The Dinosaur and the Easy Bake Oven
March 20, 2006

Kids as young as 10-years old are now coming out as gay. Awesome. I knew, younger than age 10, that I liked boys the same way that other boys liked girls.

MEMORY FLASH: I wonder whatever happened to Jed, the boy I played "house" with in Ms. Dombrosky's kindergarten class, three decades ago? Of course, the "house" was one of those plastic play-sets you see banged up in the corner of the playroom and "going to work" in our game involved a day spent killing dinosaurs and other scaly beasts. You haven't lived though until you've had tyrannosaur steak broiled in an Easy Bake Oven.

I also knew, younger than 10, that most other people didn't feel this way. As time went on, and crushes ceased having a little "c" in front of them and began having a big "C" leading the way, that those feelings had to be stuffed down and away. It wasn't good to talk about them, express them, even acknowledge them.

I'm really excited then that these kids might actually get to express their feelings at an age appropriate time, to socialize and learn the same life-lessons right alongside their peers. I do, though, remain concerned that the safe structure for that -- formed by parents, peers, community -- is firmly established enough so that these kids don't encounter disaster by the ignorance of those so charged with helping them.

But hey, it's still really cool.

I wonder if I can get an Easy Bake on Ebay? Dinosaur meat just doesn't taste the same stir-fried on my range.

Posted by Jody at March 20, 2006 08:10 AM

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