nowlin@ihu1e.UUCP (Jerry Nowlin) (09/12/84)
. As a person who considers himself very tolerant of some things I recognize that I'm definitely intolerant of others. One thing I'm very against is smoking (bare with me a while). I hate it with a passion. I still have friends and relatives that smoke, but I've given up trying to convince most of them to quit. All of them know just how I feel. Homosexuality is something that's not intrusive like smoking. I don't have any particular antipathy toward homosexuals. I won't give you any "Some of my best friends are..." crap. I've had friends that were gay, but at the time I didn't know it. I probably know people that are gay now, but I don't make that a question that determines who I talk to or hang out with so it's never come up. I have 3 kids. The oldest are just getting started in school. I'd like them to understand that there are differences in sexual preference. I can accept homosexuality as an alternative life style that I haven't tried myself but don't condemn others for living. I'm not sure I can bring myself to portray homosexuality as an *acceptable* alternative to the relationship I share with my wife. It won't be hard for me to talk to my kids about not smoking. They know how I feel about it and I can give them lots of reasonable arguments against doing it themselves. Homosexuality is really tough. I'm not sure whether I should try to dissuade my kids from trying it or what reasons I could use if I decided to try. I don't give a hoot about what the bible says. There are no reasons in that book for doing or not doing anything that I would quote to my children. The only logical argument I can think of against homosexuality is the possibility of social pressure against that kind of life style making it hard to get jobs, find places to live, etc. I'd like my kids to be independent of social pressures, peer pressures and other types of influence like that. I want them to think and make decisions for themselves. I'd like them to stand up for what they think to the point of fighting the kind of stigma that a homosexual life style might cause, instead of avoiding the situation. I'll undermine that wish if I use that very kind of pressure as a reason for abandoning a particular life style. It all boils down to wanting my children to grow up healthy and live happy lives. If they'll be happier as homosexuals do I have the right to burden them with lots of guilt just because that's not the choice I would make? I'm not asking for arguments for or against homosexuality. I'm fairly certain there are lots of other parents out there who find themselves in this dilemma, pondering the same questions I am. Has anybody had to broach this subject yet with their kids? What will you do when the time comes? Jerry Nowlin ihnp4!ihu1e!nowlin