18 First graders taken to City Hall for lesbian "wedding"--valuable experience?

My opinion is that it's inappropriate to promote alternative lifestyles to first graders in such a way. At their age, I can't imagine what will be going through their heads.

I dont really see this as an educational experience. It's fine that the teacher wants to share her lifestyle with the kids but i dont think they need to go down t the courthouse and actually see it happen. To me it holds no more educational substance than watching a regular couple get married.

Wow. I haven't read the article as I'm answering this from my e-mail, but I wonder if they even got permission from the parents? Perhaps the link will tell me after I post this. We always had to get written permission from our parents for ANY field trip. And I think that is crazy to take kids to something I really don't think they understand. They wouldn't take them to a straight wedding, so isn't that the double standard that they themselves have fought so hard to be rid of?

It doesn't surprise me that this is in California...it's like the gay capital of the world. Kids at 5-6 barely understand marriage other than possibly Mommy and Daddy are married...to take them on a "field trip" to a gay wedding is simply a way of pushing the idea that gay marriage and the gay lifestyle is perfectly normal...and some ppl don't want their kids getting that message. I wonder if there were signed permission slips by the parents like there normally are for field trips and if not, why not? And why were these kids, who can't vote for anything at this age, wearing the proposition 8 buttons? How can they, at that age, grasp the meaning of this proposition enough to support or not support it? The teacher, the principal and the whole school district should be ashamed for using little kids in an attempt to teach them something that has no business being taught in school. Next thing they'll have them marching in their parades and having special classes added to the school to teach all the things about the gay lifestyle. If I had a kid in that school, they'd be pulled so fast the school would spin. If ppl want to be gay and live that lifestyle, go for it but quit trying to force others to accept it and quit involving children in it. [b]~~IN SEARCH OF PEACE WITHIN~~ **AGAINST THE STORMS, I WILL STAND STRONG**[/b]

It probably wasn't the greatest idea for this to happen during school hours, but I guess when the mayor is officiating there is less of a schedule to choose from. The children didn't attend the wedding, they surprised the teacher on the steps of city hall after the ceremony. I know a lot of teachers that invite their students to attend the actual wedding, and I think its great! Kids become really attached to their teachers, they feel really honored when they can be part of something like this.

I dont care what they do - i am against the whole aspect of same gender relationships - but i don't cram my opinion down anyone's throat. So why should it be okay for a school to do it? If the parents signed permission slips then whatever (the link is refusing to load with me). But if the school took them as a compulsory trip sort of deal if i were a parent i would have had a heart attack. If parents want their kids to learn about that then fine that is their choice. But if the parents weren't given much of an option that ticks me off.

What is wrong with teaching children about equal rights and marriage? Should we only teach children about heterosexual marriage? I had heterosexual married parents, grew up in a traditional nuclear family, and all we ever did was FIGHT! They fought with eachother, my sister and I fought with eachother, we fought with our parents. i think that anything to do to teach children about love is a good thing.

well, it is not good to judge what other people's preference in choosing what life they would want to have but involving little kids with this scenario is inappropriate. Teachers are teaching the sexuality in the classroom like male and female and their roles in the family. How can a teacher explain this to little kids?

Well this is definitely a touchy subject..lol. I am for any type of relationship, and dont judge people by their sexuality. However, i do believe that 5 or 6 is way to early to be "taught" about the diff ways of life such as this. If its something they see cuz two women/men are kissing or what not on the street walking by, and ask questions that one thing if u choose to answer and discuss it to a minimum, but to bring this in front of children this age, for what most likely is their first time..is wrong. its up to the parents to step in and say, i will not allow this. I know that our school has to have permisson for any sort of field trips, each one individually, so no way would my son at 5 yrs old, have gone to this..which means yes we do have control or should anyway of the values taught to them.

It was atrocious, damaging to the young children ... who should be kept away, at times, from what adults do. The School as well as the teacher should be taken to task for this.