Fatherly describes itself in its Twitter bio as “empowering men to raise great kids and lead more fulfilling adult lives.” But now that the Pride Month celebrations are coming up, what’s the right thing for a father to do? Should he take his kids to the pride parade? Libs of TikTok has already shown that there will be plenty of activities for kids, like dressing up in drag and maybe getting to pet a furry. Journalist and assistant professor Heather Tirado Gilligan has penned a piece for Fatherly saying yes, you should take your kids to pride celebrations, but there are a few certain conversations you should have beforehand.
Pride Parades and the Pride festivals that follow are noisy and crowded. They’re filled with sights that may be new to kids, like public nudity and kink. So is it appropriate to take your young kids to Pride?https://t.co/CZDnooZq5f
— Fatherly (@FatherlyHQ) June 1, 2022
Wrap the fam up in rainbows and head over to your city's #Pride parade. Be proud, be an ally and say gay as loud as you can. First timer? Here's some advice I put together for @FatherlyHQ https://t.co/WDRCjcYS3H
— Heather Tirado Gilligan (@HeatherGilligan) June 1, 2022
Gilligan writes:
Before going to Pride, you should also sit your kids down with a few more children’s books about LGBTQ+ people and families. Kids have a tendency to point and ask questions when they’re exposed to new things, and you don’t want people celebrating Pride to become a convenient life lesson for your children. If you’re straight and cisgender or just haven’t exposed your kids to much of the LGBTQ+ community yet, prepping your children beforehand can ensure that your family is respectful of queer people while at Pride.
Jenifer McGuire, Ph.D., an associate professor of family social science at the University of Minnesota, has been to Pride celebrations across the world with her family, from Tucson to Amsterdam. McGuire, a lesbian parent, always preps her kids for possible adult content beforehand. After a few events, the kids knew to expect nudity and other surprises. “They just had to learn to laugh and enjoy things. Like there were these Beanie Babies with giant penises on them,” McGuire says. “For a fourth- and fifth-grade kid, that’s super funny.”
The benefits to her family always outweighed any potential downside, McGuire says, because they could see how many other queer families were in their community and around the world. “They don’t necessarily get that from their swimming teams and drama clubs and school,” she says.
For a fourth- and fifth-grade kid, Beanie Babies with giant penises on them are “super funny.”
Pride parades themselves are really fun for kids. Freebies like necklaces and bags of Cheerios abound.
Once the marching is finished, head over to the Pride festival, where you’ll typically find food, drinks, & kid-friendly play areas. pic.twitter.com/3gnVKV7PbE
— Fatherly (@FatherlyHQ) June 1, 2022
Can you explain to me why you think it's ok for children to be shown adult genitalia? From multiple adults, in public?
— Hi I'm Pangas (@Pangas82065986) June 2, 2022
For the record, this is a genuine question. I actually want to know why you think this is a good idea. I have two children and I want to understand you.
— Hi I'm Pangas (@Pangas82065986) June 2, 2022
My kids will be enjoying activities with their father. However, their fun will not include a pride parade. Nothing against these type of parades but not for kids.
— CATHY G (@CathyGNine) June 2, 2022
Nope.
— Alex Elliott (@alex_elliott_99) June 2, 2022
Uh, unless you want your kids exposed to naked adults, men in gimp outfits on all fours attached to leashes, and people wearing costumes w/ fake penises all over them… Then, no.
Don't expose kids to adults' sexuality. Obviously. #Pride #PrideMonth #Pride2022 #pridemonth2022 pic.twitter.com/GiYrgYCGS1
— Libs Of TikTok (@LibsofTikTok2) June 2, 2022
Sounds pg-13 and borderline rated R. Why would I take my kids? 6 million other things more healthy for a 6 year old than this. pic.twitter.com/N3mvklNJU0
— Johnny Lunchpail (@jimdandiee) June 2, 2022
Woman gives shit advice on being a father. Big surprise there!
— The Spiritual Fighter (@TheSpiritBoxing) June 2, 2022
Good fathers (and mothers) don't expose their children to the sort of adult nudity and kink typically found at a pride parade. And no one needs virtue signaling advice designed to heighten the advice-giver's sense of power.
— Kevin Jones (@SpitBubblesInc) June 2, 2022
Pick one:
– child-friendly
– kinky, edgy, adult, transgressive, gritty, wild, wicked, authentic to the spirit of Stonewall.You can't have both.
Stop sanitizing everything to be family friendly. Some things are just for adults, & that's OK.
— Geoffrey Miller (@primalpoly) June 2, 2022
Now that’s good advice.
Related:
HuffPost Canada honors those families who believe ‘kids can handle the kink’ at pride parades https://t.co/EObC2AAikb
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 18, 2019
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