College Central Des Moines, a college located in Jounieh that follows the French system, has angered families after finding out their kids are being taught about LGBT families. A leaked sheet from the school in question is entitled “All kinds of families” and includes same-sex parents, which many consider as immoral and encouraging sexual deviation. The school has issued an official statement today that they’re investigating the matter and Judge Joelle Abou Haidar has called after all the teachers involved to hear what they have to say.
There’s a lot of controversy over teaching young kids about gender identity & LGBT rights, and there’s no point in debating the matter because the Lebanese society is simply not ready for it and won’t be for years to come. Whether it’s right or wrong, it is important for kids after a certain age to know that certain families or individuals may look different from what they’re used to, and that they should respect other’s choices even if they don’t agree with them. We can argue all you want on how to approach this matter, but it simply cannot be ignored for our sake and our children’s sake.
In fact, I believe we should teach responsibly our kids about everything happening around them, and guide them towards acceptance, tolerance and respect, and this can be done in collaboration with academic institutions. We can’t keep living in a bubble and ignoring the actual problems and challenges of our societies, whether it’s sexual abuse, child abuse, domestic violence, gender identity, bullying and discrimination, racism, etc …