Many children's shows and movies show families with a father and a mother. In many Disney movies, the main female character wants to marry the main female character. The princess is waiting to be rescued by the prince. Often storybooks have the same bias. You really have to search to find story or movies that feature non-traditional families with two moms or two dads. Even when there is a family that shows only one parent, it is implied that the other parent was around at some point and is of the opposite sex. When developing their identity, children "pay close attention to how the important people in their lives feel about human differences and similarities." (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p 14). When some aspect of diversity is absent from their world and the adults around them don't talk about it, children make their own decisions based on insufficient information.
My argument for including books with same-sex couples would be that children want to understand the world. They are forever trying to make sense of what they see and hear. If we, as educators and care-givers, deny a part of that world, we are denying the children their right to understand. Knowledge itself is never a bad thing. Children need to learn to be critical thinkers so they can decide for themselves what is true and right. To develop this ability to think critically, children need to be exposed to a wide variety of people and situations, including families with same-sex parents. Rita Tenorio (2008) says it nicely in her article "Raising Issues of Race with Young Children". She says "I want them to understand that they have the power to transform society" (p 21). Giving children experiences will allow them to change the world.
References
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves.
Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Pelo, A. (Ed.) (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.
