Learn how you can teach kids about the LGBTQ+ community at a young age and encourage a more accepting mindset early on.
Edited by Tyler Vu
Teaching children about LGBTQ+ people presents a new challenge that we must face together in this modern age. Parents, teachers, and even teenagers with younger siblings now have the task of influencing younger generations with the correct mindset on the LGBTQ+ community. Raising children to adopt an accepting and open-minded attitude towards people who may be different from them is never a simple task. Doing so requires careful, deliberate language in order to avoid perpetuating misleading stereotypes and emphasizing inclusivity as the bottom line in any situation. The following are three basic guidelines to keep in mind while educating children about LGBTQ+ people.
Rather than speaking for the community, let them speak through you. Initiate conversations with your LGBTQ+ friends. Research books, stories, and videos that amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ people. By acquainting yourself with the experiences specific to the LGBTQ+ community, you not only educate yourself, but also equip yourself with new perspectives that children may not understand and need to have explained to them.
Have children spend time with LGBTQ+ people. Children spending time with LGBTQ+ members will broaden the scope of their understanding of LGBTQ+ people. There are many harmful stereotypes surrounding different sexual orientations and gender identities that can project easily onto children in one way or another. Allowing children to get to know your LGBTQ+ friends helps combat such stereotypes and teaches them that each individual is unique and holds a unique set of life experiences.
Share positive attitudes with children when on the subject of LGBTQ+ people. Instead of beating around the bush when a child asks what a particular term means, be honest and objective while repeating that kindness to all people is always a priority. While it is difficult to articulate your words in a way that does not mislead children, creating a nervous atmosphere when a child asks about LGBTQ+ people may send the message that they should not have inquired about them in the first place. By assigning negative connotations to words like “lesbian,” “gay,” etc., children succumb to the illusion that the subject of LGBTQ+ people is taboo, which is the same detrimental notion that our generation is endeavoring to change.
No matter where you lie on the political compass, opening children to different types of people lays a solid foundation for their path to educate themselves about the world. Thus, we must be wary of implementing our biases in today’s children, as exposing them to our societal realities and fostering open-mindedness is the only real way to raise informed individuals with fully formed, educated opinions.
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