In an interview Sara Jessica Parker recently did with People Magazine about her clothing line, Bitten, she was asked if her 4 year old son, James Wilkie has begun to ask tough questions.
"He goes to school with a lot of kids who have different families from his, so he'll be like 'Jen has two mommas' or 'Charlie has two poppas.' And so we've been talking about what it is to be gay; I want him to understand it in terms that aren't overwhelming to him."
Of course, I'm curious what she actually told him it is to "be gay". My parents told me that to be gay meant "to be happy! Because gay means "happy!" And then they told me to go to my room and think about what it is to "ask questions like that."
When asked if she had trouble explaining such things to him, she answered "Actually, the things that are far more complicated for me to answer are any kind of science questions."
I couldn't agree with her more. I find it much easier to sit down and talk about what it means when one of my son's friends "comes out of the closet" than trying to explain things like "electrons" and "atoms." And trust me, when we talk about what it means to be a lesbian, I have never once ended up on the floor, crying out to God to MAKE IT STOP ALREADY. But, that has happened quite a few times when I’ve tried to break down an algebra problem to my son.
I admire her open and honest approach when it comes to the issue of families with gay parents and I wish more parents had her attitude when it comes to this subject.
(photo credit:
People)
