Thank you, I am Lindsay Desrosier, Bloomington Resident.
We are not trying to raise our children to keep secrets. Secrets turn into shame and guilt. It is our responsibility as parents to sit with, and really hear our children. When these books endorse problematic sexual behaviors such as rape, incest, and pedophilia, children may be less inclined to share this with people who love them.
It is beautiful to have healthy attachments and openness with our children. For them to be able to speak candidly; And it is our obligation to teach and guide our children on topics surrounding sex and sexuality. I believe that the people present in this room probably have a pretty great attachment to their children. You offer stability and advice in ways a majority of children may not have. It is offensive for others to say that we marginalize children who are exploring who they are. When you get so stuck on one agenda, you begin to lose the concept that not all children get to have healthy attachments to a caregiver.
Children who may be exposed to explicit content may not have a safe space to process what they’ve just read. Often, they’re encouraged to read these books to fit in, or to, “learn more about themselves or their friends.” Sometimes they’re shown images without giving consent and they are not developmentally ready to receive or process this information.
Naturally, LGBTQ culture celebrates desire and pleasure. These rights are hard fought, and should be acknowledged. But do not place adult desires on children. Discussing pleasure without consequences is a set up for increased depression, anxiety, shame, self-harm, suicide, and more. True consent means understanding the ramifications of our behaviors. That includes recognizing that some sexual behaviors will increase the risk of disease, some will increase the risk of cancer, etc. Many of these books glamorize sex and sexuality, and at the very least, minimize the risks. Others infantilize problematic sexual behaviors. These are not age appropriate.
Please stop using misinformation and language manipulation to indicate that we are hateful and want to ban books. All children need to be protected, not just children, but including your children.
