I'd say it's one of the best, most beautiful pieces I've read all year, a really brave one, and just an amazing perspective. Long story short, it's by a frum woman raising a daughter who found her framework of sexuality challenged by Sesame Street of all things, how she processed through that, and what changes she wants to make for her daughter because of the realizations she made.
I'd be curious about what some of you thought of it.
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63418 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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Oops! I shed a tear. I guess I found it pretty moving.
I really appreciate reading about people coming up with quite powerful realisations, especially written from certain view points like ultra-orthadox jewish communities that are usually described, ignorantly, as not being able to create such nuanced perspective.
As she almost points out there is a parallel between these two attitudes to sexuality, neither of which feel good enough to her. I think it's an illusion, often flung out by traditionalist groups, but also people outside of them that they somehow aren't constantly changing and repositioning themselves with respect to secular society, whereas to me they're some of many sides of a wider society which as a whole has only come so far in understanding how to express sexuality, expressed differently in different parts. We really don't have the answers so it's really moving for me read her making those steps with her daughter and step into an unknown. It's the sort of brave realisation & action I can only hope to live...
I also really loved how it framed growing up as something parents do, not just children it read just like a coming of age story.
-------------------- There are seven billion sexual orientations! Posts: 348 | From: Leeds UK | Registered: May 2011
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(I'm a bit weary though of the degree of projecting onto the daughter all this significance, which is in fact all about the author's issues and thoughts... it's a normal thing to do, but I am cautious about it, however I likely need to think about that more.)
-------------------- There are seven billion sexual orientations! Posts: 348 | From: Leeds UK | Registered: May 2011
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