Back To School Worries For Gay Parents Summary

Back-to-School Worries for Gay Parents, by Roni Caryn Rabin, appeared on The New York Times online publication September 7, 2015. The article discusses how more and more gay parents are worried about sending their child to school due to the prejudice from ignorant classmates. Rabin goes into detail about research that has found that children of gay and lesbian parents aren’t different from children of heterosexual parents in terms of developmental, social and academic milestones or sexual orientation; the studies also show that most children of gay parents still endure remarks that appear to be prejudice. It’s a type of slight that researchers call a “microaggression.” These comments may not be malicious or constitute overt bullying or harassment, but they still single out children and make them feel different. The parents who were interviewed for the article explain that their child also has a “coming out” period while

I also believe that the topic is much more common than many think it to be, and gay parents struggle with the stresses of sending their child into a world where there’s extreme ignorance, bias, and prejudice. When I was thinking of theorists that related to this article I found two I couldn’t choose between; Jean Piaget and Urie Bronfenbrenner. Piaget believed that early cognitive development occurs through a process where actions prompt thought processes, which influence the actions the next time around. He talked about Schemas which describe both the mental and physical actions involved in interpreting and understanding the world. New information acquired through an experience is used to modify, add to, or change previously existing schemas. Of course Piaget is referring more to objects than situations in school, but I thought it was an interesting way to look at his