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Apr 30, 2005 
Author: 
David Parker’s 5 year old son came home from Kindergarten carrying a bag of books containing information ranging from ethnic recipes to children and families from other parts of the world, to teach diversity. The book that set Mr. Parker off was a book called ‘Who’s In a Family?” by Robert Skutch, which depicts different kinds of families, including same-sex couples raising children.
This book prompted a series of email exchanges between Parker and School officials and prompted a meeting at the school which ended with Parker’s arrest for refusing to leave the school property.
Parker was asking for permission to allow for his child to be excluded from discussions regarding same-sex couples. School officials refused.
I’m on both sides of this issue, personally, I see nothing wrong with the book and its contents, the 4 pages that actually bring up two dads and two moms do not discuss anything even remotely sexual or explicit. In fact here is ALL of the text from the book that deals with same sex parents:
“A family can be made up in many different ways.”
“Laura and Kyle live with their two moms, Joyce and Emily, and a poodle named Daisy. It takes all four of them to give Daisy her bath.”
“Robin’s family is made up of her dad, Clifford, her dad’s partner, Henry, and Robin’s cat, Sassy. Clifford and Henry take turns making dinner for their family.”
Now I challenge anyone to pull a nasty, sex ridden meaning from that text.
I do not see anything wrong with the subject matter in this book. Which would you rather have your five year-old read, something that touches same sex marriage, or something that harps on divorce and broken households? I vote for #1 myself.
As for the issue of the school refusing notification of classroom subject matter, I have to side with the father on this issue. It seems like every day we hear another story about two little kids found in a bathroom, perfoming some sexual act on each other. Stories about teachers teaching our Junior High kids how to put on condoms. If this is the kind of environment my children are being subject to, I demand notification of sexual or innapropriate subject matter if I deem it necessary. I am the parent and the interests of my children until they are deemed adults in a legal sense, is my responsibility, not the schools.
