WVQN

So, my 11-year-old daughter comes home from school a few weeks ago and announces to me that her old friend is gay. "How do you know?" I asked. "Because she's dating another girl," my daughter says.

Yeah, well that makes sense. What doesn't make sense to me is that there are about six sixth graders at my daughter's school that have all come out of the closet together. While maybe it is best to come out with a friend, I can't help but to wonder if these girls just "became" lesbians to gain attention. 

You see, every one of these girls has been in trouble for bullying, been suspended for stealing, some have ran away from home, others dye their hair black and put safety pins through their noses. 

Did I mention they are in sixth grade?

I am not suggesting that a child should hide their sexuality or that a child may not know what their sexual "preference" is, I just think it is extremely ironic that every lesbian in this middle school is also a an attention-seeking troublemaker. 

Now before you burn me at the stakes, I am not calling all lesbians troublemakers because I feel that, aside from the drama, most gay women are good, fun natured people. I just can't help but to wonder once the "shock factor" wears off from being "gay", will these young girls still prefer people of the same sex?

It appears to be an epidemic at my daughter's school. The "gay" crowd is expanding. More kids are "coming out". All of these students would be considered troubled preteens.
I personally think it is wonderful that kids today feel like they can be open about their sexuality. But my heart is really sad that so many of these girls are giving the word "lesbian" a bad reputation.

Can a kid not be gay and a good student? Because you are gay, does that mean you have to constantly feel like you have something to prove?

I asked my daughter if her school has a LGTB support group. Her response was, "No and no one would want to start one." I'm assuming this is because this group of sixth grade lesbians have made one too many enemies already this school year. 

Sad but true. 

As a gay community, I feel that we need to reach out to these preteens and tweens and let them know that being "gay" doesn't mean you have to force yourself to be different than your friends. They also need to know that if they are gay, they should not be expected to behave like their lesbian cohorts at school.