked if he liked being gay, Gaita responded that it was a hard question to answer, but that he was proud of who he was. According to press accounts of the exchange, Gaita told the children that he is gay, and that he lives with a partner, "someone you love the way your mom and dad love each other." First-graders at the Burr Elementary School in Newton, Massachusetts, asked teacher David Gaita whom he lives with. It began as a classroom discussion about families. Coming Out in Class: When Teachers Tell Students "I'm Gay"