I am a 22 year old lesbian mother. I have been with my partner for 5 years. We really enjoy having children. They are so much fun, and they can be quite the comedians from time to time. Needless to say, we would not change a thing about having children. Well maybe one thing. Society.

It is so painful to see how people treat us in public. Just going to the store is a task. We walk in the doors and it seems like people just stop what their doing and stare. For us this is a normal everyday outing, but from the public eye it’s like a freak show. I mean I as much as anyone else enjoy attention, but not in the aspect of strangers staring at us like we are not even human.

I also have a problem with how my oldest child is treated in school by other children. I will say the school staff has never been judgemental. The school has a great staff, but the students. Calling my son strange and saying he’s gay. He is five years old, his understanidng is very innocent. He knows what gay is and he love’s my partner. It’s hard to tell a child that other children’s parents have not yet taught them to have a open mind and to love one another.

It’s so hard for your child to come home and cry. Somedays because another classmate has made fun of him. I am raising my chlidren to have an open mind about life and other people. I’m trying to teach them that not everyone is the same, and some people live different than others. But everyone is human and everyone should be treated equally.

My parents and I have different views on my so called “choice of lifestyle”. My father is a baptist preacher and tells me all the time “By living that lifestyle you are teaching your children how to work their way to hell”. I for one totally disagree. I teach my children about god, and they know somewhat for their ages right from wrong. I think I’m teaching them to have an open mind and to be who they are. Not to mold into what soceity thinks they should be. I also feel I’m teaching them how to respect everyone and give everyone a fair chance at life.

Getting to my point, being a lesbian mother is a hard task. Trying to explain every glance and stare to a 5,3, and 2 year old is not easy. I just think everyone should be treated equally and judgments should not be passed. Expecially on a child. Passing judgment on an adult is one thing but passing judgment on a child is another. Hate is not a family value in my home and that is what needs to be shown around the world. Having your own opinion on someone’s lifestyle is ok. But choosing to hate is never a good thing. All the gay and lesbian community is asking for is keep an open mind, and remember just because we live our lives this way does not mean you have to like it or accept it. As long as we are happy, thats all that should matter. And children should not get judged on how their parents live.