“What do mommies and daddies say to their 7-year-old child?” Thus frets Ike Skelton, Democratic U.S. Representative from Missouri’s 4th congressional district. Skelton is worried about the impact of the congressional debate about the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell military policy of firing anyone who is found to engage in homosexual behavior. He believes that if members of Congress discuss the policy, it will force American parents to explain homosexuality to their 7 year-old children.

7 year-old children, apparently, follow debates in the U.S. Congress. If only adult citizens would pay such close attention.

Underlying Skelton’s rhetorical question is the presumption that any public acknowledgment of issues related to homosexual Americans will require American parents to engage in difficult conversations about sexual issues – conversations that shouldn’t take place. If that’s the case, though, why wouldn’t the same be true for public acknowledgment of the existence of heterosexual Americans? Why isn’t Ike Skelton worried that, if 7 year-olds are allowed to see heterosexual married couples walking down the street holding hands, parents are going to have to discuss heterosexuality with their children?

Does Congressman Skelton really think that American children wouldn’t be exposed to the idea of homosexuality, if only members of Congress would refuse to discuss it? Skelton’s home district includes the suburbs of Kansas City, and the outskirts of Columbia, Missouri. Is naive enough to believe that there aren’t any openly homosexual couples in his district?

Really, if 7 year-olds do come across the concept of homosexuality, there shouldn’t be much of a problem with it. 7 year-olds tend to think that any romantic encouplement is icky, whether it’s heterosexual or homosexual. So, if a 7 year-old asks mommy and daddy about homosexuality, the conversation shouldn’t be especially awkward. What will mommy and daddy say? How about, “When adults grow up, they fall in love with each other, and most people fall in love with people of the opposite sex, but some people fall in love with people of the same sex.”

Is that so difficult, Representative Skelton? It happens to be the truth.

What Ike Skelton ought to be worried about is what mommy and daddy are going to tell the 17 year-old child who comes to them and asks why the U.S. Congress is allowing the government to discriminate against people on the basis of private sexuality.