Response to the idea of not allowing the topic of same sex parent families into a unit theme about types of families

After our class discussion on Boy Meets Boy I left class still rather bothered about something that came up. One student mentioned that in her preschool classroom a particular teacher refused to allow her to discuss same sex relationships and parents when doing a unit on families. I am also a child development major and when doing this theme in my classroom I hope that I will be able to discuss all the different family types that are out there, including same sex parents. This lead me to really think about how hard it can sometimes be as a teacher to really teach the things you believe in especially when they may be considered controversial to others. In this particular situation it was a teacher who had more power then the student teacher not allowing this subject in her classroom, in a program that prides itself in being antibias. However, what about in the future when we are all teachers and we want to discuss this type of a topic in our classrooms and the principals and district will not allow it? Or parents have issues with it even after explaining your intentions and the school takes the side of the parents because they do not want to cause controversy? Why should one have to ask the permission of parents to talk about this if it is not in the curriculum? Same sex parents are types of families too that exist and I believe it is important to discuss them if you are doing a unit on families, just as it would be important to discuss different ways people celebrate holidays in a unit of holiday customs. The above mentioned situations are possible situations that could occur and I think that I personally would really struggle with the idea that these families are being denies a voice in schools. I know that in my preschool placement last semester there was a child who had two mothers, and after hearing this I really began to think about how that child would feel if her teacher denied her family’s structure a place in a family unit. Would this child simply not notice? Or would this child at such an early age begin to wonder if there was something wrong with her family because their family structure was not discussed?

Another thing that I began to think about in this situation is what I personally would do if I were ever placed in this situation of having a head teacher not let me discuss something like this. Would I simply conform to her views and think that I will do it my way in my own classroom? Or would I try to argue the issue or go to the head of the school to see if this decision could be reversed?

These are just a few things I began to think about after this discussion. I suppose most of my irritation with this lies in the issues of religion in schools as well and holidays not being talked about or celebrated because it might offend some people. I personally believe it would be more beneficial to students to be educated about other holiday customs in an anti biased way then it is to brush it under the rug. That’s just my rant about these issues does anyone have any other ideas?!?!?!?!