I was reading a newspaper advice column a few days ago:
Our son is a sixteen year old junior in high school. He is gay and has a boyfriend. We allow him to spend time with his boyfriend in his room with the door closed. If he were in a heterosexual relationship, we would say, “No way!” But since pregnancy isn’t a concern, I’m fine with it: It seems like a safe space for them to explore their sexuality. My husband thinks I’m a hypocrite because I wouldn’t allow this if our son were straight. He also finds it “disrespectful” for the boys to have sex under our noses.
They're going to do it no matter what. Isn't this a better situation than having sex in a car or public place? These boys will know teenage love, just like heterosexual couples do. They will look back with fond memories of these times and their sexual awakening.
This article got me thinking about how much things have changed for those of us who are Gen-X or Baby Boomers. If I came out or was discovered at age 16, I would have been thrown out of my house. I barely knew what "gay" was.
I think about what it would be like to openly have a boyfriend at age 16 and explore my sexuality. I remember in high school boys talking about their heterosexual experiences. I was intrigued, and envious. Almost nobody was openly gay. For the few who were obviously gay, their lives were miserable with bullying. Now we see Helix videos with young guys who could be in high school, set in what looks like a teenager's bedroom. and this ignites the fantasy.
We can't change the past. Being out or having a boyfriend at 16 just wasn't in the cards for me....but I understand why. There's nothing I could have done to change the situation. I can't have regrets.
Time have changed so does the kids these days. With the easy access to the internet with all sort of hetero/homo elements publicly shown in FB, IG, TIKTOK, it is no wonder that kids these days are diving into it in early stage. The parents are likely gen-z, mostly growing up open-minded without prejudice toward the gay people. But I really wish sex education should be brought upon in the early years of growing up. The knowledge of having safe sex, consents, and whatnot is so important for their sexual and physical health. Sadly, in my country, most of the HIV-infected people are between early and late 20s - and one particular race group always have the highest percentage.
ReplyDeleteZach -- Good point. Sex education can't be porn -- there needs to be proper sex education.
ReplyDeleteKids are always going to find a way to have sex, if that is what they want to do. Gay or Straight makes no difference. Hormones are hormones and they can make us all do things we might not otherwise engage in. That said, it's pretty bold that a parent would permit their underage child to have sex in their house. It's great that they are accepting but you only get 1 first time. Sex education is important so everyone knows how the body works and STI's as well as STD's. If your going to play at such a young age it's best to use protection. Very interesting story, thanks for sharing it.
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