My mother is a homophobic tithead

[cupcakesandbunting]

Maybe.

We took DS to the library yesterday and I said that I was asking for books for christmas rather than toys, if people asked what DS would like. I mentioned that my best mate was buying him King and King which I think is a lovely book and she did this manic wide-eyed face and started shaking her head like I'd said I was going to start reading him the full works of the Marquis de Sade before bed

When I asked her what was wrong with it, she couldn't articulate why she thought it was wrong that he might get this book other than "that's just my opinion." and "he'll see that in life anyway, he doesn't need to read about it" So taking that to it's logical conclusion, I'd better stop buying him any book that depicts real life because he sees enough of that. Or is it just gay real life that he should be shielded from? MASSIVE

"ds was really embarrassed and hasn't done his make-up since."

That just made me well up! :(

PocketMonster,my mum is 53. I know bout the genertionl thing but MiL is 64 nd my best friend's mum is 72 and both are very liberal in this department.

IMO, times change and it's up to us to move with the times and educate ourselves. It's not up to other people to slow down to other people's frankly jurassic mindsets.

Oops sorry about the lack of a's in that last post. My a key keeps sticking :(

Cupcakes.....i am 50...i have known many,many gay people during my life....it's not generational any more ......the generation that didn't understand gay peole are at least a generationBEFOREme.......people in their 70's and 80's may be forgiven for their prejudices but not people in their 50's and 60's unless they are uneducated,illiterate morons and if they are younger than this then they are NASTY

I do think if children are brought up where it is just the norm and not something that has to be commented on then it's the best thing.

I have 2 much younger sisters ( 10 and 6 ) and neither of then have ever made any comment on my best friend and the fact that she's married to another woman, it's just normal life to them and I hope that DD (2) grows up the same.

That's crap cupcakes- my dad was the same until a family friend came out, my dad and I were chatting about it and he just couldn't understand because this friend spent hours chatting to my dad about cars and cricket, the next day he'd decided that gay people were normal after all and now is first to champion gay peoples right to adopt/marry etc because he's so fond of our family friend.
I don't really know how to help, does she like any famous people that are gay? Stephen fry etc?
I think you definitly have to tell her that you don't want any gay-is-wrong attitudes around him at all

MoralDefective that's what I was saying; age is no excuse for ignorance.

Hedgeblunder she likes gay people as individuals but is very intolerant of any "gayness" . If two men kiss on telly she does a face that could curdle milk. It fucks me off.

Weirdly though, despite initial protestation, she used to be an avid watcher of Queer as Folk when I used to watch it.

Cupcakes....i think age IS an excuse for ignorance.....i think that being educated and informed means that we have to be accepting of different lifestyles....in my Mums day,gay people would have been reviled,not so now,we can't condemn our olds for their upbringing

aye ah ken the mammie face curdles milk frightens cats

Hello Scottishmummy

your mammie description is priceless.so descriptive:o

If this is true, why do people "it's soooo great" to provide such literature for their children?

Why the extraneous efforts to normalise behaviour that patently isn't normal (based on the stats)?

"behaviour that patently isn't normal"

you really want to go with that line?

Diversity? One per cent of the population??

Any statistical analysis has allowances for errors that are higher. I fail to see such a need to focus on such minority groups - sure, we should not exclude them completely...but let's not pretend there are as many non-heterosexual people as the media currently wishes us to think there are.

maggie why shouldn't there be books about homosexual relationships?

i reckon i have over 100 books in my children's bedroom. if one of them is king and king then that accurately represents those stats you have linked to. have you still got a problem with that?

No problem with that whatsoever - just with the tendency to exaggerate such minorities. Let's be fair and liberal and live and let live, sure...but let's not pretend the numbers are higher than they are.

booyhoo - you do know what normal means, right?

who was pretending?

it's not inflating the numbers is it?

it's just about making children aware that some people are different in whatever way (race, sexuality, whatever) and that it's ok to be different.

yeah but lets have your definition for a bit of craic.

Normality

good at least we agree on that. so tell me why we shouldn't be normalising the idea that gay people exist? because as your link shows, they do indeed exist. surely it is only normal to acknowledge their existence.

They exist but are not normal, according to the strict definition given above - that was my point.