Children and Proposition 8

At school and on sports practice fields, it's become the No. 1 topic of conversation among kids.
By Alexandra Cole, LA Times, Nov 1, 2008

. . . I arrived home to find an election mailer from ProtectMarriage.com in my mailbox. In big bold letters it proclaimed that "teaching about 'gay marriage' will happen in our public schools unless we vote yes on Proposition 8."

The irony is that gay marriage has become the No. 1 topic of discussion on school playgrounds and sports practice fields precisely because of Proposition 8. The political battle has done far and away more to raise awareness of same-sex marriage among schoolchildren than the state Supreme Court's ruling in May ever would have. This last month has been a giant teachable moment on gay marriage -- which is probably not what Proposition 8's backers intended.

Alexandra Cole is an associate professor of political science at Cal State Northridge.