WEEK 4: Homosexuality... yeah, we're goin there.

Today we had an interesting conversation in class about homosexuality and how parenthood, marriage and family plays into that.

I think its important for us to think of what God has in mind for us as men and women. How can we encourage heterosexuality. Here are a few ways that we discussed in class and that really stuck with me.

-help them to understand thier roles and the uniqueness of it.

-be accepting of any interest and characteristics that they have, so that if they are interested in something outside of thier sexuality, they arent being to that that interest "is gay".

I thought of this on a very personal level, becasue i know where i stand on homosexuality, i do not belive in a third gender, i belive in influences and tendancies. My husband and i always joke about how all he wants is for his boys to play baseball and football and put them through college on scholarships and how all his memories with his dad were with sports and there is nothing wrong with that but i became very aware, through the reading and the clips, that as parents something that i really want to practice and be aware of is being sensative our our childs desires. when they are interested in something, we need to be supportive of it and SUPPORT them regardless of that hobbies "sexual orientation".

Ways to raise and support a childs develpoment in a world of tendancies:

-Encourage and recognize the priesthood in thier lives
-Encourage father son bonding time, healthy relations there.
-Let them know that men and women can enjoy similar interest, there is nothing wrong with that.
-not classify manly things so that if they enjoy thing not in that realm they will be confident with their gender.
-Encourage friendship/scouts and young womens
-prevent sexual abuse/ it creates problems with identity 1 of 3 women abused before age 18
-teaching about self-stimulating and how to prevent it
-no labels /label themselves

Homosexuality is based on misunderstanding, , you sexuality is based on your connection to others and intimacy your body will respond to intimacy, that isn't proof, of that your gay, its natural.

I was talking with Bro. Williams after class and we talked about the proof of heterosexuality, what proves that there is no third orientation. I think that truth truely is happiness and its so important to share that truth.

I thinki one of the biggest questions of the LDS people in regards to homosexuality is how to respond to people being offended by us not supporting gay/lesbian marriage. wIn the words of a prophet "are not anti-gay, we are pro-family", we don't believe that the family needs to be redefine. Our Father in heaven has given us roles to fill to return as a family to him and we know that heavenly Father would never create someone to fail them in this perspective.

-fathers/love your son, love your daughters
-people are ready for different things at different times

Process to overcome
1) helping people understand what changed their thinking or influenced them to be homosexual, introduce truth. it provides hope, direction, understanding. NO third gender
2) Establish healthy same gender relationships (preisthood activities, relief society)

We want people to know who they are, beloved sons and daughters with an innate purpose.