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Homosexuality remains a taboo subject in many cultures, religions, ethnic groups and national fabrics, yet it does exist. Homosexuality is a phenomenon that is in no way a recent occurrence and there is no reason to believe it will disappear in the near future. As a society that promotes individual liberty, freedom as well as equal rights, ignoring the issue or presenting it in a less than objective way does a disservice to everyone in the society who needs the best information available to make informed decisions.

The question then becomes, what is the best venue in which to present this information?

Home is often touted as the best place to discuss sensitive topics such as sexuality because parents have certain morays and expectations they wish respected when it comes to their children. While this is an admirable motive and cultures need to be respected insofar as they do not negatively impact anyone's individual liberty, there is an intrinsic problem with this view. When a divisive or sensitive issue is viewed through a specific religious or cultural prism, the resulting views formed are informed by a subjective viewpoint which cannot be objectively verified. That is, the religion or culture posits absolute truth which cannot be verified by an out-group and the resulting opinion contains elements of alienation.

School, presumably public schools, is the other popular option as all children, regardless of their religious or ethnic background are required to attend school. Schools are intended to present the best information available derived from the scientific method of observable, verifiable and repeatable facts. These pieces of information are open to anyone, of any religious or ethnic background and apply evenly across the in and out groups. While the information may not seem as complete as the absolute knowledge claims some religions profess to have, the information presented in schools is universal in the sense that it is not limited to one particular group.

Given the choice between the subjective nature of home and the objective nature of school it becomes clear the best place to discuss sensitive, divisive issues with children is in the public forum of school. The objective, humanistic nature of the information presented is vital to creating a sense of understanding and acceptance between in and out groups when discussing subjects of a taboo nature. Whatever information is augmented at home should be laid upon a solid foundation of facts that everyone has as their bedrock so that the most informed decisions can be made by each member of the society.

Learn more about this author, James Griffin.
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