Please stop sexualizing everything!

Hi everyone! I don’t usually post about social issues. However, this issue has been on my mind for quite some time, and I want to post my opinion on it. A few hours ago, my wife asked me if I heard about this situation about the petition to marry Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street. When I heard it, I was really floored! My reaction had nothing to do with the debate for or against homosexuality. Rather it was because I have a 3 year old daughter and she watches Sesame Street at times, and I don’t permit her to watch anything that describes or hints to sexual behavior. Sexual behavior has never been an issue on any Sesame Street episode to my knowledge. Why do people want to sexualize Sesame Street? Why is it that persons can’t have a close friendship without it being labelled as homosexual or heterosexual? I think this is the key to this entire issue. The article mentions as a reason that the petition is about helping “gay and lesbian kids”. I actually find that statement very strange. I find it strange because most kids that watch Sesame Street are pre-pubescent. They have not even entered puberty yet. How can a child (kid) determine whether he or she is heterosexual or homosexual when they don’t even have the hormones that drive them to desire sexual relationships/experiences? To me, by talking about homosexual or heterosexual issues at such a young age, it more warps a child’s mind to focus on sexual experiences, where they should be focusing on their own development. I think that children are exposed to too much sexual situations at a much too young age. I am 30 years old right now, and, from my recollection, as a pre-pubescent boy I don’t recall ever thinking of other boys and girls in terms of ‘liking‘ them in a sexual way. I never thought that I was heterosexual, in terms of liking only girls. I also never thought of the boys that I enjoyed playing and hanging out with in terms of liking only them. I never thought of kissing or hugging other boys OR other girls. Kissing and hugging was never something that you even thought of doing with other persons other than my parents, and grand-mothers. For me, at least, I didn’t think about kissing and hugging and sexual behavior until I was about 12 or 13 and going through puberty. Before then, those sexual behaviors didn’t even matter or register to me. So, again, why can’t persons have a childhood of just being close friends with others?! How can a child be (or think about being) heterosexual OR homosexual before puberty? To me, unless you expose a child to sexual experiences at a young age (whether through explanation, observation or being abused) how can they know about it? And how can they determine whether it matters to them or not? I honestly don’t see how it can matter to a pre-pubescent child whether he or she is homosexual or heterosexual. When I think of my own experience, growing up in Antigua, I went to an all boys primary school and secondary school. I have life long male friends that I talk to today. I have friends that I know ever since I was like 3 years old. I have best friends who I hung out with all throughout secondary school and community college. While in primary school (5-10 years old), I never thought of having a sexual preference to boys. So, why should my daughter or anyone else’s child be forced to think of sexual preference issues?! It is primarily that age group that watches Sesame Street. They should not be exposed or forced to deal with those types of issues. If a pre-pubescent child is conflicted with sexual orientation issues, I think it is more important to find out why they are worrying about those things at such a young age. To me, if a pre-pubescent child is focussing on sexual issues regarding how much they like/love another person, it is cause for concern. That should not be a child’s focus. That is an adult focus. Let’s leave adult issues to adults and kids issues to kids! Let kids be kids! Let them be free! That’s our job as parents! Leave Bert and Ernie alone! Let them teach kids about friendship and adventure, not about sexual behavior, sexual orientation, and seduction. Thanks for reading my response. God Bless.

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