“Have you wished you could find a simple flyer for your older grade school or middle school children about homosexuality?”

That’s how the conservative Christian group Mission: America introduces its handy brochure called “Questions and Answers for Kids about Homosexuality.” While there are a few pieces of useful advice (“Always speak up and help someone who is being bullied”), it’s not quite as “anti-bullying” as the group wants you to think.

Mission: America’s brochure explains (in simplistic terms meant for older kids) that, while bullying and name-calling aren’t nice things to do, being gay isn’t a good thing, either:

Sometimes, kids will use the word “gay” as an insult. All insults are wrong and hurt people. Friends should never be unkind to each other. So… does that mean that being “gay” is right? Well, the simple answer is, no.

After all, kiddos, by now we all know that God hates gay people — even if your church leader says otherwise! It’s common sense!

So if you hear that everyone thinks being “gay” is okay, don’t believe it — even if that person is a grown-up, or even if he leads a church. There are many, many people who still follow God’s teachings, still believe their common sense, and believe that romance, dating and marriage are for a boy and girl, a man and woman.

There are many, many people who believe the world is 6,000 years old, too. It doesn’t make it right.

But what should you do if your friend is called “gay” (as an insult)?

If the bully uses bad words or makes up false stories that someone is “gay,” or calls a boy names like “sissy,” or worse, that’s horrible! Always speak up and help someone who is being bullied. BUT… it’s not right to tell someone that being homosexual is okay. The person may be feeling sad because of being bullied, but never try to make him or her feel better by saying “gay” is okay.

I can see it now…: “I’m sorry that mean bully was calling you gay as if that were a bad thing! I just came here to tell you that he was totally right.”

The only thing keeping this document out of the Anti-Gay Brochure Hall of Fame is an awful analogy…

Kids who are overweight are sometimes bullied, too. And we might want to make that person feel better. But it would be a mistake to say that overeating is a good thing, right? So tell your friends, in a nice way, that no one needs to be “gay” or pretend to be the other gender. It’s not the right thing to do.

Ding ding ding! There you have it. Don’t let your friends be bullied. Or gay. Or overweight. It’s not the right thing to do.

Thanks for the lesson, Mission: America. We’re clearly all better human beings thanks to your intervention…



