Latest Weather Information

 

The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 03:50 PM

Weather Local Our View State National World Faith

Austrailian Psychologists Urging Parents, Teachers To Support Teaching Students About Gender Identity and Gay Marriage

Australian psychologists have released a guide encouraging parents and teachers to support teaching students about gender identity and gay marriage.

The Christian Post reports that the guide comes at a time when Australia is considering legalizing same-sex marriage with a postal survey next month which will gauge support one way or the other.

The Australian Psychological Society is urging support for same-sex marriage and gender transition, even among society’s youngest members.

The guide claims that, contrary to some beliefs, children are not harmed by being in same-sex families or being taught about LGBT issues.

"Another misconception is that some people worry that children will be harmed in same-sex families, and believe that children do better when they have both a mother and father. This is not true, but also irrelevant to the marriage equality debate. What’s important is to have a family that loves and cares for you (regardless of their gender or sexual orientation)," says the guide.


The guide further encourages parents and teachers to tell children “that it's okay to question one's sexual orientation (i.e., who you are attracted to) or one's gender identity, and that there are many different ways for people to 'be' in the world."

Many parents, however, are concerned. They have warned that if same-sex marriage becomes the law in Australia, it could lead to school programs in support of the LGBT agenda becoming compulsory.